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A Filipino sweet-sticky, coconut rice treat

Biko in Hawaii…

I remember having biko at summer parties, pot lucks, and many large events. Usually it was brought by our Filipino friends or aunties.

I love digging into the sweet treat and savoring each chew as it melted in my mouth. Ahhh what great memories to look back on!

What is Biko?

Biko is a sweet Filipino dish made of sticky rice boiled in coconut milk and brown sugar! It has a chewy texture and light sweet coconut flavor that makes you want to have more than one serving.

Are there different types of Biko?

Here is the confusing part to biko, it is actually a part of the kakanin (rice cakes) varieties Filipinos love to eat for snacks. So, no there are no different types of Biko but there are different types of kakanin recipes.

For example Bibingkang Malagkit is almost the same as Biko but has different methods to cook it as a rice cake. It is classified as kakanin.

Another example is Biko, with the same ingredients but different methods although it is still classified as kakanin.

There is a slight confusion when bringing this from the Philippines to Hawaii as it will get tangled with the different terms. The most common name is Biko!

What you’ll need:

Glutinous rice: The grain looks stumpy but plump. It can be bought at any Asian marketplace.
Brown sugar: Just the browner version of white sugar. It’s what gives it that classic Biko brown look.
Coconut milk: The nectar of the gods. Got no coconuts in the backyard, just buy the canned version. Still good.
Banana leaves: It’s optional but it gives it a nice natural flavor that you don’t get from parchment paper.

How to make Biko

A fairly simple recipe! This is an old school type of recipe I got from a very old recipe book. Feel free to change it up if you’d like.

Wash the rice under cold water. Rinse it until the water becomes pretty clear. Soak the rice in water and set aside.
In a double boiler, bring the water to a boil. In the pot or bowl above the water, add in 3½ coconut milk. Let it cook for about 15 minutes while constantly stirring.
Add in 1 cup brown sugar. Let it cook for another 15 minutes while stirring constantly.
Add in the rice and constantly stir it until it has thickened and looks like rice pudding.
Wilt the banana leaves. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 4×4 baking pan with wilted banana leaves.
Pour the rice pudding into the baking pan, top it off with the reserved brown sugar and coconut milk, and pop it into the oven.
Let it bake for 15 minutes then lower the temperature to 300°F and let it bake for 30 minutes.
Cool to room temperature before cutting it into square pieces. Serve and enjoy!

How do you store Biko?

If you have leftover biko, it’s best to put it in a tightly sealed container. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. It’s best to reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds.

It can be stored out on the counter for 2-3 days. It is not necessary to reheat.
Give this onolicious recipe a try to feed your kakanin craving! If you did give it a try, please leave a comment with a star rating below. Mahalo!

Video Tutorial

Check out this video to help you gain more insight on how to make Biko. Also, subscribe to my YouTube to help support me so I can continue making more of these contents. Mahalo!