Craving biko but can’t find any nearby? Make your own. This is our family’s biko Bisaya recipe: black and white sticky rice cooked in a thick latik of gata and brown sugar, then left to rest until every grain is glossy and chewy. It takes about an hour and only a few ingredients.
AT A GLANCE
Biko is a Filipino sticky rice cake cooked in coconut milk and brown sugar. This Bisaya-style recipe takes about 1 hour (10 minutes prep, 40 minutes cooking, plus resting) and makes 30 to 50 servings.
10 minPrep
40 minCook
50 minTotal
30–50Servings
What Is Biko?
Biko is a kakanin, a sweet rice cake made from glutinous rice (pilit), coconut milk (gata) and brown sugar. It’s chewy, sticky and rich, and you’ll find it on the table at fiestas, birthdays, reunions and almost every Filipino gathering. In Cebu and the rest of the Visayas, biko is often made with black or purple sticky rice, which gives it a deeper color and a slightly nutty taste.
Biko Ingredients
- 3/4 kg (4 1/2 cups) black or purple sticky rice (pilit nga itom)
- 1/4 kg glutinous rice (pilit)
- 6 cups water
- 3 1/2 cups coconut milk (gata)
- 3/4 kg (4 cups) brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, or 4 pieces lemonsito
No fresh gata? Use 750 ml canned coconut milk (2 big 400 ml cans), or 400 g coconut milk powder dissolved in 750 ml room-temperature water.
How to Make Biko Bisaya
- Wash the rice. Combine the black sticky rice and glutinous rice, then rinse with clean water.
- Cook the rice. Add 6 cups of water and cook over medium heat, or in your rice cooker, until just done.
- Start the latik. In a big pan over low heat, pour in the 3 1/2 cups of coconut milk.
- Add the sugar. Stir for 30–40 seconds, then add the brown sugar and the salt. Bring to a boil and keep stirring until it thickens and caramelizes. This is your latik.
- Mix in the rice. Add the cooked sticky rice to the latik and stir until every grain is coated.
- Add the lemon. Stir in the lemon juice or lemonsito, then leave it for 1 minute (paanok in Bisaya).
- Stir and rest. Stir again and leave it for 3 minutes (paanok napod).
- One last rest. Stir once more and leave it for another 3 minutes (last paanok nani ^_^).
- Serve. Transfer to a serving tray, let it cool a little, then slice and enjoy.
Prefer to watch? Here’s the whole process on video:
What Is Latik in Bisaya?
In the Visayas, latik is the thick, sticky caramel you get when you cook gata and brown sugar together, like in step 4. The rice is cooked in it, so the latik is inside the biko, not just on top.
In Tagalog regions, latik usually means something else: the golden coconut curds left after simmering coconut cream until the oil separates, sprinkled on top of biko. Both are made from coconut milk, and both are called latik. This recipe uses the Bisaya kind.
Tips for Perfect Biko
- Keep the heat low when making the latik. Brown sugar burns fast, and burnt latik tastes bitter.
- Don’t overcook the rice in step 2. It keeps softening in the latik, so take it off when it’s just done.
- Stir all the way to the bottom once the rice goes in, so it doesn’t stick and scorch.
- Don’t skip the paanok. The resting time lets the rice soak up the latik and turn glossy.
- The lemon or lemonsito cuts the sweetness a little. Leave it out if you like your biko extra sweet.
- Only have white pilit? You can use all glutinous rice. The biko will be lighter in color and milder in taste.
How to Store and Reheat Biko
Cover your biko and keep it at room temperature for up to 1 day. For longer, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. It firms up in the fridge, so steam it for 5–10 minutes (or microwave it briefly with a sprinkle of water) to make it soft and chewy again.
Biko Nutrition Facts
Approximate values for every 7 oz (about 200 g) serving:
532Calories
69 gCarbs
26 gFat
9 gProtein
Bisaya Words in This Recipe
| Bisaya | English |
|---|---|
| Biko | Sticky rice cake cooked in coconut milk and brown sugar |
| Pilit | Glutinous (sticky) rice |
| Pilit nga itom | Black or purple sticky rice |
| Gata | Coconut milk |
| Latik | The caramel of gata and brown sugar (in the Visayas) |
| Lemonsito | Calamansi, a small Filipino lime |
| Paanok | Letting it rest so the rice soaks up the latik |
Biko Recipe FAQs
What is biko in Bisaya?
Biko is called biko in Bisaya too. It’s a sweet sticky rice cake made from pilit (glutinous rice) cooked in latik, a caramel of gata (coconut milk) and brown sugar. In the Visayas it’s often made with black or purple sticky rice.
What is latik in Bisaya?
In the Visayas, latik is the thick caramel of coconut milk and brown sugar that the rice is cooked in. In Tagalog regions, latik usually means the toasted coconut curds sprinkled on top of biko.
Can I use canned coconut milk for biko?
Yes. Use 750 ml of canned coconut milk (2 big 400 ml cans), or 400 g of coconut milk powder dissolved in 750 ml of room-temperature water.
Can I cook biko in a rice cooker?
You can cook the sticky rice in a rice cooker. Make the latik in a big pan on the stove, then mix the cooked rice into it.
How long does biko last?
Covered, biko keeps for up to 1 day at room temperature, or 3–4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Steam it for 5–10 minutes to soften it again.
Planning a party?
Let us handle the dessert table. Our dessert buffet packages start at ₱5,000 with setup included, for birthdays, christenings and weddings in Maasin City and nearby towns.
