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Bibingka

by Lalaine Manalo last updated November 9, 2019 posted October 1, 2019 31 Comments

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Delicious Bibingka you can easily make at home! Topped with salted eggs, cheese, and grated coconut, this classic Filipino rice cake is the ultimate Christmas treat!

bibingka on a blue serving plate
Bibingka

Since BER months are here and the holiday season has officially started, I thought I’ll update my bibingka post with brand new photos and cooking tips. Because nothing says Filipino Christmas better than this Filipino native cake, right?

I spent a good part of this week testing various recipes, trying to come up with a traditional version made from galapong. But after going through enough rice grains to feed a nation in my experimentations, I realized the easiest way to make bibingka at home is using rice flour.

Forget soaking and grinding! Buy a bag of rice flour at the grocery store, and your favorite Filipino treat will be a matter of stirring the ingredients into a batter and quickly popping the mixture in the oven to bake!

bibingka batter topped with sliced salted eggs and cheese in aluiminum baking tins

What is Bibingka

Bibingka is a classic Filipino delicacy that’s especially popular during Christmas season. Sold outside of churches during the nine-day Misa de Gallo, it’s commonly enjoyed after the mass as breakfast or as a midday snack with a cup of hot chocolate or salabat.

Similar to putong bigas, traditional bibingka is made with galapong. Rice grains are first soaked in water overnight to ferment and soften and then ground using stone mills into a thick paste.

baked bibingka in aluminum tins

The resulting rice dough is combined with water or coconut milk to form a batter and baked in banana-lined terra cotta pot until set and nicely charred. These specialized clay pots function like an oven, using hot coals positioned both on top and the bottom as the heat source.

The rice cakes in their basic form are a simple mixture of galapong and water, but can be made extra special with added beaten eggs, sliced salted duck eggs, and cheese. They’re usually eaten hot or warm with margarine spread on top along with a generous sprinkling of grated coconut.

cut bibingka with grated coconut topping on a blue serving plate

Tips on How to Make Homemade Bibingka

  • Do not skip the banana leaves! Not only do they keep the rice cake from sticking, but they also add incredible aroma. Inspect the leaves to make sure they’re intact and free of rips and pass them quickly over a gas flame until soft and pliable.
  • I use mamon tin molds which I bought in the Philippines, but large muffin tins or fluted pie pans will also work.
  • To deepen the color, you can add a drop or two of yellow food coloring to the batter.
  • I like to add sliced cream cheese as a topping. You can substitute kesong puto, queso de bola or sharp cheddar cheese.
  • To ensure a good rise, make sure the oven is pre-heated at 400 F. To achieve the characteristic charring obtained from cooking in clay pots, broil the bibingka for about 1 to 2 minutes after it has set.

Make this bibingka a part of your Christmas celebrations! Looking for more holiday-worthy treats? Try my festive cathedral window gelatin or this crema de fruta cake.

bibingka on a blue serving plate
Print Recipe Leave a Comment
3.43 from 7 votes

Bibingka

Bibingka Espesyal is the ultimate Christmas treat! Soft, spongy and made extra delicious with salted egg, cheese, and grated coconut topping, this classic Filipino delicacy is sure to be a holiday hit.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Filipino
Keyword: bibingka, rice cake
Servings: 6 Pieces
Calories: 450kcal
Author: Lalaine Manalo

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups rice flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cups coconut milk
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 salted eggs, peeled and sliced lengthwise
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, sliced thinly (you can substitute kesong puti or queso de bola)

For Toppings

  • margarine or butter, softened
  • Grated mature coconut
  • Sugar to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and 1/8 teaspoon sugar. Stir well and let stand for about 5 minutes or until foamy.
  • Rinse banana leaves under warm water and wipe off any dirt or grit. Using scissors, trim any thick edges and cut into circles large enough to cover bottom and sides of the pan.
  • Quickly pass and heat banana leaves over stove flames for a few seconds or until just softened. Line the pans, making sure the leaves are intact with no rips.
  • In a large bowl, combine rice flour, the remaining sugar, and salt. Whisk together until well dispersed.
  • Add yeast mixture and coconut milk, Stir into a smooth, thin batter.
  • Let the batter stand for about 2 to 3 hours (depending on outside temperature) or until it looks slightly bubbly.
  • Add the beaten eggs and stir until blended.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pans up to 3/4 full.
  • Arrange sliced salted eggs and cream cheese slices on top.
  • Bake in a 400 F oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If desired, place under the broiler for about 1 minute or until nicely charred.
  • Remove from heat and spread margarine or butter on top. Garnish with grated coconut and sprinkle with sugar to taste. Serve hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 344mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 519IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe? I'd love to see what you made!mention @Kawalingpinoy and hashtag your photo with #kawalingpinoy

 

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Filed Under: Rice, Potatoes and Noodles, Sweets and Desserts Tagged With: coconut, rice flour

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Lalaine from Kawaling Pinoy

Hello! My name is Lalaine and welcome to Kawaling Pinoy where you’ll find Filipino and Asian-inspired recipes, cooking tips, and how-to videos. Read more...

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Comments

  1. Phil Manabat says

    November 9, 2019 at 5:56 pm

    I should have read this comment section before I baked the Bibingka. I used glutinous rice flour. The result dense sticky texture. I will try again with regular rice flour.

    Reply
  2. Karen reyes says

    November 6, 2019 at 8:28 pm

    Can i skip the dry yeast? Also where can i get those molds? Thanks in advance

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      November 9, 2019 at 5:06 pm

      Please don’t skip the yeast, it’s needed for the bibingka to rise. I bought the molds in the Philippines but you can order them on Amazon as well. They’re called mamon molds.

      Reply
  3. Mags says

    June 25, 2019 at 5:24 pm

    Can I use Mochiko rice flour or Glutinous rice flour from Thailand?

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      October 1, 2019 at 7:18 pm

      Glutinous rice won’t work in this recipe, unfortunately. You’ll have a dense, sticky texture instead of soft and spongy πŸ™

      Reply
  4. Egie says

    December 13, 2018 at 9:16 am

    I think it’s funny that you said you used evaporated milk but I don’t find it in your recipe. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      December 13, 2018 at 10:40 am

      I am glad I was able to amuse you πŸ™‚ This particular recipe doesn’t use evaporated milk, it uses coconut milk. I am sorry it was a bit confusing but if you read the post, I was actually referring to the mini bibingka I made which I liked but thought were not authentic as they use evaporated milk.

      Reply
  5. Gina says

    December 10, 2018 at 7:13 am

    hello! this recipe looks good and will try to make it this month! do you use regular rice flour or glutinous rice flour? thank you!

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      October 1, 2019 at 7:18 pm

      It’s regular rice flour, not glutinous πŸ™‚

      Reply
  6. grace kandog says

    November 8, 2018 at 12:07 am

    I want to try this one. I want to be productive this Christmas vacation with money! hehehe. I want to add this recipe in my BBQ stand. Bibingka at night!

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      October 1, 2019 at 7:19 pm

      Good luck!

      Reply
  7. Venus says

    May 19, 2018 at 4:50 pm

    Can I use cheddar cheese instead of the cheeses you mentioned above? Shall i grate it or slice? =) Salamat po.

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      October 1, 2019 at 7:19 pm

      Cheddar is fine. Sliced will be better πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • Mary Ann says

        November 13, 2019 at 6:45 pm

        1 star
        Hi Lalaine,

        I followed the recipe, and the result was not soft and spongy. The result was thin and chewy.

        I originally printed the recipe on Nov. 5. Instruction- step six, indicates β€œlet the batter stand for 3 to 4 hours”. However when I look at the recipe online today, it shows 2-3 hours.

        Is it necessary for the batter to sit for 2-4 hours? I would think after that many hours, the yeast would no longer be active.

        I would appreciate your feedback, thank you.

        Mary Ann

        Reply
        • Lalaine Manalo says

          November 14, 2019 at 3:58 pm

          I am sorry to hear the recipe didn’t work well for you. I am surprised that it turned out thin and chewy. May I ask if you used regular rice flour and not glutinous rice flour which has a sticky texture.

          The recipe had 3 to 4 hours because I tested the recipe in the U.S. and it took about that long to get it a little bubbly. However, we did the video here in the Philippines and it took less time because of the warmer weather. I updated the recipe to 2 to 3 hours as I realized it was a cold day when I tested it. Letting the mixture stand doesn’t kill the yeast. It’s like baking bread; we wait a few hours to make the dough rise. πŸ™‚

          Reply
  8. Raffaela says

    December 6, 2017 at 6:37 pm

    I made the bibingka tonight, but baked it in separate ramekins instead of a pie pan. I am not Filipina. My only taste of bibingka is the one we buy at the Filipino store. But my Filipino husband gave it two thumbs up. He said this recipe is a keeper.

    Thank you, Lalaine

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      December 12, 2017 at 8:46 am

      Thank you, Raffaela! I am glad you and the hubby enjoyed the bibingka. This is one of my favorite things to make during the holidays, reminds of Christmas at home πŸ™‚

      Reply
  9. Keisha Marie says

    November 4, 2017 at 4:29 am

    Hello! ask ko lang po kung may recipe ba ng puto yema?naisip ko lang po kung paano sya lutuin.

    Maraming Salamat!

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      October 1, 2019 at 7:19 pm

      Wala pa but will look into it πŸ™‚

      Reply
  10. Kwin says

    April 1, 2017 at 10:52 pm

    I love to cook

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      April 2, 2017 at 2:59 pm

      πŸ™‚

      Reply
  11. Angie says

    December 31, 2016 at 5:17 pm

    Hi,I’m dying to make pilipino tamales. Can I steam the tamales in Crock-Pot. Please advice thanks

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      July 4, 2018 at 7:31 pm

      I’ve never tried steaming in a crockpot but I think it would work. Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  12. Georgina says

    July 22, 2016 at 9:46 pm

    I’ve been trying to bake this bibingka but I have a hard time this would not rise for me…why?

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      July 26, 2016 at 2:44 am

      Hello Georgina

      The bibingka didn’t rise at all? It doesn’t really plump up like a muffin, if that’s what you’re expecting?

      Reply
  13. Chowhound says

    November 28, 2015 at 10:52 pm

    Wow, it’s almost that time of year again. Nothing beats Pinoy Christmas. I lived with a very old fashioned and really Catholic aunt when I was going to uni and to this day, she doesn’t know this but bibingka and puto bumbong were the only reasons why I allowed her to drag me out of bed to go to simbang gabi.

    By the way, I’d been a long time lurker. Thank you for promoting the delicious food from the Old Country. I’ve lived in Canada for over ten years now and I still get the occasional bouts of homesickness. Your delicious-looking food pics and often funny anecdotes help ease that a bit. The recipes and the pics continue to give me some serious kitchen goals.

    Reply
  14. Lynne says

    October 11, 2015 at 7:25 am

    Hi. I am just starting to cook Filipino dishes. And, will have to try your bibinka recipe. Looks simple and delicious!

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      October 26, 2015 at 9:02 am

      Please let me know how it turns out πŸ™‚

      Reply
  15. Mia says

    October 10, 2015 at 10:01 pm

    This looks great and interesting! I would like to try this recipe and compare the difference in taste from the bibingka I grew up eating in the southern part of Cebu. We have 2 different types of bibingkas: plain ones that are either white or pink with no toppings halfway wrapped in young banana leaves. The other one is more delicious, baked until the tops are browned and then slathered with rich latik (coconut syrup).

    Reply
  16. Rosita says

    October 10, 2015 at 12:05 pm

    I like your resipe, i like to try to make bibingka on thanksgiving day. .thanks

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      October 10, 2015 at 10:15 pm

      Thanks, Rosita, I hope you’ll find many delicious recipes here at Kawaling Pinoy for your Thanksgiving celebration πŸ™‚

      Reply

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