Bibingkang Malagkit

Bibingkang Malagkit made of glutinous rice, coconut milk, and brown sugar perfectly sweet, creamy, and chewy. Topped with sweetened coconut spread, this Filipino rice cake is a delicious treat you'll love as a snack or dessert.

Have you tried my biko recipe yet? I hope you check it out because today's bibingkang malagkit belongs to the same family of kakanin.

In fact, this native delicacy is also referred to as biko or sinukmani in other regions of the country. They share the same ingredients, but while the other is topped with latik, this version is topped with coconut caramel topping and finished off in the oven to brown.

Either way,  these sticky rice cakes are soft, chewy, and bursting with coconut flavor. They're delicious as a midday snack or after-meal dessert and guaranteed to be crowd favorites!

Ingredients

• The recipe calls for glutinous rice or malagkit. You'll find this cultivar in the stores also labeled as sticky rice or sweet rice.
• If you want more contrast in color, swap the dark brown sugar with granulated sugar for the sticky rice base and brown sugar for the top coconut layer.
• I used coconut milk for the sweetened topping to cut the number of ingredients, but feel free to swap coconut cream (kakang gata or first extraction) if you have it on hand.  This will speed up the process as it's more concentrated and has less water content to reduce.

Sticky rice

• Steam the glutinous rice until partially cooked as it will finish off in the sweetened cream mixture.
• Add a knotted strip of pandan leaves when cooking the rice for an extra boost of aroma and flavor.
• Do not skip the salt as it helps balance the sweetness and richness of the rice cake.
• Use a wide non-stick pan to make stirring easier. Please do not leave the rice mixture unattended for long periods as it can burn in the bottom pretty quickly.
• The sweet rice mixture is ready when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Coconut Topping

• The caramel sauce is pretty easy to make but does take time to thicken. Make it in another pan at the same time as the rice mixture so they'll finish congruently. Or you can prepare it a day before and store it in the refrigerator in a covered container.
• Use a wide shallow pan instead of a deep saucepot for the excess liquid to evaporate quicker. Choose a non-stick material to make stirring easier.
• The coconut caramel is ready when it's thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Assembly

• Since we are not making latik here, use melted butter to grease the baking pan. If you have coconut oil on hand, so much the better! You can also line the baking dish with wilted banana leaves for added aroma.
• Spoon the caramel topping on the rice cake and spread evenly to cover the cake completely.
• Tap the baking pan on the kitchen counter a few times to smooth out the thick sauce and to remove bubbles if any.
• The pan I use is 5 x 8-inch in size; if using a wider pan or you prefer a thicker caramel, you might need to double the amount of topping.

How to serve

• Serve as a midday snack or dessert. It can be enjoyed warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
• To store leftovers, wrap the baking pan tightly with plastic film and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Note that the rice tends to harden when refrigerated.
• Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds until warmed through.

Give this bibingkang malagkit a try and let me know what you think. I'll be back in a few days with my almost-famous cassava cake updated with new photos. Enjoy!

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3.74 from 67 votes

Bibingkang Malagkit

Bibingkang Malagkit is the ultimate sweet treat! Soft, chewy, and topped with sweetened coconut spread, it's sure to be a crowd-pleaser. And it's gluten-free, too!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time2 hrs

Total Time2 hrs 10 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Filipino

Servings: 12 Servings

Calories: 519kcal

Author: Lalaine Manalo

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon coconut oil or melted butter
• ▢ 2 cups glutinous rice, washed and drained well
• ▢ 1 ½ cups water
• ▢ 1 pandan leaf, optional
• ▢ 5 cups coconut milk
• ▢ 1 ¾ cups brown sugar
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• ▢
  Brush bottom and sides of a 5 x 8 baking dish with coconut oil or melted butter. Set aside.
• ▢
  Wash glutinous rice a few times or until water runs almost clear. Drain well.
• ▢
  In a thick bottom pot, combine rice and water. If using, tie a pandan leaf into a knot and add to the rice.
• ▢
  If using, tie a pandan leaf into a knot and add to coconut milk-sugar mixture.
• ▢
  Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and cook until liquid is absorbed. Allow to cool to touch and fluff with a fork to separate grains. Discard pandan leaf.
• ▢
  In a wide non-stick skillet over medium heat, combine coconut milk, brown sugar, and salt. Stir until blended and bring to a boil. Lower heat and continue to cook until slightly reduced and thickened.
• ▢
  Add rice, gently stirring to evenly distribute. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour or until mixture is very thick, sticky, and pulls away from the sides of the pan. 
• ▢
  Add water in ¼ cup increments and continue to cook, stirring regularly, for about 25 to 30 minutes or until rice is fully cooked and the mixture is very thick and sticky. 
• ▢
  Meanwhile, In a non-stick pan over medium heat, combine the remaining 1 cup coconut milk and ¾ cup brown sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very thick yet spreadable.
• ▢
  Transfer the sticky rice into the prepared baking dish and pat down with a lightly greased spatula to even out.
• ▢
  Spoon coconut caramel topping over rice and spread across the surface to completely cover.
• ▢
  Bake in a 350 F oven for about 15 to 25 minutes or until topping is firm. Increase temp to 375 F and continue to bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until topping is golden. 
• ▢
  Remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing.

Video

Notes

• Add a knot of pandan leaves when cooking the rice for aroma and flavor.
• To speed up making the sweetened coconut topping, swap the coconut milk with coconut cream if you have it on hand. to make the topping. This first extraction or kakang gata is more concentrated and has less water content to reduce. 
• Brush the inner bottom and sides of the baking pan with melted butter to keep the rice from sticking. You can also coconut oil or line the pan with wilted banana leaves.

Nutrition

Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 88mg | Potassium: 333mg | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 4.6mg

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