Puto Bigas, made with rice flour and coconut milk, are soft, fluffy, and tasty! These Filipino steamed rice cakes are delicious on their own or paired with savory dishes such as pancit and dinuguan.
I have recipes for morcon and kilawing labanos atay ready to publish in my draft box, but since I posted my dinuguan a couple of days ago, I thought the best follow-up would be its perennial pair: puto. Because what's better to serve with hearty and savory pork blood stew than soft and fluffy steamed rice cakes?
What is Puto
Puto is a popular Filipino steamed rice cake usually enjoyed as a filling midday snack or as an accompaniment to savory dishes.
Although all-purpose flour, cake flour, or even hotcake mixes are used for puto cake or cheese puto, traditional putong puti is made by soaking rice grains in water overnight and then processing them into a smooth batter called galapong. The fermented rice batter is then steamed in banana-lined bamboo platters (bilao) or individual molds.
Leavening agents, such as baking powder or yeast, are used to give the batter a rise. Coconut milk provides moisture, while sugar adds sweetness, and a sprinkling of salt balances the flavors.
Over the years, home cooks have spun these native cakes into a wide variety of delicious dishes by adding pandan or ube extracts or by topping them with slices of cheese or salted duck eggs.
How to Make Puto with Rice Flour
- Combine the ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth and blended. Strain the mixture using a fine-mesh sieve to remove lumps.
- While you can steam the rice batter as soon as you make it, I highly recommend refrigerating it first overnight before steaming. It makes for a softer, fluffier, and less crumbly texture.
- I find it unnecessary to grease the molds. Just allow the puto to cool enough before removing it from the molds to prevent it from falling apart.
- Cover the steamer lid with cheesecloth or another cotton material to prevent condensation from dripping onto the steamed muffins.
- Adjust the steam time based on the size of the molds or ramekins used. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake; if it comes out clean, the steamed cake is done.
Helpful Tip
To create the cracks on top, make sure the water is rapidly boiling before placing the puto in the steamer and steam on high heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Filipino puto gluten-free?
It depends on the recipe. Some puto varieties are made with wheat flour, but this particular recipe for putong puti, or bigas, uses rice flour only and is gluten-free.
Serving suggestions and storage instructions
- Serve this Filipino delicacy on its own or as a side to other dishes such as dinuguan, pancit palabok, or chicken sopas.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container; they will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, warm in the microwave for a few seconds or in the steamer for about 3 to 5 minutes until softened.
More Snack Recipes
Ingredients
- 4 cups rice flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups water
- 1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
- non-stick cooking spray or melted butter
Equipment
- Steamer
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until distributed.
- Add water and coconut milk. Stir until smooth and well-blended. Strain using a fine-mesh sieve.
- Cover with film and refrigerate overnight.
- Pour batter into molds up to ¾ full.
- In the bottom part of the steamer, add water and bring to a boil. Arrange filled puto molds in a single layer on the steamer basket. Place steamer basket over the bottom part. Wrap lid of the steamer with cheesecloth or any cotton material (to prevent condensation from dripping onto puto) and cover steamer.
- Steam for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool and gently remove puto from the molds.
Nutrition Information
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
tentay says
hi i tried it and its perfectly good and my only comment is the Baking powder.. tatse too much for me.. will try to reduce it to 2tbsp nxt time
Lalaine says
I am so sorry to hear the baking powder left an aftertaste. I think some people have a more acute sense of taste. Let me know how 2 tablespoons work in the recipe. 🙂
chin says
hi, is there any difference to the puto if didnt refrigerate overnight the rice flour ,water and coconut milk mixtures?
Lalaine says
You can cook the batter right away. The extra step of refrigerating the mixture as suggested by a reader and when I re-tested the recipe applying her tip, it did make the puto softer and less crumbly.
Lucy says
Hi,
I tried this one and I used the rice flour but the baking powder is too much, 3 tablespoon. My puto was good but it tastes baking powder so I have to throw it out and made another batch using normal flour and 1/2 tbsp of baking powder. Otherwise it´s very good.
Joan says
hi. i tried this recipe but the puto i made looks more like a kutsinta or tikoy..:( texture is very fine. it didn’t rise in the middle too. it also took so long (much more than 10 minutes) before the toothpick I inserted came out clean. What could I have done wrong?
Jihan T. says
Hi! Just want to let you know that your website is my “go to” site whenever I NEED to make some filipino food that i might have done once before or never in my life. I tried this puto recipe while I’m making the lechon belly 😁🤭. I can’t fully follow your lechon recipe on low heat coz my oven is broken (it turns off and on easily when on low temps)😭😭😭😭. So yeah. The puto I made is the best one so far considering I read your instructions wrong. 😰 I already mixed the baking powder in before I even tried to let it sit in the fridge so I just continued to steam them right away anyway. Also, I’ve been craving this so I am just as impatient. 🤭 Thanks again!
Lalaine says
Thank you so much, Jihan. I am so happy you find the recipes here useful.
I did re-test the recipe and adding all the ingredients together before refrigerating is fine. 🙂
Tess says
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I did a batch of this last weekend and I just found it too sweet and crumbly for my liking. I am not sure if it should be really crumbly but I would prefer less sweetness .. perhaps reduce the sugar to 3 cups.
Lalaine says
Hello, Tess,
The sugar in the recipe is only 1 1/2 cups 🙁 Did you use 3 cups?
Tita Terry says
My sister is visiting from Atlanta and we decided to make this Puto. We were both in tears when we tasted the puto that brought us back to our childhood. We were definitely doing the happy dance in the kitchen. We’ve made the premix and the Bisquick version before but never satisfied with the taste until I came across your recipe. Thank you so much for these “real” puto.
Lalaine Manalo says
Hi Terry! Reading your comment made me so happy. I could imagine you and your sister doing the happy dance 🙂
Deanna Campomanes says
I made puto today using rice flour in a bag from Thailand based upon your recipe. The taste is super,soft, except when I sliced them they were crumbly in texture. otherwise, they were scrumptious. what's wrong...was it in my way of steaming or etc.? Lalaine I need to hear from you. Thanks.
Joyce says
Hello,
What kind of rice flour you use, is it the one from the Asian store?
Thank you
Lalaine says
Yes, the one in the bag. It comes in a clear bag with green labeling for rice flour and then red for sweet rice flour. 🙂
Joyce says
The green labelling is glutinous rice flour, is it not?
Lalaine says
I'm so sorry! Yes, green is glutinous. I just checked the bags I have in my pantry, red is rice flour.
Stev says
Hi miss lalaine! Ilang puto po ba ang nagawa nga 4 cups rice flour?
Lalaine says
Almost 3 dozens. I used 1/4-cup silicone molds 🙂
Melchie Arcebuche says
Hi Ms. Lalaine, I made this puto recipe yesterday and i've followed the instruction but ang kinalabasan po naging buhaghag siya at hindi siya sticky, kapag kinain mo siya naghihiwalay hiwaly siya...ano bo kaya ang nangyari....can i use 1 cup of glutinous flour then 3 cups of rice flour?
Thank you.
Lalaine says
I am so sorry to hear the recipe didn't work well for you. This puto is supposed to be a soft muffin, I am not sure why it would fall apart. 🙁 No, please, don't use glutinous rice flour as it will make the it very sticky.
Ellen says
Hello po. I’m trying this recipe right now. Dry po yung batter ko. Help po. Ayoko mag fail.
NRZ says
Hi Lalaine. Thanks for your Puto recipe loved it...made it the first time almost every one of them puffed out open. The second time , only 2 or 3 we’re open. Is there anything I could have done to make it puffed open? I like it when they are open....any tricks you can suggest.. I used the same ingredients...Merry Christmas!!
Lalaine says
Hello! I am glad you enjoyed this puto recipe.
I also like my puto split on the top, makes them look "authentic". I think the reason they burst on top is when you steam them in vigorously boiling water. You can try this method and let me know how it works 🙂
ad pi says
Hi. Tried your recipe today. Didn't change anything. It was great! I love the puto! Thank you very much for sharing the recipe.
Lalaine says
Thank you so much for the feedback. 🙂 I am glad you liked them!
Jane says
I use jasmine rice to make the puto and it comes out sticky. Should I use a different type of rice? long grain or short grain?
Jenjen alajar says
Pwede po ba gamitin water instead coconut..
Jenjen alajar says
Can i use water instead coconut milk..