Bibingkang Malagkit - The Unlikely Baker® (2024)

Bibingkang malagkit is a beloved Filipino treat — coconut sticky rice with a delicious coconut caramel topping. With just 6 ingredients and so easy to make, it’s perfect for picnics, potlucks, merienda and more.

(Try royal bibingka, espasol or ube biko for other varieties of Filipino rice cakes. Hooked on Filipino cuisine? Be sure to bookmark this ultimate collection of Filipino desserts.)

The Philippines is a land of coconuts. So it’s no surprise that a lot of our cuisine is coconut-based.

We love using glutinous rice too (also known as sticky rice, or malagkit in Tagalog) so you’ll see sweet treats like suman malagkit, champorado and more.

Bibingka malagkit is a delightful combination of the two. Let’s get to it.

What is bibingkang malagkit

Bibingka malagkit is a kind of sticky rice cake. There are two components:

• Rice — cooked in a pot or a rice cooker until it has absorbed almost all the coconut milk. It’s then transferred to a baking pan lined with banana leaves.

• Topping — a mixture of coconut cream and brown sugar cooked until syrupy, spread on top of the coconut rice, then baked.

Some variations include making it with langka, with macapuno or with condensed milk.

Why you’ll love making it

We make this recipe so often and I hope you’ll love it too!

• Easy forgiving recipe — there are two components but this is a really easy recipe to follow. And it’s also very forgiving; there’s very little chance of messing it up!

• Makes a big batch — this recipe makes a big batch that can be sliced into 24 squares or more. Perfect to bring to potlucks and picnics, serve to company, and other special occasions.

• Delicious and authentic — most importantly, it’s so good! And it looks and tastes like you remember it. I did make some adjustments so it doesn’t turn out too sweet like some bibingka we find in Manila, which makes it that much more delicious.

How to cook

This recipe for bibingkang malagkit involves cooking then baking the rice cake. No oven? No problem. Check out the FAQs.

Ingredients and tools

In addition to sugar, brown sugar and salt, you will need:

• Coconut milk — I recommend full fat coconut milk for best results.

• Coconut cream — coconut cream (referred to as kakang gata) is different from coconut milk in that cream contains less water and is much thicker. You know how sometimes when you open a can of coconut milk, some part of it has solidified? That can be considered coconut cream.

• Glutinous rice — also called sticky rice or sweet rice. And if you’re wondering if glutinous rice is the same as malagkit in the Philippines, yes it is!

• Banana leaves — I use banana leaves to line my pan and while this is optional, I highly recommend it to give your bibingka that authentic look and smokey flavor. The banana leaves I buy here are frozen.

• Baking dish — I use a 9×13 inch baking dish. If you want thicker slices, use a slightly smaller pan.

Step-by-step photos

Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with banana leaves (see Expert Tips on how to prep the banana leaves for use). If you can’t find banana leaves, you can use parchment paper.

In a large pot, combine glutinous rice and coconut milk.

Bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and gently simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally so the rice doesn’t burn.

Allow the mixture to thicken considerably, or until the rice absorbs almost all the coconut milk.

Add granulated sugar and salt.

Continue cooking and stirring until the rice gets thick and sticky. You’ll want to cook until the mixture sticks together as you stir it.

Remove from heat and transfer to prepared baking dish. Spread evenly and set aside while you preheat your oven to 350F.

To make the topping, in a medium saucepan, combine all topping ingredients.

Bring to a boil then lower heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until the mixture is thick but still runny, like syrup.

Pour the coconut caramel topping on top of your coconut rice and spread evenly.

Bake for 60 minutes or until the topping becomes thick, sticky and dark brown. It’s okay to remove the pan from the oven while the topping is bubbling. Allow to cool before slicing and serving.

Expert tips

Easier than you thought, right? Here are more tips for the best bibingkang malagkit every time.

• Use the right kind of rice. We use glutinous rice in this recipe. Regular rice won’t work. It would say glutinous, sweet, or sticky rice on the packaging.

• Don’t over cook the rice. When you’re reducing the rice and the coconut milk, you want the mixture to thicken but not to cook all the way. I usually take it off the heat when it’s about 75-80% cooked. Overcooking at this point will result to unnecessarily tough bibingka. We’re going for slightly makunat, not matigas.

• Don’t over cook the topping. You also don’t want the topping to get too thick otherwise, it will turn to candy. It should still be spreadable.

• Broiling is an option. Is your topping not getting as brown as you’d like? You can broil for a couple of minutes to get that perfectly burnt look. You can also use a blow torch if you have one.

• Using frozen banana leaves. Make sure to thoroughly rinse and dry the banana leaves before using. To make them more pliable, pour boiling water over them (repeat a few times) or pass them over a small open flame (be careful because they will catch on fire or burn) until soft. And use more than one so they overlap and line your pan completely.

Recipe FAQs

Other Filipino recipes

Interested in making other Filipino recipes? Try these:

Happy baking!

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