Puto
Filipino Steamed Rice Cakes
Fluffy, slightly sweet, and tender Filipino steamed rice cakes, perfect as a snack or accompaniment to savory dishes like dinuguan. This recipe yields small, individual cakes.
🧂 Ingredients
- 250 g Rice flour(Use glutinous rice flour for a chewier texture, or regular rice flour for a more traditional, slightly firmer cake. Ensure it's finely ground.)
- 150 g Granulated sugar(Adjust to your sweetness preference. Can be reduced slightly if preferred.)
- 200 ml Full-fat coconut milk(Room temperature is best for easier incorporation.)
- 2 tsp Baking powder(Ensure it's fresh for maximum leavening. Double-acting baking powder is recommended.)
- 1/4 tsp Salt(Enhances the overall flavor and balances the sweetness.)
- a few drops Optional: Food coloring(For colorful puto, divide the batter and add different colors.)
- for topping Optional: Grated cheddar cheese(A common topping, adds a salty counterpoint.)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the steamer: Fill a steamer pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Ensure there's enough water to steam for at least 20 minutes without boiling dry. Line your puto molds (small muffin tins, ramekins, or traditional puto molds) with parchment paper or lightly grease them.
⏱️ 5 minutes - 2
Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined and no lumps remain. This ensures even distribution of leavening agents.
⏱️ 3 minutes - 3
Add wet ingredients: Gradually pour the coconut milk into the dry ingredients while whisking continuously. Continue whisking until you achieve a smooth, lump-free batter with a consistency similar to thin pancake batter. If using food coloring, divide the batter into separate bowls and mix in a few drops of color into each until desired shades are reached.
⏱️ 5 minutes - 4
Fill the molds: Carefully ladle or pour the batter into the prepared molds, filling each about two-thirds full to allow room for expansion during steaming. If using cheese, sprinkle a small amount on top of each mold.
⏱️ 5 minutes - 5
Steam the puto: Once the water in the steamer is boiling vigorously, carefully place the filled molds onto the steamer rack. Cover the steamer tightly (you can wrap the lid with a clean kitchen towel to prevent condensation from dripping onto the puto). Steam for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean and the puto is firm to the touch.
⏱️ 15-20 minutes - 6
Cool and serve: Carefully remove the molds from the steamer. Let them cool in the molds for a few minutes before gently removing the puto. Serve warm or at room temperature. Puto is best enjoyed fresh.
⏱️ 5 minutes
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓For a softer, more tender puto, ensure your baking powder is fresh and active.
- ✓Don't overfill the molds; leave about 1/3 of the space for the cakes to rise.
- ✓Wrapping the steamer lid with a cloth prevents water droplets from falling onto the puto, ensuring a smooth surface.
- ✓Puto can be made in various colors by dividing the batter and adding food coloring. Popular colors include pink, green, and yellow.
- ✓Puto is traditionally served with dinuguan (pork blood stew), but it's also delicious on its own or with other savory dishes.
- ✓For a slightly different texture, you can use a mix of rice flour and glutinous rice flour.
✨ Twist Ideas
Inspiration for your own version of this recipe
- Puto Flan: Layered with leche flan.
- Puto Bumbong: A purple-hued, cylindrical version made with pirurutong rice and cooked in bamboo tubes.
- Ube Puto: Incorporating ube (purple yam) extract or powder for flavor and color.
- Pandan Puto: Adding pandan extract for a fragrant, green puto.