A Guide to Traditional Filipino Desserts and Culinary Traditions

Filipino desserts draw inspiration from Malay, Chinese and Spanish desserts, using glutinous rice, coconut and condensed milk as key ingredients for creamy and sweet delicacies. The Philippines offers a variety of unique and delicious desserts, influenced by different cultures and Filipino taste. Kakanin is a uniquely Filipino category of desserts made from rice, sweet rice or root vegetables and optionally with coconut or coconut milk.

Popular Traditional Filipino Desserts

Bibingka is a Filipino baked rice cake that is customarily prepared in a clay oven lined with banana leaves and served for breakfast or as a mid-afternoon snack, particularly during the Holiday season. It is often enjoyed during the Christmas season in the Philippines, especially after attending the dawn mass called Misa de Gallo. Biko is a smooth and sticky rice cake that is cooked with coconut milk and brown sugar. This traditional Filipino dessert has a sweet and nutty flavor that is enhanced by latik, a coconut topping that can be either crunchy or syrupy. Buko Pandan is a creamy and refreshing Filipino dessert made with young coconut strips, pandan-flavored cream, and green jelly cubes.

Ensaymada is a Filipino pastry that traces its origins to the Spanish ensaïmada, a bread made with pork fat. This traditional Filipino dessert uses butter instead, and adds custard filling, cheese, and sugar toppings. Ginataang Bilo Bilo is a Filipino dessert of sticky rice balls, tapioca pearls, and fruits and tubers in sweetened coconut milk.

Culinary Events and Festivals

Filipino cuisine gets recognized during events such as when you Celebrate Asian Culture & Products at H Mart’s Asian Food Festival. You can also experience these flavors at the Taste of Manila Street Festival in Toronto or see excellence at the Manila Marriott Hotel Bags its 6th Championship Title in The Philippine Culinary Cup 2025. Furthermore, the F&B PackTech Expo 2025 x FoodBev Expo PH is where the Future of Food, Beverage, and Packaging Takes Center Stage.

Recipe: Suman con Chocolate

Suman is a tube-shaped rice cake made with glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, wrapped in either palm, banana or bamboo leaves, then steamed. It is always a great choice for breakfast as it can be paired with a variety of options: plain sugar, coconut jam, with fruits and, of course, a big favorite—homemade chocolate sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (400 g) sticky or glutinous white rice
• 1 (13.5-oz [400-ml]) can coconut cream plus enough water to make it to 2½ cups (600 ml)
• ½ cup (100 g) white sugar
• 1¼ tsp (8 g) salt, divided
• 16 (9-inch [27-cm]) softened banana leaves for wrapping
• 2 cups (480 ml) heavy or double cream
• 6 tbsp (42 g) cocoa powder
• ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar

Instructions

1. Soak the rice in water overnight or for at least 3 hours. Rinse the rice well. Drain.
2. Place the rice and coconut cream diluted with water in a wok or deep pan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Adjust the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid has nearly dried up.
3. Add the sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt and continue to cook until the sugar is fully dissolved and the rice begins to pull away from the edges of the pan when stirred. Remove from the heat and allow the rice to cool.
4. Clean the banana leaves by wiping off the white residue with a damp cloth or paper towel. Pass each leaf through a flame or place it on the stovetop to heat it up until it turns dark green.
5. Scoop about ¼ cup (45 g) of the rice near the edge of the banana leaves. Flatten it to elongate to about 5 inches (15 cm) in length. Roll until you reach the other end. Twist the edges then tie each end with a twine or a thin strip of banana leaf.
6. Steam the rice parcels over rapidly boiling water for 30 minutes.
7. To make the sauce, place the heavy cream, cocoa powder, brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine.

Summary of Popular Filipino Treats