Classic Ginataan Bilo-Bilo (Filipino Sticky Rice Balls in Coconut Milk)

Ginataan bilo-bilo is a Filipino dish that means “rice balls cooked in coconut milk.” You can make this by adding sticky rice balls, sweet potato, banana, jackfruit, and sago in coconut milk.

Ginataan refers to the method of cooking something in coconut milk (gata.) This method is believed to be an influence from ancient Malay.

There are sweet and savory versions of ginataan, and this one is definitely one of our favorite sweet desserts. Another recipe we hope to make in the future is ginataang mais – sweet corn in coconut milk. But rice balls (bilo-bilo) will do for now.

The tropical dessert/snack has a texture that lies somewhere between a pudding and a thick stew. Besides rice balls, there’s a variety of sweet potatoes, banana or plantain, and sago (small tapioca pearls) that are thrown into the hot pot of coconut milk. And we like to add sweetened langka (jackfruit)!

Side note: some people call this dessert ginataang halo-halo because its colors resemble another classic Filipino dessert, halo-halo. Click here to view our halo-halo recipe.

How to make ginataan bilo-bilo

Making this dessert is very easy. You’ll boil sweet potatoes and bilo-bilo in coconut milk, then add in the cooked sago and fresh ingredients. We’ll go into the details of cooking sago and making bilo-bilo.

Here are the ingredients you need for ginataan bilo-bilo:

Bilo-Bilo

• 1 cup glutinous rice flour
• ½ cup water
• ½ tsp ube extract

Sago

• 1 cup sago
• water for boiling

Ginataan

• 1 can coconut milk
• 1-2 cups water for diluting as needed
• 1 ½ sweet potato cubed and peeled
• 1 plantain or banana sliced
• 1 cup sweetened jackfruit

For the sweet potato, any type will do just fine. We used half each of korean sweet potato, korean purple yam, and american sweet potato. We bought three kinds because we wanted a variety of color, and we also wanted the leftovers air-fried for lunch later lol. Aim to use 1.5 total sweet potato for this recipe. Peel and cut them into bite sized cubes.

How to cook sago

If you’ve ever cooked tapioca or sago before, you might’ve learned the hard way that boiling will only cook the outer half of the pearls.

We made this mistake when we cooked boba for the first time. Only the outer half was cooked through so we just tried to boil it longer to cook the rest. That didn’t work, and instead we just got mushy tapioca mixed with hard, uncooked pieces.

Sago will cook faster than boba because it’s smaller. Use this method for either boba or sago – boil 20 minutes or until the outer half is cooked, then turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it sit for 20 minutes to slowly cook the inner half.

We bought these rainbow tapiocas for fun, but when they cooked they turned out clear. It was so disappointing! No harm no foul though, because they just turned into normal-looking sago lol.

Here’s our instructions for cooking sago:

Bring a pot of water to a low boil. Once boiling, add in sago. Keep at a low boil for 20 min. Stir occasionally.

Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let it rest for 20 min.

After resting, gently rinse with cold water to remove excess starches. Drain and let it sit with a tiny bit of water to prevent drying out. Set aside for later.

Making bilo-bilo (sticky rice balls)

To make bilo-bilo, you’ll form the dough into balls, then cook them in coconut milk along with the other ingredients. We’ll be making half of them ube flavor, but you can skip that part if you want.

Bilo-bilo only takes a few minutes to cook, so you’ll be adding them into the coconut milk towards the end of the recipe.

Here’s our instructions for making bilo-bilo:

In a mixing bowl, combine rice flour and water. Add water slowly as you mix, until you get a thick consistency that can be rolled into balls.

Divide the dough in half. Add ube flavoring to one half and mix thoroughly.

Use a 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp* measuring spoon to scoop the dough and roll into balls. Dust rice flour on your hands for better handling (the dough will be sticky!)

*If you like the rice balls big and chewy, go for 1 tsp. If you like them cute and small, we recommend 1/2 tsp.

Set the bilo-bilo aside for later. You’ll add this to the ginataan when it’s almost done.

How to eat ginataan bilo-bilo

Ginataan is a dessert that you can eat hot or cold. You can eat it as a dessert, or during merienda (afternoon snack time.) And to be honest, we eat it for breakfast sometimes too – it goes great with a cup of coffee or tea!

Ladel some into a small bowl or a mug, then dig in with a spoon. Try to scoop up different pieces so you can enjoy variety in each bite!

How to store

You can store ginataan bilo-bilo in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure to store it in a sealed container. Reheat in the microwave (up to 1 min) or eat it cold.

This dessert thickens over time, so if you prefer a thinner texture you may add a splash of milk right before serving.

Final Thoughts

Satisfy your sweet tooth with the tropical flavors of sticky rice balls in coconut milk! You’ll learn how to make this easy-to-prepare Filipino dish. Enjoy it hot or cold as a snack, breakfast, or dessert.

References & Further Reading

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginataan

https://culinaryhistorians.org/philippine-cuisine-a-plateful-of-history/

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