Palitaw or sweet rice cakes are pillowy-soft, chewy rice cakes coated with grated coconut and topped with a mixture of sugar and sesame seeds or peanuts. A popular snack or dessert in the Philippines made from glutinous rice flour (like Japanese mochi) and cooked in boiling water until they float or 'litaw" to the surface. They are delicious and can be made in less than 10 minutes!
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- It is a super easy recipe with just 4 (or 5) ingredients.
- It takes less than 10 minutes to make them!
- Use coconut palm sugar as a healthier alternative to white sugar.
- These little treats are always a crowd-pleaser.
What you’ll need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Glutinous rice flour: Also called sweet rice flour made from glutinous rice or sticky rice or malagkit in Filipino. Despite its name, it is gluten-free and not sweet at all. When cooked, it has a sticky and chewy consistency.
Grated coconut: If you have access to fresh grated or shredded coconut, that would be ideal – they are softer and naturally sweet. In the US, you can get them frozen in Asian supermarkets or dried and sold as desiccated coconut, which is finer than shreds or flakes.
Coconut sugar: Unrefined sugar with a lower glycemic index that you can use in place of white sugar. It tastes similar to brown sugar with a mild caramel flavor.
Peanuts and Sesame seeds: While palitaw is usually sprinkled with sesame seeds on top, I grew up having them with peanuts. Why choose when you can have both? Use fried or roasted peanuts, preferably unsalted. Removing the skins is up to you. With a subtle difference in flavor, you can use either white or black sesame seeds.
How to make this recipe
Make the topping:
(1)Coarsely grind the peanuts. I used a coffee grinder, but you can always use a mini food processor/chopper or place it in a zip-top bag and pound it with a heavy object.
(2)On a skillet over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds until lightly browned and fragrant for 2-3 minutes. Let it cool.
(3)In a bowl, combine the coconut sugar, ground peanuts, and sesame seeds. (4)Mix them up and set aside.
Make the Palitaw:
(5)Fill a saucepan or pot with about 3 inches of water and bring it to a boil.
(6) Combine the glutinous rice flour and 1 cup of water in a bowl. (7)Mix it up with a spoon until a dough forms.
(8) Press (or pinch) the dough with your fingers. If it leaves an indentation and doesn't stick to your fingers, it's ready to be formed into thin, flat cakes. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour a tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too dry, add a little water until you get the right consistency. It has to be smooth and pliable.
(9)Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop equivalent to 2 tablespoons, scoop some of the dough. (10)Lightly flour your hands and place the dough on your palm.
(11)Roll it into a ball. (12)Press in between the palm of your hands until about ½-inch thick.
-----OR-----
If you don't like your hands to get messy, use a lightly floured baking sheet (with or without parchment paper). (9)Scoop some of the dough.
(11) Arrange the scooped dough on the baking sheet. (12)With a lightly floured spoon, press them to make thin, flat cakes.
(13)Gently drop the flattened dough into the boiling water. (14)When the cakes start to float to the surface, they're ready! It only takes 1-2 minutes for them to get cooked. (15)Take them out with a slotted spoon, draining the excess water.
(16)Coat with grated coconut on both sides. (17)Top with a heaping tablespoon of the sugar mixture.
Serve and Store: Serve them warm or at room temperature. You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add the sugar mixture only when ready to eat. The sugar melts and starts to look unappetizing when added too soon.
Frequently asked questions and tips
No, they should not be used interchangeably. They are very different in texture when cooked. Rice flour won't give you that sticky, chewy consistency like glutinous flour.
Yes, you can freeze Palitaw separately from the sugar mixture. Wrap them properly and freeze them for a few weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator and microwave for about a minute to get them warm and chewy.
Mix the dough until smooth and pliable, think Play-Doh consistency. Don't worry about overworking the dough since glutinous rice flour doesn't contain gluten and palitaw is supposed to be dense and chewy anyway.
The key takeaway
Palitaw is one of the easiest things you can make, remember to get the dough to a Play-Doh consistency, so they’re easy to form into little cakes.
Watch how I make it here
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📖 Recipe
Palitaw (Sweet Rice Cakes)
Equipment
- Coffee grinder/Mini-food processor/chopper (optional)
- Skillet
- Saucepan or pot
- Mixing bowls and spoons
- 1-ounce cookie scoop
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (2 ounces) peanuts
- ¼ cup (1 ounce) sesame seeds
- ⅓ cup (2 ounces) coconut sugar
- 2 cups (9 ounces) glutinous rice flour 2-3 tablespoons more, as needed
- 1 cup water
- 2 ½ cups (8 ounces) grated coconut
Instructions
- Make the topping: Coarsely grind the peanuts. I used a coffee grinder, but you can always use a mini food processor/chopper or place it in a zip-top bag and pound it with a heavy object.On a skillet over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds until lightly browned and fragrant for 2-3 minutes. Let it cool.In a bowl, combine the coconut sugar, ground peanuts, and sesame seeds. Mix them up and set aside.
- Make the Palitaw: Fill a saucepan or pot with about 3 inches of water and bring it to a boil.Combine the glutinous rice flour and 1 cup of water in a bowl. Mix it up with a spoon until a dough forms.Press (or pinch) the dough with your fingers. If it leaves an indentation and doesn't stick to your fingers, it's ready to be formed into thin, flat cakes. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour a tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too dry, add a little water until you get the right consistency. It has to be smooth and pliable.Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop equivalent to 2 tablespoons, scoop the dough and place it on your lightly floured palm.Roll it into a ball and press in between your hands until flat and about ½-inch thick. Or, if you don't like your hands to get messy, use a lightly floured baking sheet (with or without parchment paper). Scoop the dough and arrange them on the baking sheet. With a lightly floured spoon, press them to make thin, flat cakes.Gently drop the flattened dough into the boiling water. When the cakes start to float to the surface, they're ready! It only takes 1-2 minutes for them to get cooked. Take them out with a slotted spoon, draining the excess water.Coat with grated coconut on both sides. Top with a heaping tablespoon of the sugar mixture.
- Serve and Store: Serve them warm or at room temperature. You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days or wrap them properly and freeze for a few weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator and microwave for about a minute to get them warm and chewy. Add the sugar mixture only when ready to eat. The sugar melts and starts to look unappetizing when added too soon.
Video
Notes
- Glutinous rice flour: Also called sweet rice flour made from glutinous rice or sticky rice or malagkit in Filipino. Despite its name, it is gluten-free and not sweet at all. When cooked, it has a sticky and chewy consistency.
- Grated coconut: If you have access to fresh grated or shredded coconut, that would be ideal – they are softer and naturally sweet. In the US, you can get them frozen in Asian supermarkets or dried and sold as desiccated coconut, which is finer than shreds or flakes.
- Coconut sugar: Unrefined sugar with a lower glycemic index that you can use in place of white sugar. It tastes similar to brown sugar with a mild caramel flavor.
- Peanuts and Sesame seeds: While Palitaw is usually sprinkled with sesame seeds on top, I grew up having them with peanuts. Why choose when you can have both? Use fried or roasted peanuts, preferably unsalted. Removing the skins is up to you. With a subtle difference in flavor, you can use either white or black sesame seeds.
Bim
Miss having this dessert. Now I know how to make palitaw.