Ginataang Bilo-Bilo: Coconut Dessert Soup with Rice Balls
Dan
Filipino merienda | Coconut dessert soup | Sticky rice balls
Ginataang bilo-bilo is a warm coconut dessert soup filled with chewy rice balls, sweet potato, saba, jackfruit, and little pearls of sago.
Why make it: This version keeps the generous merienda spirit while giving U.S. cooks flexible fruit and tuber options from Asian, Latin, or standard grocery stores.
Fresh From the Kitchen
About This Recipe
Ginataang bilo-bilo is a Filipino coconut milk dessert soup made with glutinous rice balls, root vegetables, saba bananas, jackfruit, and often sago or tapioca pearls.
Why You Will Love It
- Practical for U.S. kitchens: the recipe uses ingredients and substitutions a home cook can realistically shop for.
- Built for the table: the serving notes match how the dish usually lands in Filipino-American homes, from weeknights to merienda to parties.
- Flexible without erasing the dish: swaps are named clearly so the original idea stays visible.
- Easy to cook through: the shopping list, timings, and storage notes make the recipe straightforward to test and adjust.
Ingredient Notes
For bilo-bilo
The rice balls should feel like soft clay before cooking. Add water a spoonful at a time.
For mix-ins
Use saba if you can find it. Ripe plantains are the easiest substitute in many U.S. stores.
Ginataang Bilo-Bilo Recipe
This version keeps the generous merienda spirit while giving U.S. cooks flexible fruit and tuber options from Asian, Latin, or standard grocery stores.
Shopping List
- glutinous rice flour
- coconut milk
- coconut cream
- sweet potato
- saba or plantains
- jackfruit
- small tapioca pearls
- sugar
- salt
- ube optional
Ingredients
Rice Balls
- 1 1/2 cups glutinous rice flour
- 1/2 cup water, plus more as needed
- Pinch of salt
- Ube extract or powder, optional
Coconut Soup
- 2 cans coconut milk
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup sugar, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix-Ins
- 2 cups diced sweet potato or ube
- 3 saba bananas or 2 ripe plantains, sliced
- 1 cup jackfruit strips
- 1 cup cooked small tapioca pearls
- 1 cup coconut cream
Instructions
- Mix glutinous rice flour, water, and salt into a smooth dough, then roll into small balls.
- Simmer coconut milk, water, sugar, and salt in a large pot.
- Add sweet potato and cook until partly tender.
- Drop in the rice balls and simmer until they float and turn chewy.
- Add saba or plantain slices and jackfruit.
- Stir in cooked tapioca pearls and coconut cream.
- Simmer gently until everything is tender and the broth is creamy.
- Rest 10 minutes before serving so the coconut thickens slightly.
Nutrition Estimate
Approximate values per serving based on the listed ingredients and yield. Actual nutrition will vary by brand, exact portion size, and cooking changes.
Tips For The Best Ginataang Bilo-Bilo
- Make small rice balls: They cook evenly and are easier to eat by the spoonful.
- Cook tapioca separately: This keeps the coconut soup from becoming gluey.
- Add fruit late: Bananas and jackfruit only need a short simmer.
- Adjust sweetness at the end: Sweet potatoes, jackfruit, and plantains vary.
How To Serve And Store
Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled as merienda. Refrigerate up to 4 days; the soup thickens, so loosen with water or coconut milk when reheating.
Common Questions
Can I use regular rice flour?
No. Glutinous rice flour gives the rice balls their chewy texture.
Can I skip tapioca pearls?
Yes. The dessert will still be satisfying.
Can I make it dairy-free?
It already uses coconut milk and no dairy.
Why did my rice balls crack?
The dough may be too dry. Knead in a little more water.
What belongs in your ginataang bilo-bilo: saba, jackfruit, ube, or all of it? Share your family version or testing notes in the comments.
Recipe inspiration and technique reference: Filipino dessert and bakery source research from Panlasang Pinoy, Kawaling Pinoy, The Dusky Kitchen, and Filipino-American dessert sources in the site roadmap.
