Ginataang bilo-bilo is a Filipino dessert soup built on coconut milk, sago pearls, sweet potato, and small glutinous rice-flour dumplings called bilo-bilo, which get their name from the rolling motion used to shape them. It's traditionally eaten warm as a merienda (afternoon snack) or dessert, especially during rainy season when a warm coconut-milk dish feels particularly comforting. The bilo-bilo dumplings are simple, just glutinous rice flour and water rolled into small balls, and they cook directly in the sweetened coconut milk until they float and turn slightly translucent and chewy. Root vegetables like sweet potato and taro add heartiness and a starchy sweetness, while ripe jackfruit strips contribute a distinct floral aroma that's instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with Filipino desserts. This dish rewards patience with the coconut milk, a low simmer keeps it from curdling or scorching, and it's meant to be eaten warm in a bowl, spoon in hand, rather than served cold like a Western pudding.
Serves 6
Mix glutinous rice flour with water until it forms a smooth, pliable dough. Roll into small balls, about the size of a marble.
In a separate pot, cook sago pearls in boiling water until translucent, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a large pot, bring coconut milk to a gentle simmer. Add sweet potato and taro, and cook 10 minutes until just tender.
Drop in the bilo-bilo dumplings and simmer gently until they float to the surface, about 5-7 minutes.
Stir in sugar, salt, coconut cream, cooked sago and jackfruit strips. Simmer 3 more minutes, then serve warm in bowls.
Keep the coconut milk at a gentle simmer, never a rolling boil, or it can curdle and separate instead of staying smooth.
Roll the bilo-bilo dumplings small, about a centimeter across; larger ones take too long to cook through and can turn gummy in the center.
Cook the sago pearls separately in plain water first; adding raw pearls directly to coconut milk makes them cloud the liquid and cook unevenly.
Add ripe saba banana slices along with the sweet potato for extra sweetness and texture.
Use purple yam (ube) instead of taro for a vibrant color and different flavor note.
Make individual dumplings colorful by kneading a few drops of food coloring into small portions of the dough before rolling.
Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; the pudding thickens as it cools. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of coconut milk or water to loosen it back up.
Ginataang bilo-bilo is a traditional Filipino merienda dish built on the ginataan (coconut milk cooking) method used widely across Filipino desserts and savory dishes alike. The rice-flour dumplings and root vegetables reflect the ingredients readily available across the archipelago's agricultural regions.
Yes, canned coconut milk works well; just avoid the reduced-fat versions since the dish relies on the fat content for its rich, silky texture.
The dough was likely too dry or the dumplings were simmered at too rolling a boil; keep the dough soft and pliable and the liquid at a gentle simmer.
Yes, it reheats well, though the dumplings soften further overnight; add fresh sago or dumplings if you want to restore some of the original texture.
Per serving (300g / 10.6 oz) · 6 servings total
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