The Philippines has so many different variations of rice-based desserts I don’t think I could pick just one. Tagalog even has a word describing the whole category: kakanin.
Roasted sticky rice, aka tupig, is one such kakanin and it is extremely easy to make! Its just a few ingredients all mixed together, wrapped up in banana leaves and charred! The charring in banana leaves impart a very nice smoky flavor.
The recipe I used to make my tupig is from a recipe book by Angelo Comsti called Almost Filipino: 75 Regional Dishes I Never Had Growing Up. I’ve copied the recipe out of the book and posted it here.
I highly recommend this cookbook! You can get yours on Amazon (affiliate link)
Ingredients
- banana leaves, trimmed and cut to 23×18-cm (9×6-inch) rectangles
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
- 1 cup young coconut meat, shredded
- 1 cup mature coconut meat, grated
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, ground
- 350 grams glutinous rice flour
- 1 cup muscovado sugar
Directions
1. Wilt banana leaves over low flame. Set aside

2. In a bowl, combine coconut milk, shredded young coconut meat, grated mature coconut meat, peanuts, rice flour and sugar. Mix well
3. Place 1/3 cup of the mixture on a banana leaf. Form into a log. Roll and seal the edges.
4. Place each piece on a hot grill or dry pan. Char on all sides. Serve.
Video
Recipe

Tupig
Ingredients
- banana leaves trimmed and cut to 23×18-cm (9×6-inch) rectangles
- 1 ½ cups coconut milk
- 1 cup young coconut meat shredded
- 1 cup mature coconut meat grated
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts ground
- 350 grams glutinous rice flour
- 1 cup muscovado sugar
Instructions
- Wilt banana leaves over low flame. Set aside
- In a bowl, combine coconut milk, shredded young coconut meat, grated mature coconut meat, peanuts, rice flour and sugar. Mix well
- Place 1/3 cup of the mixture on a banana leaf. Form into a log. Roll and seal the edges.
- Place each piece on a hot grill or dry pan. Char on all sides. Serve.