Meet mochi’s Filipino cousin - Palitaw. This chewy mochi is tossed in coconut & sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and jusssst enough sugar so it’s not too sweet! This 15-minute no-bake dessert is practically foolproof since they float in boiling water like, “hey, I’m done!” Make life easier & more delicious at your next dinner party with this chewy coconut-y Filipino rice cake!
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🎥 Watch How to Make Palitaw
If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly Filipino recipe that’s easy enough to make with the kiddos - this Palitaw recipe is it!
Palitaw is a popular Filipino food that means “to float” in Tagalog. These Filipino rice cakes are made of a rice flour dough that’s boiled until they float then coated in shredded coconut & sprinkled with sugar & toasted sesame seeds. It’s superrrr easy & anyone who loves mochi and coconut will love these!If you’ve got a party coming up & need more Easy Party Food Recipes or straight-up Dessert Recipes, my Puto Recipe and Mango Float Recipe are also easy no-bake desserts! You could even do a build-your-own Taho station!
🥘 Ingredients
Sweet Rice Flour
Sweet rice flour is also labeled glutinous rice flour or Mochiko and made from short-grain glutinous rice (aka sticky rice). That’s what gives the palitaw that chewy mochi-like texture! You can find it at local Asian markets, Seafood City, or online.
Keep in mind - Regular rice flour is NOT a substitution! Regular rice flour is made from regular long-grain rice, so it doesn’t create the same chewy texture and you’ll have a completely different (and unpleasant) dessert.
Grated Coconut
Unsweetened medium-shredded coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut are best because a toasted sesame seed-sugar mixture is sprinkled on after the palitaw is cooked & each person can decide how sweet they want it! Desiccated coconut has a finer texture than shredded coconut, but a little harder to find, so use whichever you can easily find!
See Palitaw recipe card below for quantities.
🔪 Instructions
Step 1: Make Sugar-Sesame Mixture.
Heat a small pan on medium heat. Add sesame seeds and dry-toast them for a few seconds until golden and fragrant. Don’t step away because they don’t take long! Once they start to turn golden & smell nutty, transfer them into a small serving bowl & mix in the sugar. Set aside.
Step 2: Make Palitaw Dough.
In a large bowl, combine Mochiko, water, and ube extract (if using). This is the fun part IMO because we get to start playing with our food hehe.
Use your hands to combine until it comes together to form a play-doh-like consistency that springs back when you poke it. It should come together easily to form a dough without any cracks or excessive wetness that make it mushy/sticky. If the dough is too dry and won’t combine into a dough, add a very small amount of water at a time until it combines. If it’s too wet and mushy, add a very small amount of Mochiko at a time.
Step 3. Once your dough is formed, dampen your hands and a tablespoon or melon baller with water to help prevent sticking. Scoop the dough, roll into balls, then flatten into disks.
Step 4: Boil Palitaw. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Working in batches to prevent overcrowding, carefully add the dough to the pot. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes, or until they float completely.
Sometimes they’ll partially float when they’re almost done, but once they’ve popped up completely, remove them using a slotted spoon to drip off excess water.
Step 5: Coat in Coconut & Serve. Transfer them onto the grated coconut, gently press the coconut onto the palitaw, then transfer to a serving plate.
Repeat for the remaining palitaw. Serve with the sesame seed-sugar mixture on the side for guests to sprinkle before enjoying!
👩🏽🍳 Key Tips
Getting the Right Dough Consistency
For SUPER chewy Filipino rice balls, getting the dough texture is the most important part.
If the dough is too dry, the dough won’t come together & the Palitaw will be tough once cooked. The fix is to add a VERY LITTLE amount of water at a time to the dough until it combines.
If the dough is too wet, you’ll have clumps of mushy dough stuck to your hands when you try forming the dough into disks. Counteract that by adding a VERY SMALL amount of Mochiko rice flour at a time until it firms up enough to mold.
You’re looking for a clay-like texture that easily comes together & springs back.
Wet Spoons & Hands When Handling Dough
The dough for this Filipino dessert is super sticky, so do yourself a favor & wet your tools when forming the dough to make it much easier to work with & clean later.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Store any leftover palitaw in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 days in the fridge.
Reheat in the microwave in 30-second intervals or until warm and chewy. Sprinkle the sesame seed-sugar mixture before enjoying!
Palitaw has a soft chewy texture like mochi but doesn’t have much flavor, so the main flavor comes from the shredded coconut, toasted sesame seeds, and sugar.
Pichi Pichi & Palitaw are both popular Filipino desserts with coconut, but their base ingredients are different. Pichi Pichi has a cassava base and Palitaw is made with glutinous rice flour and has sesame seeds and sugar as an additional topping.
Let's Get Cooking!
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Palitaw Recipe (Filipino Rice Cakes)
Watch How to Make It!
Ingredients
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour or Mochiko
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ⅛ cup toasted sesame seeds
- ⅛ cup sugar white or dark brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ube extract optional
Instructions
- Heat a small pan on medium heat. Add sesame seeds and toast for a few seconds or until golden and fragrant. Transfer into a small serving bowl then mix in the sugar. Set aside.
- On a large plate, pour on grated coconut. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine Mochiko, water, and ube extract (if using) until it comes together & forms a play-doh-like consistency that springs back when you poke it. The dough should not be excessively wet or so dry it’s cracking. If the dough is too dry and won’t combine into a dough, add a very small amount of water at a time until it combines. If it’s too wet and mushy, add a very small amount of Mochiko at a time.
- Dampen your hands and a tablespoon or melon baller with water to help prevent sticking. Scoop the dough, roll into balls, then flatten into disks.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Working in batches of about 4 pieces, carefully add the dough to the pot. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes, or until they float completely. Remove them using a slotted spoon to drip off excess water.
- Transfer them onto the grated coconut, gently press the coconut onto the palitaw, then transfer to a serving plate. Repeat for remaining palitaw. Serve with the sesame seed-sugar mixture on the side for guests to sprinkle before enjoying!
Notes
- Mochiko / Glutinous Rice Flour: Glutinous rice flour is what gives palitaw the mochi-like texture and cannot be substituted! Note this is different than regular rice flour. You can find it at Asian or Filipino markets & a common variety is Mochiko.
- Unsweetened Coconut: It's important to get the unsweetened variety so it won't be too sweet since sugar will be sprinkled on later. You can buy unsweetened coconut in various shredded sizes. My fave are medium or fine / desiccated coconut for a finer texture.
- Getting the Perfect Texture: The dough texture is crucial for chewy Palitaw. Aim for a putty-like texture that easily forms patties. If too dry, add a tiny amount of water at a time. If too wet, gradually add a small amount of Mochiko rice flour.
- Water for Easy Handling: The dough can be sticky, but a simple trick helps. Dip a melon baller or tablespoon in water before shaping the Palitaw. Wet your hands too when forming the patties. This makes them even while preventing a sticky mess later.
Nutrition
Exact calculations may vary. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
HEY, I'M MIKHA!
...A fellow food lover who believes anyone can whip up a delicious meal - no matter your skill level! These quick & easy Asian recipes will help you transform simple ingredients into a drool-worthy meal for you & the people you love most - without spending all day in the kitchen.
Now come on - Grab a seat & let's eat!
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