Filipino

Serving

Filipino Kid-friendly Quick & easy

Puto

Name: Puto
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour (or rice flour for traditional texture); 1 cup granulated sugar; 2 tbsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup evaporated milk; 1 cup water; 1/4 cup melted butter; 2 eggs, beaten; 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, cut into small rectangular strips

Soft, steamed rice cakes often served alongside savory dishes like Dinuguan.

30 minutes

Serves 4

Snack

14 min prep

23 min cook

Contains common allergens

Egg Dairy Wheat

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Good to know

Ready in under 30 minutes

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals

Instructions

6 steps

1
Prepare the Steamer: Fill the bottom of a steamer with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Wrap the steamer lid with a kitchen towel to prevent water from dripping onto the puto.
2
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3
Add Wet Ingredients: Gradually whisk in the evaporated milk, water, melted butter, and beaten eggs. Stir just until the batter is smooth and well-combined; do not overmix.
4
Fill the Molds: Pour the batter into lightly greased puto molds or silicone cups, filling each about 3/4 full to allow room for rising.
5
Steam: Place the molds in the steamer. Steam over medium heat for 10 minutes.
6
Add Cheese and Finish: Quickly open the lid, place a strip of cheese on top of each puto, and cover again. Steam for an additional 2-3 minutes until the cheese is slightly melted and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool slightly before removing from molds.

Puto — plated and served — Serving moment. How Puto looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

79/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 70

Kid-friendly 85

Weeknight-easy 96

Budget-friendly 86

Great leftovers 56

Pantry-friendly 66

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

705

Calories

17 g

Protein

106 g

Carbs

24 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Puto are steamed rice cakes, soft and slightly sweet, eaten as snacks or as a partner to savory dishes like dinuguan and pancit. They descend from South Indian steamed-rice traditions carried through trade and made thoroughly Filipino. Often crowned with a sliver of salted egg or cheese, they balance sweet and savory in one bite.

Listahan note

This version uses a quick batter with evaporated milk for tenderness and tops each cake with cheese, steaming them just until set for a fluffy crumb.

Technique cues

Do not overmix the batter, or the cakes turn dense rather than airy.
Keep the steam steady and wrap the lid so condensation does not drip onto the cakes.
Add cheese partway through steaming so it sits on top without sinking.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Grease the molds and ready the steamer before mixing, since the batter should not wait.
Make-ahead: Best fresh; the batter is quick, so steam close to serving.
Leftover move: Re-steam day-old puto briefly to restore softness.
Cleanup rhythm: Wash the molds and steamer while warm before batter dries on.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Flour

Base

Purpose: Forms the structure of the soft steamed cake.

Handling: Sift with the leavening for an even, lump-free batter.

Adaptation: Rice flour gives a more traditional, slightly chewier texture.

Evaporated milk

Tenderizer

Purpose: Adds richness and keeps the crumb soft.

Handling: Stir in until just combined.

Adaptation: Coconut milk makes a dairy-free, fragrant version.

Baking powder

Leavening

Purpose: Gives puto its signature fluffy rise.

Handling: Use fresh baking powder and do not let the batter sit too long.

Adaptation: There is no good substitute; freshness matters most.

Cheddar cheese

Savory topping

Purpose: Adds a salty-savory contrast to the sweet cake.

Handling: Cut into thin strips and place on top partway through steaming.

Adaptation: Salted egg is the classic alternative; omit for plain puto.

Technique notes

Mix only until combined; overmixing deflates the rise.
Wrap the steamer lid in a cloth so drips do not pock the tops.
Steam just until a pick comes out clean; overcooked puto turns rubbery.

Ingredient swaps

Dairy-free direction: Use coconut milk and skip the cheese for a fragrant dairy-free cake.
Traditional direction: Use rice flour and top with salted egg instead of cheese.
Lower-sugar direction: Reduce the sugar slightly for a more savory partner to dinuguan.

Serve alongside

Dinuguan
Pancit
Salted egg
Grated coconut
Hot tea
Hot chocolate (tablea)
Coffee

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Store at room temperature for a day or refrigerate up to 3 days.
Re-steam briefly to restore the soft texture.
Freeze up to 1 month; thaw and re-steam before serving.

Equipment

Steamer
Puto molds or small cups
Mixing bowl
Cloth for the lid

Make this household-aware

Listahan Pro checks this recipe against your household's allergens, finds pantry-aware swaps, builds the shopping list, and helps you plan the week around it.

Get the app