Cheese Puto are soft, fluffy, and extra delicious with pockets of cheese! These Filipino steamed cakes are easy to make and fun to eat. They are delicious on their own or served with dinuguan or pancit.
Puto is traditionally made of rice. The grains are soaked overnight in water to soften and then processed into a soft dough called galapong. The natural fermentation of soaking the rice acts as a leavening agent, but it’s common to add yeast or baking powder to help the cake rise.
The prepared batter is either steamed as whole loaves or into individual portions, and the steaming vessel is usually lined with banana leaves to impart aroma. Flavorings and toppings such as pandan water, cheese, salted eggs, grated coconut meat, and butter are added for extra flavor and texture.
Puto refers to these muffins and other kakanin varieties cooked by steaming, such as lanson, kutsinta, and puto maya.
Ingredient list
I always make puto with rice flour, and they’re delicious, but when I found this cheese puto recipe, I couldn’t wait to try it! Soft, moist, and fluffy, they’re delicious bites of heaven!
- Batter– made of all-purpose flour, evaporated milk, eggs, butter, sugar, baking powder, and vanilla. It’s a great base recipe that can be modified to make other flavors; feel free to experiment with pandan or ube extracts!
- Cheese– I like adding shredded cheddar to the batter to create creamy cheese pockets. You can skip this if you like and sprinkle it on top. Besides cheddar, you can also use sliced salted eggs, kesong puti, processed cheese (Eden), and even ham or crisp-cooked bacon to add a savory note to the rice cakes.
Equipment Needed
- Steamer– preferably with a conical-shaped lid to keep the condensing steam from dripping on the puto.
- Katsa (muslin) or lightweight cotton– for covering the lid to absorb the condensing steam
- Individual molds– You can use tin cans and ramekins, but I prefer silicone mini muffin cups because they make removing the steamed cake easier. This recipe makes about 40 pieces using mini molds and about 20 molds of regular size.
Cheese puto instructions
- Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl and stir well. Add eggs one at a time and beat well using an electric mixer after each addition.
- Add milk and beat until smooth. Add water and continue to beat until the batter is thin and smooth.
- Add butter and vanilla extract. Stir until well blended. Add the shredded cheese and stir until combined.
- Fill molds with batter up to ¾ full. Arrange molds in a single layer on a steamer rack and place in the steamer.
- Steam until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.
- Turn off the heat, top each puto with the sliced cheese, and cover to allow the residual heat to melt the cheese.
Serving suggestions
- These Filipino muffins are traditionally enjoyed as a snack or dessert. They’re delicious with hot coffee or ice-cold samalamig!
- It’s common to serve them as a side to savory dishes such as dinuguan or pancit guisado. Soft and fluffy, they provide a delicious contrast of flavor and texture.
Looking for more recipes to make in a steamer? This cassava suman made with grated kamoteng kahoy and coconut milk are hearty and filling. It took me a while to nail down the perfect dough for siopao asado, but these steamed buns are worth the long search. Enjoy!
