I so love this Puto Cheese recipe. So soft and fluffy and definitely better tasting than the Puto mix you buy in a box but equally easy to make. You will never think of buying ready mix Puto after trying this!
What is Puto?
Puto is a Filipino steamed rice cake delicacy normally eaten as snack. Puto is also, oftentimes, served to accompany savory dishes like dinuguan (pork blood stew) or pancit (rice noodle).
The traditional one is made from rice, water, and sugar that is stone-grinded to make the batter or what we call 'galapong'. It is normally fermented overnight before steaming them. Of course, everything became easy when rice flour became available.
But this recipe of Cheese Puto actually does not use rice at all, it uses all-purpose flour instead. Yeah I know, I was skeptical about it as well at first but it turned out to be really good, and I would say I prefer it better than using rice flour because it makes smoother and softer Puto.
What Cheese to Use?
I get this question a lot and I know why. In the Philippines, the common cheese you can get is packed in foil and boxed and you usually get them from the shelves and not in the fridge section of a grocery store. The most popular brand is Kraft Eden cheese and I read that it is the equivalent or similar to Kraft Velveeta in the US.
I used to buy loads of this cheese and bring them back to Germany. Once there, I remove them from the boxes and freeze them. They would last for months to a year that way.
For those who do not have access to this kind of processed cheese, I would recommend other cheeses like Gouda or Cheddar.
Additional Tips:
- Avoid using high speed when mixing the batter as this creates more air bubbles that can be trapped in the batter and will form holes when steamed.
- Place a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel in between steamer racks and the top cover to avoid water from dripping to the batter. This will result in uneven cooking and disinformed top.
- It is very important to use low heat. Bring the water to a simmer then turn the heat to the lowest as possible. Just enough to keep the steam forming but do not let the water boil. High temperatures will result in an uneven rise of the batter instead of forming a perfect dome.
Puto Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk (evaporated or fresh)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon butter -melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup grated cheese
- strips cheese - for topping
- butter or oil for brushing the molds
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder.
- Add the milk and egg and mix using a whisk or electric mixer at medium speed only until batter becomes smooth.
- Add the water, butter and vanilla extract and mix well for a minute or two. Lastly, add the grated cheese and fold in slowly using a spatula or spoon.
- Grease each mold with butter and fill the molds with batter up to ¾ full.
- Fill the bottom of the steamer with water and bring to a gentle simmer over very low heat. Place the molds in the steamer basket and steam for about 10 to 12 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the lid and add a strip of cheese on top of each put. Steam for another minute or two until cheese melts. Turn off heat and let it rest until slightly cooled down.
- Remove the cooked Puto Cheese from the molds and transfer to a serving plate.
Notes
Nutrition
For those who are asking about the plastic molds I used to steam these Puto in, I got them from the Philippines. But you may also use the Silicone muffin molds like the one below I found on Amazon. I also use them for making Puto sometimes just like I would use the plastic molds.
Here are also examples of steamers used to make Puto. The middle one is a stove-top variation while the one on the right is electric. You may click on the photos to see where you can buy them as well.
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This recipe for Puto Cheese was originally published in June 2016. Updated in March 2020 to include new photos and recipe video. Additional tips were also provided.
Awesome recipe! Delicious, fast and the ingredients are easy to come by, esp when living in Germany. I am giving this recipe only 4 Stars coz I think it could be a tat sweeter. But one can always modify the recipe to ones liking. I skipped the whole cheese thing, I just don't like the mix of something hearty and sweet. For me it's either the one or the other. However I used some coloring and I even had Pandan flavored food color green. Turned out to be very delicious. Have you tried to make puto-flan based on this recipe? If you did, would you like to share your experience? That would be my next target. Thanks again for this great recipe und Grüße aus Köln!!!
Hi, can I substitute sugar to maple syrup or honey? If yes, whats the measurement? Thanks! Looks yummy, can't wait to try it. Thanks
Sadly, I have not tried using syrup or honey for this. But I think it should be ok to do so, it is just to sweeten the buns. But if you end up adding too much then add a bit more flour just to keep the ratio of flour to liquid close to original.
Great recipe! Thank you for sharing.
You are welcome, Ella.
Yummilicious.
I'd never thought how that easy to make Puto.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
our pleasure, Mary Jane.
Thanks for sharing this flavorful puto recipe! Always a treat to my family every time I make this.
I’m just wondering if I can use 8” or 9”cake pan for this recipe instead of puto molds?
Sure you can Vickee, just cook it a bit longer.Check out our puto cake too.
May I know what specific flour is better to use? Thanks so much
Hi Lori, use cake flour if you like finer crumbs.
Hi! Thanks for posting this yummy recipe. It's genuinely good and easy to follow. Good on yah!
Glad you like it, Louise.
This is so good! I tried it twice already and my husband and kids love it so much! Can I just double the ingredients for larger serving? Will it not affect the texture and taste of the puto?
Go ahead and double the ingredients, Apol.