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Puto with banana, soft, sweet banana cake
Fresh puto filled with banana, soft and delicious

Steamed Banana Puto

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Cakes and Desserts
Puto is the iconic steamed cake of the Philippines, the local 'bread' often eaten for breakfast or alongside savoury dishes. This banana version is particularly soft and fragrant. Since it is steamed rather than baked, the dough doesn't form a crust but remains moist and springy throughout. The natural sugars of the banana sweeten it without caramelising, preserving the fresh character of the fruit.
🕒 Prep Time 15 mins
🍳 Cook Time 20 mins
⌛ Total Time 35 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 220 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Filipino

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Steamer (or a large pot with a rack)
  • Sieve
  • Small moulds (e.g., silicone muffin moulds)

Allergen Information

⚠️ Cereals containing gluten
⚠️ Eggs
⚠️ Milk

Instructions

1 ✓

Prepare the steamer: boil water in the base. Grease the moulds thinly with butter.

Tip: The steam must be ready when you mix the batter so the baking powder can act immediately.
2 ✓

Mash the bananas into a purée with a fork.

Tip: Use spotted, overripe bananas as they have a higher sugar content and more intense flavour.
3 ✓

In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla sugar until pale.

Tip: Whisking incorporates air into the mixture, lightening the structure of the dough.
4 ✓

Stir the melted (but not hot) butter, milk, and banana purée into the eggs.

Tip: If the butter is too hot, it might scramble the eggs.
5 ✓

Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold together just until the flour disappears.

Tip: Do not overmix! Steamed doughs are particularly sensitive to overdeveloped gluten, which makes them rubbery.
6 ✓

Fill the moulds 3/4 full with the batter.

Tip: Leave room for rising.
7 ✓

Place the moulds in the steamer, cover (with a lid wrapped in a tea towel), and steam for 15-20 minutes. Check with a skewer.

Tip: Steaming (moist heat) solidifies proteins more gently, so the dough doesn't dry out like in an oven.
8 ✓

Allow to cool to lukewarm before turning out of the moulds.

Tip: While hot, the structure may still be too soft and fragile.

Recipe FAQ

Why is the top wet?
Water dripped back from the lid. Wrap the lid in a clean tea towel while steaming.

Ingredients

  • 200 g Plain flour
  • 100 g Granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • 2 pcs Eggs
  • 200 ml Milk
  • 2 pcs Ripe bananas
  • 50 g Melted butter
  • 1 sachet Vanilla sugar
  • 1 pinch Salt