Karioka with Ube Vanilla Bean Glaze
Crispy, golden-brown rice balls with a chewy interior, covered in a rich ube vanilla glaze. Quick to make, with simple ingredients, this vegan and gluten-free Filipino treat is perfect for satisfying your sweet cravings in under thirty minutes!
Servings: 24 individual balls (8 servings)
Calories: 108kcal
Cost: $5.50
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups glutinous rice flour
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 1 ¼ cups coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup young coconut strings, or shredded coconut optional
- Canola oil vegetable oil, or sunflower oil for deep frying
Glaze:
- 1 cup palm sugar coconut sugar or brown sugar
- ⅓ cup coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon ube extract
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder or vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour, tapioca starch, coconut milk, baking powder, and salt. If desired, mix in the shredded coconut. Knead the mixture until it forms a smooth dough.
- Shape the dough into smooth balls, about one inch (2.5 cm.) in diameter.
- Prick the balls with a toothpick or metal pin which has been dipped in rice flour to help prevent the karioka from bursting while they cook.
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C). Use a frying thermometer, or make in a tabletop deep fryer or an air-fryer.
- Carefully add the dough balls to the hot oil, frying in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Fry until the karioka balls are golden brown and crispy, approximately 4-6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked balls to a wire rack suspended over a baking pan to let the balls drain and cool.
- In a small saucepan, combine the palm sugar, coconut milk, ube extract, and vanilla powder. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture thickens slightly, around 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Skewer the fried balls onto a Woden skewer or reusable metal skewer. A typical serving is to place 3 balls on each skewer, but I 100% trust you to control the portion size as you like.
- Allow the glaze to cool slightly before dipping the skewered karioka balls. Ensure each ball is evenly coated on all sides with the glaze. Return the dipped skewers to the wire rack to set for a few minutes.
- Serve the karioka warm, optionally garnished with additional shredded coconut.
Video
Notes
Keep your hands and work surface dry when shaping the dough balls to prevent sticking. Dust your hands with a bit of glutinous rice flour or lightly oil your hands—just don't do both!
🌡️ Control the Heat
Maintain the oil at 350°F (175°C) for even frying. If you’re not using an air fryer or thermostatic deep fryer, use a frying thermometer and monitor the temperature to prevent fluctuations.
🔪 Stabby Stabby
Poke a small hole in each dough ball before frying to prevent them from exploding and reduce splattering, ensuring a safer and cleaner process.
❄️ Cool and Set
After glazing, let the karioka balls set on a wire rack for a few minutes. This allows the glaze to firm up, ensuring a perfect finish without any sticky mess.
Nutrition
Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg