Ampaw Puffed Rice
Ampaw or puffed rice snacks that are sweet, crispy and simply delicious! Made from super simple ingredients and just as easy to make.
Bringing back another one of my favorite childhood snacks “ampaw”! I’m guessing most of you know by now that I love recreating food I enjoy when I was still a kid. And these colorful puffed rice shaped into balls or squares are no different.
What is ampaw or Filipino puffed rice?
A popular Filipino puff rice treats especially in Cebu which is made from sweetened puffed rice. Cooked rice grains are dried for a day or two under the sun then fried in oil making them puff and crispy. The puffed rice are then mix in with caramelized sugar and corn syrup and usually molded like balls or into flat rectangular shapes.
Difference between puffed rice and crispy rice cereal
This recipe will work using either puff rice or crispy rice cereal. Obviously both are made from rice but there are some subtle difference between the two. Puff rice is more dense and more filling while crispy rice cereal is lighter. The rice grains’ shape of puff rice are more distinguished than in rice crispy cereal. Aside from that, both are crispy and delicious! You can also have it gluten free by buying the right brand.
The secret ingredient is always LOVE
You may also like:
Mango Sticky Rice is a simple yet delicious dessert that is popular in Thailand.
Bibingki, a Kapampangan delicacy is short for “bibingkang nasi”. It is a variation of the bibingkang malagkit (sticky rice cake).
Biko Kalamay is sweet, sticky rice cake made with glutinous rice, coconut milk, and brown sugar.
Ampaw Puffed Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups puffed rice (or rice crispy cereal)
- 1 ½ tbsp sesame seeds
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup
Instructions
- Heat a medium cooking pan and toast sesame seeds for 3-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside
- Using the same pan, turn down the heat to low and tip in sugar. Let it melt until caramelized. You can speed up the process by stirring once the sugar starts to melt.
- Add butter and stir. Pour light corn syrup and stir again to mix the ingredients.
- Add the puffed rice and toasted sesame seed and mix carefully until all rice grains are coated.
- Transfer in a baking pan lined with parchment paper and using a spatula, press gently, just so that everything is well compacted.
- While still warm, run a butter knife around the edges of the puffed rice treat to loosen it and pull the entire thing out of the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut into desired size.
- Alternatively, you can mold them into balls by damping your hands then scoop about ¼ cup of rice puff mixture then shape into a ball. Bon appetit!
Nice recipe
Hi Larcy,
Thanks
What is substitute for light syrup?
Hi Gemma, you can try any of the following. cup sugar dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water.
Honey, light molasses, maple-flavored syrup (pancake syrup, agave nectar.