Mango sticky rice, known as Khao Niao Ma Muang, is a popular, must-try Thai dessert. The creamy coconut milk, sticky rice, and juicy fresh mangoes make a mouthwatering and refreshing dessert.
If you love Thai food, check out our Thai Mango fried rice, Thai Salad, Pad Ped Tofu, stir-fry called Pad Ga Prao, etc.
Why you'll love this recipe
- The unique combination of flavors and texture makes this dessert hard to resist.
- Cool, fresh mangoes and lightly salted coconut sauce contrast with warm sticky rice, making it a perfect summer dessert.
- With basic ingredients, you can make this dessert easily at home.
- This dish is vegan, gluten-free, and also dairy-free.
Ingredients
You will need basic and simple ingredients from your pantry to make this delicious and best Thai mango sticky rice recipe.
Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice
Rice: For authentic sticky rice, white glutinous rice, also known as sweet rice or Thai sticky rice, is used. This variety of rice is sweeter and stickier than regular rice. Because it is difficult to find and becomes expensive, you can use regular white rice, sushi rice, jasmine rice, or jeera rice. You can also use black glutinous rice instead of white rice for a more unique and flavorful dessert.
Coconut milk: Use fresh homemade coconut milk, canned coconut milk, or coconut milk sold in small tetra packs for this recipe. Do not use coconut milk sold as a dairy substitute in half-gallon jugs/containers - as these will not work.
Sugar: Granulated white sugar is used to retain the color of the rice. But for a different flavor, you can try using palm sugar.
Salt: Enhances the flavor of your sticky rice.
Salted coconut sauce
Salted coconut sauce is easy to make but is a key element of this mango sticky rice. It balances out and complements the sweetness of the rice and mangoes.
You will need salt, coconut milk, and rice flour (or cornstarch). The rice flour or cornflour helps thicken the sauce to stay on the rice.
Mangoes and the topping
Roasted mung dal (mung beans): This adds crunch making every bite even more delicious. I prefer to use roasted moong dal namkeen sold at Indian grocery stores. Or you can also prepare these roasted mung beans at home - check out this video! If you do not have roasted mung beans, garnish the mango sticky rice with toasted sesame seeds.
Mangoes: Sweet and ripe, fresh and juicy mangoes work the best. Traditionally nam dok mai or ok rong mangoes from Thailand is used. But since it is not available worldwide, I recommend using any variety of fiber-less mangoes from India or Mexico. Some popular mango varieties that I use are Honey/ataulfo mangoes, kents, keitts, Alphonso, Kesar, Banganapalli, etc.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step by step Instructions
How to make sweet coconut sticky rice?
Step 1: Wash the rice in cold water 3 to 4 times or until the water runs clear. Add water and soak the rice for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
Step 2: Drain and add the rice to a muslin cloth (or cheesecloth, any white cotton towel, etc.) and fold the edges over the rice.
Step 3: Place this in the steamer with boiling water and steam for 25 to 30 minutes.
Step 4: Add coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a pan on medium heat and mix until sugar is dissolved. This should be hot while you pour over the rice. So if you prepare it early, warm it again before pouring it over the rice.
Step 5: When the rice is done, transfer it to a mixing bowl and break any lumps, if there are any. Pour the hot, sweetened coconut over the rice. Mix well.
Step 6: After 15-20 minutes, fold the bottom part of the rice up to the top so that the liquid is uniformly distributed, and let it sit for another 20 to 30 minutes. The rice will have absorbed all the liquid and looks shiny at this point.
Making of the salted coconut sauce
Step 7: In a pan on medium heat, add coconut milk, salt, and sugar and mix well. Mix rice flour with a tablespoon of water and add this rice flour slurry to the pan and mix continuously.
Step 8: Bring it to a boil and simmer until the sauce thickens.
Serving the best mango sticky rice recipe
Step 9: Cut the fresh mango into slices (or small cubes) and arrange them on a serving plate. Add a scoop or a small bowl of sticky rice.
Step 10: Drizzle the top of the rice with salted coconut sauce. Top it with crispy and crunchy mung beans. Serve and enjoy.
Expert Chef Tips
- If the rice is not cooked in the steamer for some reason, then add this rice to a pan and pour additional water or coconut milk and cook on medium flame until it all the liquid is absorbed and the rice reaches the desired soft texture.
- Pandan leaves are used while cooking the rice and boiling coconut sauce. This adds a unique fragrance to the dish, just like adding turmeric leaves in India while cooking rice in coconut milk. Restaurants use these leaves, but it is entirely optional.
- Use good quality coconut milk for the best results.
- Ripe sweet mangoes taste the best. Unripe or sour mangoes will ruin the taste of your final dish.
- If you want to make sticky rice in a cooker, then check out our post on coconut milk rice.
- If you do not have fresh mangoes, you can also use frozen mangoes. Thaw the mangoes in simple sugar syrup for 3 to 4 hours before serving it alongside the sticky rice.
Store and Reheat
Sticky rice tastes the best when served on the day it is made. But if there are any leftovers, you can refrigerate them for two days or freeze them in a freezer bag for up to one month.
Reheat: You can cover the rice with a damp towel and microwave on high or steam it until it is heated completely to get that soft texture.
Salted coconut sauce can be kept in the fridge for one week. Reheat in the microwave or stovetop.
Recipe FAQs
Sticky rice tastes the best when served the day it is made. But if you are short of time, then you can make it and store it in the refrigerator for a day or two.
Yes. Regular rice like jeera, jasmine, and sushi rice will work while making sweet sticky rice. You will have to adjust the cooking time accordingly. They will not be 100% glutinous like the traditional sticky rice, but they will be 100% delicious.
Yes. This is despite the name of the rice used (glutinous rice) in the dish. The name glutinous only refers to the sticky property of cooked rice. Rice does not contain the gluten protein found in other grains such as wheat, rye, barley, etc. Therefore, this Thai dessert is gluten-free and also vegan and dairy free.
Yes. Sticky rice, also called sweet rice, is glutinous; the absence of starch amylose makes it so sticky.
Yes. You can use condensed milk as a substitute for sugar. This version will be sweeter and richer. Condensed milk is not a substitute for coconut milk. Sticky rice without coconut milk will be a sticky rice pudding.
A single serving of this mango sticky rice recipe contains 332 calories.
More Mango Recipes
Love mangoes? Then check out some of the best and simple mango recipes that you can try.
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Recipe card
Best Thai Mango Sticky Rice Dessert Recipe
Equipment
- Steamer or Cooker
- Bowl
Ingredients
Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice
- 1 cup Glutinous rice (Check tips for options)
- 1 cup Coconut milk
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Sugar
Salted coconut sauce
- ½ cup Coconut milk
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Rice flour
- 1 tablespoon Water
For toppings
- 2 Ripe, sweet mango slices
- 2 tablespoon Roasted mung beans
Instructions
How to make sweet coconut sticky rice?
- Wash the rice in cold water 3 to 4 times or until the water runs clear. Add water and soak the rice for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.1 cup Glutinous rice
- Drain and add the rice to a muslin cloth (or cheesecloth, any white cotton towel, etc.) and fold the edges over the rice.
- Place this in the steamer with boiling water and steam for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Add coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a pan on medium heat and mix until sugar is dissolved. This should be hot while you pour over the rice. So if you prepare it early, warm it again before pouring it over the rice.1 cup Coconut milk, ¼ teaspoon Salt, ½ cup Sugar
- When the rice is done, transfer it to a mixing bowl and break any lumps, if there are any. Pour the hot, sweetened coconut over the rice. Mix well.
- After 15-20 minutes, fold the bottom part of the rice up to the top so that the liquid is uniformly distributed, and let it sit for another 20 to 30 minutes. The rice will have absorbed all the liquid and looks shiny at this point.
Making of the salted coconut sauce
- In a pan on medium heat, add coconut milk, salt, and sugar and mix well. Mix rice flour with a tablespoon of water and add this rice flour slurry to the pan and mix continuously.½ cup Coconut milk, ¼ to ½ teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Rice flour, 1 tablespoon Water
- Bring it to a boil and simmer until the sauce thickens.
Serving the best mango coconut sticky rice recipe
- Cut the fresh mango into slices (or small cubes) and arrange them on a serving plate. Add a scoop or a small bowl of sticky rice.2 Ripe, sweet mango slices
- Drizzle the top of the rice with salted coconut sauce. Top it with crispy and crunchy mung beans. Serve and enjoy.2 tablespoon Roasted mung beans
Video
Notes
- If the rice is not cooked in the steamer for some reason, then add this rice to a pan and pour additional water or coconut milk and cook on medium flame until it all the liquid is absorbed and the rice reaches the desired soft texture.
- For authentic sticky rice, white glutinous rice, also known as sweet rice or Thai sticky rice, is used. This variety of rice is sweeter and stickier than regular rice. Because it is difficult to find and becomes expensive, you can use regular white rice, sushi rice, jasmine rice, or jeera rice. You can also use black glutinous rice instead of white rice for a more unique and flavorful dessert.
- Pandan leaves are used while cooking the rice and boiling coconut sauce. This adds a unique fragrance to the dish, just like adding turmeric leaves in India while cooking rice in coconut milk. Restaurants use these leaves, but it is entirely optional.
- Use good quality coconut milk for the best results.
- Ripe sweet mangoes taste the best. Unripe or sour mangoes will ruin the taste of your final dish.
- If you want to make sticky rice in a cooker, then check out our post on coconut milk rice.
- If you do not have fresh mangoes, you can also use frozen mangoes. Thaw the mangoes in simple sugar syrup for 3 to 4 hours before serving it alongside the sticky rice.
Jess
So delicious !
Seema Sriram
Without a doubt, mango sticky rice is one of my favorite desserts. So glad to see such a detailed recipe to achieve the same.