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Do you love mangoes as much as I do? You’d definitely want to try this Thai mango sticky rice dessert, a luscious combination of tropical mangoes and creamy coconut milk. It is sweet, refreshing, and nutty – it will keep you coming back for more!
Thai Mango Sticky Rice Dessert In A Nutshell
Thai mango sticky rice dessert is a crowd-favorite snack in the streets of Thailand and other Asian countries. It is also known as khao niaow ma muang or mango sticky rice.
Basically, it is a delicious blend of glutinous rice drenched in coconut cream and fresh mango slices.
For its mouthwatering finale, the sticky rice and mangoes are drizzled with a sweet coconut cream sauce. This dessert is usually sweetened with palm sugar or cane sugar, but you can use any type of sugar you have. You can top it with coconut flakes, toasted sesame seeds, or roasted mung beans.
Make this popular Thai street food at home and transport yourself to a tropical vibe. It is the perfect dessert for summer, especially when the mangoes are sweeter during its peak season.
This dish is typically served warm by heating it in the microwave first to enjoy its aroma and flavor.
Varieties, Alternatives, And Tips To Consider
- Glutinous rice: This is a main ingredient that can’t really be replaced. Glutinous rice is also known as sticky rice (糯米), sweet rice, or Thai sweet rice. It has a different texture from regular rice since it is sticky and gooey when cooked. You can get this in Asian grocery stores or online markets like Amazon. If you have leftover rice, use it to make glutinous rice flour, which can be used in various dishes as well like Ham Sui Gok 咸水角 (Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings)and Festive Snow Skin Mooncakes.
- Coconut cream: You will need this for the glutinous rice and sauce. Instead of water to cook the rice, I use coconut cream mixed with sugar and salt. The rice absorbs the coconut, making it creamy and nutty. For the coconut sauce, I also use coconut cream, salt, and sugar. Swap coconut cream with full fat coconut milk. If you are using coconut milk with a thin consistency, you can thicken it with cornstarch to still have a thick and creamy sauce.
- Ripe mangoes: Use fresh mangoes for the best flavor and sweetness. However, you can use frozen or canned mangoes as well. Any type of mango will do as long as it is ripe and sweet. Some of the most commonly used mangoes for this dessert are Ok-Rong and Nam-Dokmai. Choose fresh mangoes that have a dark yellow color and have a slight pressure when pressed. If it is still green and firm, the mangoes are still unripe and will have a sour and slightly bitter taste.
- Sugar: Sweeten this dessert with your choice of sugar. Use coconut sugar for added coconutty flavors or brown sugar for a hint of caramel. You can also use white sugar, muscovado, or cane sugar.Feel free to adjust the sugar quantity to suit your taste preferences; I tend to use a bit more, but adapt as desired.
- Salt: You want to add salt to help bring out the sweetness and flavor of the coconut. Sea salt, kosher salt, and table salt are some examples to use.
- Butter: A small amount of butter is needed to be brushed on the rice bowl. After cooking the rice, it is shaped in a rice bowl brushed with butter. The butter helps make it easier to remove. You can use dairy-free butter to keep this dessert vegan-friendly. However, it is perfectly fine to omit this if you don’t plan on shaping the rice for aesthetic purposes.
- Toppings: Top the rice with mango cubes, mint leaves, coconut flakes, toasted sesame seeds, or roasted mung beans. This is optional but is great for a decorative touch and additional flavors.
- Optional variation: Ube has a distinct nutty and vanilla-like flavor. You can mix ube or purple yam spread in the rice for a purple rice variation. Add this ingredient when cooking the rice with coconut cream. Adjust the amount of ube spread according to your liking.
Ingredients And Kitchen Items To Get Started
Getting hungry? Cos’ I am! Talking about this dessert is making me crave for one myself. So, without further ado, here’s everything you need to get started.
Prepare your rice cooker or cooking pot with a lid if you prefer the traditional way of cooking rice. You will also need a knife and chopping board to slice the mangoes and your desired serving plate.
Kitchen Items
- Rice cooker
- Stirrer
- Bowl
- Knife and chopping board
- Serving plate
- Microwave
Ingredients
- 200g of glutinous rice
- 200g of coconut cream
- 60g of sugar
- 4g of salt
- Butter
- 1 or 2 whole mangoes
- Sauce:
- 35g of coconut cream
- 1g of salt
- 3g of sugar
- Toppings (optional): mango cubes, mint leaves, coconut flakes, toasted sesame seeds, roasted mung beans, or ube spread
Instructions: How To Make Thai Mango Sticky Rice Dessert
Remember these three main parts: Cook the glutinous rice, slice the mangoes, and make the coconut sauce. The steps are fast and easy, but it will take a while to prepare the glutinous rice since you have to soak it for a few hours first. Thus, make sure to prepare this in advance if you have plans to serve it.
Check out my quick and easy-to-follow recipe tutorial video on Instagram or TikTok. Finished making this dessert? Tag me @kitchenmisadventures to show your versions of this dessert!
- Clean the glutinous rice with water.
- Soak it for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, drain the water and transfer the glutinous rice to the rice cooker.
- Add coconut cream, sugar, and salt and stir well.
- Turn on the cooking mode.
- Meanwhile, brush the bowl with butter. You can skip this if you do not plan to shape the cooked rice.
- When the sticky rice is cooked, place it in the bowl and press it to take the bowl’s shape.
- Flip it over onto your dessert plate.
- Prepare your mangoes by peeling the skin off and removing the pulp.
- Cut it into thin slices. Set aside a portion as well to cut it into small cubes for garnish.
- Roll the slices to form a flower-like shape for decoration.
- Transfer the flower mangoes onto your dessert plate with rice.
- Garnish your dessert with mint leaves, coconut cubes, or coconut flakes.
- Make the coconut sauce with coconut cream, salt, and sugar.
- Heat it in the microwave on low heat for 1 minute.
- After heating, pour the coconut sauce onto the sticky rice.
- Serve this while freshly made. Store leftovers in the fridge and consume within 2 days since the coconut milk can spoil quickly.
Thai Mango Sticky Rice Dessert (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
Equipment
- Rice cooker
- Stirrer
- Knife and chopping board
- Serving plate
- Microwave
Ingredients
Instructions
- Clean the glutinous rice with water.
- Soak it for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, drain the water and transfer the glutinous rice to the rice cooker.
- Add coconut cream, sugar, and salt and stir well.
- Turn on the cooking mode.
- Meanwhile, brush the bowl with butter. You can skip this if you do not plan to shape the cooked rice.
- When the sticky rice is cooked, place it in the bowl and press it to take the bowl's shape.
- Flip it over onto your dessert plate.
- Prepare your mangoes by peeling the skin off and removing the pulp.
- Cut it into thin slices. Set aside a portion as well to cut it into small cubes for garnish.
- Roll the slices to form a flower-like shape for decoration.
- Transfer the flower mangoes onto your dessert plate with rice.
- Garnish your dessert with mint leaves, coconut cubes, or coconut flakes.
- Make the coconut sauce with coconut cream, salt, and sugar.
- Heat it in the microwave on low heat for 1 minute.
- After heating, pour the coconut sauce onto the sticky rice.
- Serve this while freshly made. Store leftovers in the fridge and consume within 2 days since the coconut milk can spoil quickly.
