Mango Sticky Rice – the classic Thai and Southeast Asian dessert that combines sweet sticky rice smothered in coconut sauce and fresh, juicy mangoes. It’s such a lovely and gorgeous flavor combination.
This mango sticky rice dessert is such a guilty pleasure of mine, and definitely one of my all-time favorite desserts. It is also dairy free and vegan friendly.
If you like mango desserts, don’t forget to also check out these delicious Mango Crumb Bars. It’s another one of my most popular dessert on the blog and so very delicious!
What is Mango Sticky Rice
Mango Sweet Sticky Rice is a popular Southeast Asian dessert that is thoroughly enjoyed all over the world today. And you can even find it in most Thai restaurants across the United States as well.
The mangos used in Thai mango sticky rice are very ripe, juicy and sweet, not the green sour kind. In fact, the riper and sweet the mangoes, the better it is.
The sweet mangoes are paired with sticky sweet steamed glutinous rice, which unlike most rice, is traditionally steamed, not boiled. Glutinous rice is drizzled with a creamy and rich coconut sauce, which really gives it its signature flavor.
You can use other rice to make mango sticky rice, such as jasmine, sushi rice etc., but traditionally glutinous rice is used because of its fragrance and sticky texture.
Kitchen Tools
Besides the usual suspects found in a kitchen, you will need a steamer to steam the glutinous rice. If you don’t have one, fret not! See below for an alternate method using a pot and some aluminum foil.
Ingredients
It may seem like a complex dessert, but truly Mango Sweet Sticky Rice calls for only few ingredients and little time in the kitchen, and you can then indulge in all the Mango Sticky Rice magic you want.
Here are the ingredients you will need:
- glutinous rice – a.k.a. sweet rice, sticky rice, sweet sticky rice… It’s mainly grown in Southeast and East Asia, has opaque grains, and is sticky when it is cooked. It is used in a lot of Asian dessert recipes, and is typically steamed, not boiled in water. If you cannot find it in regular grocery stores, they sell it in Asian grocery stores, or get it online here. This is different from jasmine rice or sushi rice, although you can use those rice as well if in a pinch. Your mango sticky rice will taste slightly different than what you’ve had in Thai restaurants if you do not use glutinous rice.
- mangoes – use ripe and sweet mangoes, not sour, green ones. The sweeter the mangoes, the better!
- coconut milk – use canned coconut milk that with a high fat content and thick in texture. Avoid the low fat ones for best taste and flavor. Note that this is different from carton coconut milk that is typically watered down. Coconut cream works great as well.
- granulated sugar – for lower calorie options, use monk fruit extract or stevia, but these may not be as flavorful.
- corn starch – used to thicken the coconut sauce.
- salt – any kind will do such as table salt, kosher salt, sea salt, Himalayan pink salt etc.
- sesame seeds – a common garnish in Asian cuisine, flavorful and visually appealing as well!
How to make Mango Sweet Sticky Rice?
There are three key components in our Mango Sticky Rice recipe:
- sweet sticky rice
- coconut sauce
- mangoes
Step 1: Soak and steam glutinous rice
Whenever I have my heart set on making mango sticky rice, the very first thing I do (which is also the longest part of the process that you will need to prepare ahead of time) is to soak the glutinous rice.
If you are not using glutinous rice (e.g. jasmine, sushi, basmati etc.), you will probably not need to soak it.
Glutinous rice needs to be soaked for about 2 hours, or up to overnight.
When it is done soaking, drain water and steam it in a steamer.
If you have a steamer, steam it for 20-30 minutes. Check at the 20 minute mark to see if rice has softened, and it is no longer hard in the middle when you bite into it.
How to steam glutinous rice without a steamer?
If you do not have a steamer, no worries! You can totally still make mango sticky rice!
Here is how I “make” a steamer using a pot and some aluminum foil.
- Fill pot with water, then shape aluminum foil into three equal sized balls.
- Place the aluminum balls at the bottom of the pot.
- Place a metal plate (or a plate that can withstand the high heat) with the rice on it, on the aluminum foil balls. Remember you will need something to lift the hot plate out when it is all done.
- Once the water boils, steam rice for 20-30 minutes. Similarly, check at the 20 minute mark.
If you have an Instant Pot, you can use that as most of them have a steaming setting as well!
Step 2: Make Coconut Sauce
While waiting for the rice to cook, prepare the sweet coconut sauce.
Sweet coconut sauce = the must-have secret that makes your mango sticky rice AMAZING.
Grab a pot and combine coconut milk and sugar. Bring to a boil, then pour 1/2 of the sauce into a small bowl and set aside. This will be mixed into the rice once the rice is ready.
The rest of the coconut milk and sugar that is in the pot will be used to make the sweet coconut sauce that we will drizzled onto the mango sticky rice at the very end.
We will want to thicken this sauce. To do so, combine 1 tbsp of coconut milk (not the cooked coconut milk) and 1/2 tsp corn starch, then pour into the pot to combine. Boil for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.
Once the rice is ready, pour the sauce set aside earlier (not the thickened sauce) into the sticky rice. Mix well and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
Step 3: Slice Mangoes and Assemble
Grab your mangoes and slice them into small pieces, then start plating your Mango and Sticky Rice!
Place sticky rice onto plates, drizzle that sticky, sticky goodness of the thickened sweet coconut sauce onto the rice, and serve with the sliced mangos.
Garnish with sesame seeds if desire.
Oh hey, lovely Thai Mango Sticky Rice – I WANT TO EAT YOU.
Seriously, this right here…is my weakness.
Mango is my favorite fruit. Coconut milk + sugar is sent from above.
Those two combine makes me giddy and happy.
What I love about the mango sticky rice dessert is how each ingredient is so lovely by itself, but combined, it brings out the flavors of the other ingredients, takes the tastiness of each ingredient to the next level, and makes the dish whole.
I had this a lot as a kid. We would eat sweet sticky rice with and coconut sauce, along with mangos, durian (local Malaysian fruit), or bananas. I will say my favorite is still mango.
Something about the sweet and sour from the mango makes it the best pairing for the creaminess from the coconut.
I can serious go on and on about how amazing is mango sticky rice. My love for it runs deep.
If you already love Mango and Sticky Rice, virtual high five – I feel this special Thai-Mango-Sweet-Sticky-Rice-fan-club bond with you.
If this is new – give it a chance! 🙂 It is truly unique, and some of the most creative use and combination of flavors I know.
Enjoy, and be wowed. 🙂
Tips and Tricks
- Choose the right type of mango: avoid using canned mangoes or frozen mangoes. Use ripe, fresh whole mangoes. The sweeter the mango, the better!
- Mango ripening hack: To speed up the ripening of fresh mangoes, place them in a brown paper bag at room temperature for a few days to speed up the ripening process if needed.
- Choose the right type of rice: Sweet rice is not the same as Jasmine rice, short grain rice, or sushi rice, and it is best for this recipe. Most Asian grocery stores will have ‘sweet rice’ or ‘glutinous rice’ labeled on the package.
- Pre-soak rice: Rice needs to be soaked so that it will soften before cooking, so plan accordingly. This can be done ahead of time (or overnight, if needed).
- Steaming rice: Steaming rice means rice is cooked in steam, NOT soaked in water. There is a difference between steaming and boiling. You can steam rice in the rice cooker, Instant Pot’s steaming function, or use the nifty little trick I shared earlier on this post.
Frequently Asked Questions
Glutinous rice is highly recommended because it has a unique texture and flavor for this mango dessert. You can find it in Asian grocery stores or online HERE. If you really cannot find it, you can use another type of rice. Most likely you will just cook that rice the way you typically cook it (by boiling it instead of steaming).
Technically this is different from sticky rice or glutinous rice, as it has a different taste and texture. Traditionally, mango sticky rice is not made with Jasmine rice.
Soaking the rice will soften the rice which is necessary prior to steaming glutinous rice. If you don’t soak it, the rice will be hard to bite into even after steaming.
Use full-fat unsweetened coconut milk. The most common form is canned coconut milk (I like brands such as Arroyo-D, Chaokoh and Trader Joe’s) but you can also get frozen coconut milk from Asian grocery stores where they freeze fresh coconut milk and sell them in frozen form.
Only reheat the rice and coconut sauce, not the mango. To reheat rice, drizzle some water before heating it up in the microwave. As for the coconut sauce, reheat in the microwave as well.
ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? Tell us what you think by leaving a rating and review below! 🤍
Other Thai/Southeast Asian dishes
- Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
- Pad Thai
- Malaysian Curry Puff
- Mee Goreng Mamak (Malaysian Fried Noodles)
- Tom Yum Fried Noodles
- Vietnamese Noodle Bowl with Grilled Pork
- Vietnamese Egg Rolls
- Thai Red Curry with Chicken
- Thai Grilled Chicken
More mango recipes!
Dedicated to all my fellow mango-fans!
- Mango Crumb Bars
- Fish Tacos with Mango Peach Salsa
- Pineapple Mango Salsa
- Blueberry Mango Smoothie with Peanut Butter and Honey
- Mango Cake (by fellow blogger Foxy Folksy!)
Thai Mango Sweet Sticky Rice
Equipment
- 1 Steamer
Ingredients
- 2-3 fresh mangoes
- 1 cup glutinous/sweet rice
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 tbsp coconut milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp corn starch
- 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Soak glutinous/sweet rice for 2 hours, or up to overnight. Drain water when ready.
- Using a steamer, steam sticky rice for 20-30 minutes. Check on the 20 minute mark. If rice is soft and not hard in the middle, it is done.
- If you do not have a steamer, shape aluminum foil into three equal size balls. Fill pot with water (see Note 1) and place the aluminum balls on the pot.
- Place a metal bowl/plate (or a plate that can withstand the hot steam) on the aluminum balls. Add drained rice to the bowl/plate.
- Bring pot to boil, and once it boils, cover pot, and cook for 20-30 minutes. Check on the 20 minute mark. If rice is soft and not hard in the middle, it is done.
- While waiting for rice to cook, slice mangoes.
- Prepare the sweet coconut sauce by bringing 1 cup of coconut milk, sugar and salt to boil. Once it reaches a boil, bring 1/2 of the sauce into a small bowl and set aside.
- Combine 1 tbsp of coconut milk and corn starch, then add that into the pot to thicken the sweet coconut sauce. Boil for a few minutes until sauce is thickened.
- When rice is done, add the non-thickened sweet coconut sauce (the sauce set aside on Step 7) to rice and mix well. Set aside and let it cool for 15-20 minutes.
- Once cool, place rice onto serving plate(s), pair with mangoes, and drizzle the thickened sweet coconut sauce onto rice. Garnish with sesame seeds.
- Serve and enjoy!
This recipe is amazing. I made one batch and almost ate it all myself. Then made another Batch and am soaking rice for another. This is to die for! Thank you! A new favourite in my family.
Thank you so much! So happy to hear that <3
Loved this recipe. used coconut sugar and only half of recommended amount. I used an icecream scoop to make the portions. I scoop of rice was just right, surrounded by mangos. We have mango season in Australia after all. did a practise run with friends and will make it for Christmas.
Sounds amazing! In season mangoes are the perfect mangoes for this!
Thank you for the lovely recipe! Simple and easy to follow. Perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness 😋
Wonderful to hear! Thank you for making it!
Will this work with jasmine rice if I can’t find glutinous rice?
That works but you won’t have to soak and steam jasmine rice, just boil it like you would cook other rice. Glutinous rice has a unique texture that works best but in a pinch you can use jasmine rice.
I love making this easy Thai rice mango recipe It reminds me of living in Hawaii, yummy and satisfying, sweet coconut taste with the mango and sesame seeds.
Thank you, Cathy! Thrilled to hear that it reminds you of living in Hawaii <3
If I am using coconut cream doing I still need to use the same steps as using coconut milk?
If it’s thick enough, you don’t have to thicken it with corn starch. But if you’ll like it thicker, you can follow the same steps. Hope that helps!
AMAZING! Easy and so delicious. I’m addicted. Definitely track down some glutenous rice for this recipe, rather than substituting other rice. If your rice “dries out” before combining with mangoes, and becomes so sticky that it’s hard to manage, just mix in a TBS of coconut milk before combining rice with mangoes. (1 can of coconut milk contains more than the 1 cup called for in the recipe, so you’ll have leftovers). Don’t skip the sesame seeds – the texture and nutty flavor make a difference. Thanks, MinShien
Thanks for the kind review! I definitely agree about using glutinous rice! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Delicious and so easy to prepare. Another staple for the family.
That’s wonderful! Thanks for sharing! <3
This was outstanding. Followed the recipe but used mango I had frozen and it still worked perfectly. Thank you, I will be making this regularly
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe so much!
Is this recipe for canned coconut milk or coconut milk that you drink?
Canned coconut milk!
Soooo good! I have tried one other mango sticky rice recipe and this one is far superior, my new go-to. Next time I make it I think I’ll omit the cornstarch in the sauce (I felt I could taste it too much) but otherwise, 10/10. I’m so excited that I can make this at home now! And the tip for steaming without a steamer is great. Thank you!!!
Thanks so much, Zoe! Yes, feel free to omit the corn starch, especially if the coconut milk used is already pretty thick. I sometimes omit it just for the ease for it too!
Very very watery and not enough rice called for. Bad tasting.
Hi Cordelia, I’m sorry to hear that this didn’t turn out well. Are you referring to the amount of coconut milk that is making the rice watery? The rice should sock up the coconut milk if you are using canned coconut milk that is thick and high-fat. Make sure you are not using carton coconut milk that is watered down.