Here it is. The guilty pleasures of all guilty pleasures. If guilty pleasures have a king, THIS IS IT. Thai Mango Sweet Sticky Rice – one of my all-time favorite desserts.
I like to take a bite, close my eyes, savor every moment it stays in my mouth, and just let the world fade away. I’m telling you – it’s the best form of food therapy.
If you like mango desserts, don’t forget to also check out these delicious Mango Crumb Bars. So delicious!
What is Mango Sweet Sticky Rice?
This is a super popular Southeast Asian dessert that is thoroughly enjoyed all over the world today. That’s how you SPREAD THE LOVE! Soft, sweet sticky rice smothered with creamy sweet coconut sauce, then paired with sweet, juicy fresh mangos.
Oh. My. YUM. The marrying of flavors is out of this world. So much so I could happy-cry a little.
You can find this dessert in most Thai restaurants, but you should also know it is super easy to make right in your own kitchen.
It takes a few ingredients and a little time in the kitchen, and you can indulge in all the Thai Mango Sweet Sticky Rice you want, at anytime…dreams DO come true!
How to make Mango Sweet Sticky Rice?
The longest part of this whole process is soaking the rice. We are using glutinous rice, or sometimes called sweet rice, for this recipe. It is different from sushi rice, jasmine rice, basmati rice, etc.
If you cannot find it in regular grocery stores, they sell it in Asian grocery stores, or get it online here.
The way to cook glutinous rice is a little bit different from the other rice. After soaking the rice for 2 hours, or up to overnight, we will be steaming the rice, not boiling it in water (like we do with most rice).
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, you can “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.
While waiting for the rice to cook, cut up mangoes (use super sweet, ripe mangoes!) and also prepare the sweet coconut sauce.
Sweet coconut sauce = the must-have secret that makes this dessert 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 dessert 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.
When that is done, 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 mango dessert – 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 this 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 this sticky rice/coconut sauce dessert 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 will sign off now because I can probably talk about how amazing this is forever. And you will be bored to tears.
If you already love this, 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. 🙂
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!)
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE? Please comment below and give us a 5-star rating! This will help others find this recipe on Google and Pinterest! We very much appreciate your help! 🤍
Thai Mango Sweet Sticky Rice
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-thicken 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!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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So simple and so beautiful ! Thank you so much !
Thank you so much! It is soooo good, I love it!!
This looks so good! What a unique dessert to try on in a gluten free menu!
Thanks Suzanne! It is delicious!! I love it!! π
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Hi Vanessa – it will probably be fine for 2-3 days. I won’t keep it too long!
I just made this tonight but I used regular sushi rice since I didn’t feel like going out for the other rice and cooked this rice to its directions.
I did everything else exactly how the recipe said and it was a hit! I used unsweetened coconut milk and I think that took a little bit of the sweetness away so i’ll try regular next time but it was amazing!
Thanks for sharing! And for anyone reading these, just follow the directions and it’ll be bangin’!
Thanks so much for trying it and I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Do you soak the rice in coconut milk or water?
Soak the rice in water! Let me know what you think if you make it!
I made this and it tasted AMAZING!!! Although I didn’t have contiainers so could you recommend some containers because they have all shapes and sizes and I just don’t know which ones to get and where to get them for the best deal. <3
I’m so glad you like them! Are you referring to the plates I used to steam the rice? I got them from an Asian grocery store. But any plates that can withstand heat should work!
Hi. At what point do you add the salt?
Add it when making the coconut sauce.
I love Mango sticky rice! Thank you for sharing!
It’s a favorite of mine too! I hope you give it a try! π
I LOVE mango sticky rice but my husband is allergic to coconut. What other βmilkβ do you think would be closest in taste and texture? Oat?
Personally I don’t think you will get the same fragrance/taste using other milk but in terms of texture you can substitute it with almond milk, oat milk, or any other milk really. Hope that helps!
Where does the salt go in this recipe?
Add salt to the sweet coconut sauce (Step 7). I just added this to the instructions. Thank you for asking!!
My friend has made this for me twice and itβs one of my absolute favorite recipes, thanks so much for sharing!
I’m so glad! π Thank you so much!
I just felt like I was back in Thailand! Wow! So absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing π
Yay! I am so glad π Thank you for sharing!
Came out delicious so when I canβt get to Thailand or a restaurant I have i options!! Also pretty quick and easy to make
Love that you enjoyed it! π Thank you for sharing!
Do you use canned full fat coconut milk or just the coconut milk from the container?
Canned coconut milk works best!
I made it with durians! Itβs so good. Thanks for the recipe.
I made extra sticky rice & am going to have it again but this time with mangoes !!
That’s awesome!! Thank you for sharing!! π
Can I use jasmine rice? Would it still be the same instructions?
Glutinous rice is much preferred for this recipe. It has a different texture and consistency than Jasmine rice. To cook Jasmine rice, you will have to boil the rice in water until all the water is absorbed, whereas in this recipe we are steaming the glutinous rice.
Thank you for a super dish. Like you , I am a serious mango fan.
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it! Mangoes are the best! π
Can the sauce be made ahead of time?
Yes! Store in refrigerator or even freezer (if you are looking to make it WAY ahead of time) in an airtight container!
Do you refrigerate the rice while soaking?
That is not necessary. You can leave it out in room temperature!