I Wait All Year for Mango Season to Make This Delicious Dessert

When my grandparents moved to the United States from Thailand, they lived in Maryland for a few years before they found that to be too cold — the complete opposite of what their life was like in Thailand — and eventually settled in South Florida. One of the main reasons for this move was the abundance of produce, which reminded them of home, but most importantly the availability of mangoes.

This was key for my grandma to make her favorite dessert: mango sticky rice. As a child, I spent hours around my grandparents’ mango trees. I spent so many summers standing by my grandpa’s side with his homemade contraptions to pick the fruit, while I collected them in a grocery bag as my grandma steamed the sticky rice for dessert.

Mango sticky rice has always been a constant in my life, and each year I look forward to April (when mangoes typically come back in season!), which also coincides with Songkran, the Thai New Year (April 13 to 15). While there are no specific dishes for the celebration, we always find ourselves eating mangoes that symbolize prosperity and wealth for the year ahead.

I’ve watched my grandma make it hundreds of times throughout my life that preparing mango and sticky rice feels almost second nature to me — and it’s much easier to make than you’d think.

Why You’ll Love It

• It’s easy to make. It can feel intimidating, but the steps are simple, and most of the time is spent soaking and steaming the rice.

• Creamy, fresh, and delicious. This dish is a perfect balance of sweet (without being too sweet), creamy, and chewy. The coconut milk sauce adds richness, while the fresh mango gives it a burst of fresh flavor.

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Key Ingredients in Mango Sticky Rice

• Glutinous rice: Glutinous rice, or sweet rice, is imperative to this recipe. Other forms of rice won’t work as a substitution because the grains have more starch that stick — and stay — together.

• Ataúlfo mangoes: The star of the dish adds a fresh, sweet contrast to the rich coconut sticky rice.

• Full-fat coconut milk: It’s important to use full-fat coconut milk to give the rice and sauce the best flavor and texture.

• Dye (optional): Adding colorant like powdered butterfly pea flowers, ground turmeric, or pandan extract to the rice adds a fun, eye-catching pop of color.

How to Make Mango Sticky Rice

1. Soak and prepare the rice. Rinse the rice in cool water and let soak for at least four hours or overnight (add colorant in this step if using).

2. Steam the rice. Drain the rice and steam in a bamboo basket or over a steamer basket until fully cooked.

3. Meanwhile, start the coconut sauce. Heat coconut milk, sugar, salt, and pandan leaf (optional) until sugar dissolves

4. Soak the rice in coconut sauce. Pour half of the coconut sauce over the freshly steamed sticky rice and cover for 20 minutes to absorb.

5. Finish making the coconut sauce. Add a teaspoon of cornstarch to the remaining coconut sauce, cook for a few minutes, and mix to combine.

6. Slice the mangoes and serve. Peel, pit, and slice the mangoes. Serve with the sticky rice and spoon over additional coconut sauce to serve.

Helpful Swaps

• Rice flour is the traditional method for thickening the coconut sauce (in lieu of cornstarch) and works great.

• Granulated sugar is an easy 1:1 American conversion to palm sugar, which is how mango sticky rice is traditionally prepared. If you have access to palm sugar, try it instead! It has a slightly more pronounced, complex sweetness that complements the salted coconut sauce.

• Mango sticky rice is best served with fresh, ripe mangos. If Ataúlfo mangos are unavailable, another ripe mango like Okrong or another with a golden skin will work perfectly fine (or even sliced bananas!).

• Instead of pandan extract, turmeric, or butterfly pea flowers, a few drops of food dye also colors the rice excellently.

• The butterfly pea flower turns purple when introduced to citrus, so a few squeeze of lemon or lime works great to get that color, as does a pinch of citric acid.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

• The coconut sauce can be made ahead up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Reheat before using.

• Rice is best served and eaten the day-of, but if you have leftover sticky rice you can re-steam it for a few minutes until soft, about 3 minutes.

Mango Sticky Rice Recipe

A traditional Southeast Asian dessert popular in Thailand that features mangos, glutinous rice, and coconut milk.

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 30 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup glutinous rice (also known as sticky or sweet rice)

• Cheesecloth

• 1 (about 13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 fresh or frozen pandan leaf, tied into a knot (optional)

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• 2 ripe mangos, preferably Ataúlfo

• Toasted white sesame seeds (optional)

Dye options:

• 1 teaspoon powdered butterfly pea flowers (blue)

• 1 teaspoon powdered butterfly pea flowers plus 1 lime wedge (purple)

• 1 pinch ground turmeric (yellow)

• 2 tablespoons coarsely grated red beets (red)

• 2 drops pandan extract (green)

Instructions

1. Place 1 cup glutinous rice in a medium bowl and add enough cool water to cover. Swish the rice around in your hands, then pour everything through a fine-mesh strainer. Repeat the process twice more.

2. Return the rice to the bowl, and add enough cool water to cover by about 1 inch. If you're dyeing the rice, stir in the colorant of choice. Let soak at room temperature for 4 hours, or refrigerate up to overnight.

3. Remove the beets if needed and drain the rice well. Prepare a steamer or basket and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, line the steamer basket with a piece of wet cheesecloth. Transfer the rice onto the cheesecloth and spread into an even layer. Using a finger or chopstick, poke holes about 1 1/2 inches apart into the rice, going all the way down to the cheesecloth and spacing them evenly apart. Drape the excess cheesecloth over the rice.

4. Place the steamer basket in the steamer. Cover and steam over medium-high heat until the rice is cooked through but still slightly chewy, 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce.

5. Bring 1 (about 13.5-ounce) can coconut milk, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 knotted pandan leaf if using to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Continue to simmer, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved, for 3 minutes to thicken slightly. Turn off the heat.

6. When the rice is ready, transfer it to a medium bowl. Gently stir in about half of the coconut sauce. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes to allow the rice to absorb the sauce.

7. Meanwhile, whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch into the remaining coconut sauce. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking often, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Peel, pit, and slice 2 ripe mangoes about 1/2-inch thick.

8. Serve the sticky rice with more of the coconut sauce spooned on top, with the mangos on the side. Garnish with toasted white sesame seeds if desired.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The coconut sauce can be made ahead up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Reheat before using.

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