Thai Mango Sticky Rice is a delightful dessert that everyone loves to order at Thai restaurants, alongside favorites like satay chicken, massaman curry, red curry, green curry, pad ka prao, and pad Thai noodles. The best part is making it at home! I am excited to share this simple and mouthwatering instant pot mango sticky rice recipe with step-by-step photos and a video. Let's dive in and create this delicious treat together!
Love Asian desserts? Check out these mango pomelo sago, Korean strawberry milk, honeydew popsicles, Asian shaved ice, red bean ice drink, red bean paste rice cake, tofu pudding, black sesame soup, sweet green bean soup, and tang yuan recipes.
What is mango sticky rice?
Mango sticky rice is a traditional and well-known Thai cuisine dish, like satay chicken, massaman curry, red curry, green curry, pad ka prao, and pad Thai noodles. It is known in Thai as Khao Niew Mamuang (ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง). This beloved dessert combines sweet glutinous rice, rich coconut cream, and juicy ripe mango slices.
This dessert is a staple in Thai cuisine, often enjoyed during mango season (March to June). Even though Thai mango sticky rice is from Thailand, it is popular throughout Southeast Asia, such as Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
The sticky rice is first soaked and then steamed until soft and chewy. Traditionally, it is garnished with crispy mung beans, sesame seeds, or a drizzle of thick coconut cream on top for extra richness. The sweetened coconut sauce is fragrant and creamy, and when mixed with slightly sticky rice, it pairs beautifully with fresh, buttery mango.
Is mango sticky rice served hot or cold?
Sticky rice is best served warm or at room temperature, but the mango should be cool and fresh. Some people like to enjoy it cold, especially on hot days.
What kind of rice should I use?
This Thai mango sticky rice recipe uses glutinous rice (sticky or sweet rice). It is sweeter than regular rice and has a chewy texture. Regular white or jasmine rice will not have the right texture.
How do you cook sticky rice on the stove?
In traditional Thai mango sticky rice dessert, the rice has to soak in water before putting it into a bamboo basket to steam the rice like the picture below.
However, you can cook glutinous rice using a regular rice cooker or an instant pot pressure cooker. Personally, I like to use an instant pot to make mango sticky rice because the glutinous rice doesn’t need to be pre-soaked, and it is easier.
Why is the rice sometimes purple or green?
Some people like to use butterfly pea flowers for a natural blue/purple or pandan juice for green. It is for fun and color, but the flavor is mostly unchanged.
What type of mango is best?
I like to use Carabao mangoes because of their sweetness and strong mango taste. Ataulfo (honey) mangoes or Nam Dok Mai (Thai mangoes) are great—sweet, fragrant, and less fibrous.
Is mango sticky rice gluten-free?
Yes! Despite its name, “glutinous rice,” it contains no gluten. If it is made with pure ingredients, the dish is naturally gluten-free.
What are the ingredients for mango sticky rice dessert?
The ingredients are glutinous rice, mangoes, sugar, coconut milk, water, and cornstarch. Personally, I like mango sticky rice dessert with lots of sweet coconut sauce drizzle on top of the sticky rice and mango.
Substitutions:
Can I use light coconut milk?
Yes, you can use light coconut milk. However, full-fat coconut milk gives the most decadent flavor and creamy texture.
Can I use canned or frozen mango?
Fresh, ripe mangoes are ideal. Frozen mangoes work ok; remember to thaw and pat dry. Canned mangoes are less recommended because of their texture and syrupy sweetness.
Can I use jasmine rice instead of sticky rice?
Jasmine rice is not recommended because of its different texture. You can use black sticky rice if you don’t have white glutinous rice. It is naturally nutty and chewy and adds color and flavor. You can check out this black glutinous rice dessert recipe for using black glutinous rice.
Storage:
How do you store leftovers?
Store rice, sweet coconut sauce, and mango separately in airtight containers in the fridge.
Can I freeze mango sticky rice?
Technically, yes, but it's not recommended because the texture of the rice changes and becomes grainy. Also, the mango can get mushy and lose its fresh flavor. If you must freeze them, freeze the rice, coconut sauce, and mango separately in airtight containers. When it is ready to eat, thaw the rice in the fridge and gently reheat it in the microwave or steam it.
How do you reheat it?
Cover the sticky rice with a wet paper towel and warm in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or steam it lightly for a softer texture. Then, add mango and pour the sweet coconut sauce over the rice before serving. Consume it within 1–2 days for the best freshness.
Cooking tips for how to make mango sticky rice:
Rinse the glutinous rice
- Rinse the glutinous rice under cold water 3–4 times until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch and keeps it from becoming too gummy.
Soak the rice (when using a bamboo basket steamer)
- If you want to use a bamboo basket to steam the rice. Remember to soak the rice for 1-2 hours before steaming and steam for around 20-25 minutes until soft.
Instant pot sticky rice
- If you use an instant pot pressure cooker to cook glutinous rice, you don't need to pre-soak the rice.
- Level the rice and make sure it is covered with water.
- Close the lid and vent, and push the manual button to adjust the time for 30 minutes at high pressure and natural release.
Coconut sauce
- Different brands of coconut milk are slightly different. I like to use the ARoy-D brand because it’s creamier and has a stronger coconut flavor, but sometimes, if I cannot find the brand, I use other brands.
- You can use less or more sugar, depending on your taste.
- The coconut sauce will be thicker when it cools down.
Serve
- Scoop sticky rice onto a plate, add fresh mango slices, and drizzle with the sweet coconut cream.
- Optional: Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds or crispy mung beans on top.
FAQs:
It lasts for 4-5 days if you store the rice in the refrigerator. Don’t mix the sauce and mango; try to store them separately, and they will last longer.
Just reheat the glutinous rice. Cover the cold glutinous rice with a wet paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds to a minute. The sweet coconut sauce and mango can be served cold. This dessert can usually be served warm or chilled.
Any made-in-Thailand glutinous rice or sweet rice will work. I like to use the Three Ladies' brands.
Instructions for how to make instant pot mango sticky rice:
1. Wash and drain 1 cup of glutinous rice very well. Pour a cup of water and put a rack inside the instant pot.
2. Put a bowl in the pressure cooker, add 1 cup washed glutinous rice and ⅔ cup water in the container. Level it and make sure all the rice is covered by water. Close the lid and vent, and push the manual button to adjust the time for 30 minutes at high pressure and natural release.
3. While the rice is cooking, pour a can of coconut milk into a pot. Add ¾ cup sugar, turn on a small fire, and keep stirring until it's bubbling. (Depending on your sweetness, you can use more or less sugar.)
4. Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water in a container. Then, slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the coconut milk until it thickens. ( The sauce will thicken when it cools.)
5. Peel off the skin and slice 3 small mangoes.
6. When the rice is ready, add the cooked glutinous rice, mango, and sweet coconut sauce to the sticky rice and mango.
Enjoy this easy, simple, and delicious instant-pot mango sticky rice recipe! Also, check out these walnut shrimp, spicy lemon shrimp, hot and sour noodle soup, Chinese sticky rice, tomato fish, and sweet Thai chili sauce recipes.
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Mango Sticky Rice
Equipment
- 1 Pot
- 1 Instant pot or Bamboo steamer
Video
Ingredients
- 3 Mangoes small
Instant Pot Cook Rice:
- 1 cup Glutinous rice
- ⅔ cup Water
Coconut Sauce:
- 1 can Coconut milk (14 fl oz or 400 ml)
- ¾ cup Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Corn starch
- 2 tablespoons Water
Instructions
- Wash and drain 1 cup of glutinous rice very well. Pour a cup of water and put a rack inside the instant pot.
- Put a bowl in the pressure cooker, add 1 cup washed glutinous rice and ⅔ cup water in the container. Level it and make sure all the rice is covered by water. Close the lid and vent, and push the manual button to adjust the time for 30 minutes at high pressure and natural release.
- While the rice is cooking, pour a can of coconut milk into a pot. Add ¾ cup of sugar, turn on a small fire, and keep stirring until it's bubbling. (Depending on your sweetness, you can use more or less sugar.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water in a container. Then, slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the coconut milk until it thickens. ( The sauce will thicken when it cools.)
- Peel off the skin and slice 3 small mangoes.
- When the rice is ready, add the cooked glutinous rice, mango, and sweet coconut sauce to the sticky rice and mango.
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make mango sticky rice:
Rinse the glutinous rice
- Rinse the glutinous rice under cold water 3–4 times until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch and keeps it from becoming too gummy.
Soak the rice (when using a bamboo basket steamer)
- If you want to use a bamboo basket to steam the rice. Remember to soak the rice for 1-2 hours before steaming and steam for around 20-25 minutes until soft.
- If you use an instant pot pressure cooker to cook glutinous rice, you don't need to pre-soak the rice.
- Level the rice and make sure it is covered with water.
- Close the lid and vent, and push the manual button to adjust the time for 30 minutes at high pressure and natural release.
Coconut sauce
- Different brands of coconut milk are slightly different. I like to use the ARoy-D brand because it’s creamier and has a stronger coconut flavor, but sometimes, if I cannot find the brand, I use other brands.
- You can use less or more sugar, depending on your taste.
- The coconut sauce will be thicker when it cools down.
Serve
- Scoop sticky rice onto a plate, add fresh mango slices, and drizzle with the sweet coconut cream.
- Optional: Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds or crispy mung beans on top.
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