Thai Coconut Sticky Rice Dessert with Banana and Nuts Recipe
This simple dessert made with sticky rice, coconut milk, banana and crunchy nuts is a homemade version of Thai sweets sold at street stalls. It’s creamy, gently sweet and very filling – a bit like a cross between rice pudding and coconut custard. Perfect for a quiet evening or as a sweet end to a meal.
This is a loose variation on Thai sticky rice, usually served with mango at night markets. In this version, banana and nuts replace more exotic toppings, making the dessert easier to recreate outside Thailand.
This dessert combines the classic Thai sticky rice technique with more everyday staples: banana and pantry nuts. The texture is distinctly chewy and creamy, closer to Asian rice puddings than to classic milky rice. The gentle sweetness lets you play with toppings: salt, sesame, or fresh fruit.
Why this version works
- Cooking the rice and coconut milk separately reduces the risk of scorching and of the fat splitting.
- The liquid ratio makes the dessert something between a pudding and sticky rice, and it’s easy to thin down or thicken.
- Adding the banana on the plate preserves its structure and fresh aroma instead of turning it into overcooked mush.
- Toasted nuts and coconut flakes add a strong contrast to the smooth, elastic base.
Chef's tips
If the mixture seems too thin after adding the milk, wait a few minutes off the heat – the rice will keep absorbing liquid and thicken. If the dessert is too dense, add more milk a tablespoon at a time until a spoon dragged across the surface leaves a line that slowly fills in. Be careful with the sugar: taste right before the end, because once it cools slightly, the sweetness becomes more pronounced.
How to serve
Serve in small bowls after a light vegetable or fish-based meal, with a pinch of coarse sea salt on top to boost the coconut flavor. For a street-food feel, add toasted sesame seeds and serve with well-chilled jasmine or green tea. Leftovers make an excellent sweet breakfast with extra fresh fruit.
Watch out for
- Don’t let the coconut milk come to a rolling boil, as it can split and form greasy lumps.
- Towards the end of cooking the rice with the milk, scrape the bottom of the pot every few dozen seconds – the thick mixture burns easily.
- Don’t add the banana to the hot mixture or cook it in the pot, as it will fall apart and turn brown.
Substitutions
- You can replace glutinous rice with sushi rice, cooking it carefully so it’s soft but not mushy.
- Swap peanuts for cashews or almonds if someone avoids peanuts.
- Instead of banana, use ripe mango or pineapple, cutting the fruit just before serving.
- You can swap vanilla extract for a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom for a different aroma.
Ingredients
- sticky rice (sushi rice or Thai sticky rice) - 180 g
- water - 250 ml
- coconut milk kokosowe - 300 ml
- sugar trzcinowy - 3 tablespoons
- salt - 0.25 teaspoons
- ripe bananas - 2 piece
- unsalted peanuts or cashews - 3 tablespoons
- desiccated coconut - 1 tablespoon
- vanilla extract - 0.5 teaspoons
Preparation
- Pour the sticky rice into a bowl and rinse several times in cold water, until the water is almost clear. Drain thoroughly in a sieve and leave for 5–10 minutes so the grains are just damp rather than dripping wet.
- Transfer the rice to a small pot, pour in 250 ml water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 12–15 minutes, until the rice absorbs the water, is soft and distinctly sticky, with no hard center.
- In a second pot, combine the coconut milk, sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Heat over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the milk is hot and steamy, only gently “popping” rather than boiling hard.
- Take the cooked rice off the heat, cover and leave for 5 minutes to finish steaming. The grains should clump together into a soft, elastic mass, but still separate easily with a spoon, without hard lumps.
- Transfer the hot rice to the coconut milk. Gently mix so that every grain is coated in milk. Cook over very low heat for 3–4 minutes, frequently scraping the bottom; the mixture should thicken to the consistency of thick custard and slowly slide off the spoon.
- Remove the pot from the heat and set aside for 5–10 minutes. During this time the rice will thicken further – after stirring it should slowly spread over the bottom of the pot, leaving a creamy trail.
- Toast the nuts in a dry pan for 3–4 minutes over medium heat, until lightly golden and very fragrant. Transfer to a board and roughly chop so they stay noticeably crunchy when sprinkled on top.
- In the same pan, briefly toast the desiccated coconut for 1–2 minutes, until the edges turn golden. Immediately transfer to a plate – if left in the hot pan, it will quickly darken and turn bitter.
- Peel the bananas just before serving and slice into rounds or diagonal pieces. They should be soft and very sweet, but still hold their shape, without a wet, mushy center.
- Spoon portions of the warm coconut sticky rice into bowls. Arrange banana slices on top and sprinkle with the chopped nuts and toasted coconut. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
When I’m left with half a can of coconut milk after making curry, I immediately put on this rice and throw in the banana that’s ripening on the counter – the dessert for an evening movie practically makes itself.
