Thai Rice Pudding with Coconut Milk and Lime Recipe
A delicate pudding made from white rice cooked in coconut milk with a hint of lime is a simple homemade dessert inspired by Thai flavors. In Thailand, sweet rice desserts are very popular – they’re often sold in small cups as a daytime snack. It’s something between our classic rice pudding and an exotic coconut dessert.
The dessert is inspired by Thai coconut sticky rice with mango, but uses European risotto rice, which makes it easier to prepare at home. It’s a hybrid of classic rice pudding and a tropical Thai-style dessert.
This Thai rice pudding with coconut milk and lime is a delicate dessert that combines the familiar taste of rice cooked in milk with exotic coconut creaminess. The addition of lime and a pinch of salt enhances the sweetness and gives it a slightly refreshing character, so it doesn’t feel heavy even though it’s quite filling. It’s a dessert in the style of Thai street snack stalls – simple by design but refined in flavor.
Why this version works
- A mix of coconut milk and regular milk gives a clear coconut flavour without a heavy, greasy coating on the tongue.
- Adding lime juice and zest after taking the pot off the heat preserves a fresh citrus aroma without any bitter aftertaste.
- Risotto rice breaks down easily, creating a naturally thick, velvety pudding with no need for thickeners.
- Cooking uncovered lets excess liquid evaporate and gives a stable, creamy texture.
Chef's tips
Cook the rice over very low heat, stirring often, especially towards the end – it easily sticks to the bottom, and a burnt coconut aroma will dominate the whole dessert. If you’re using thick canned coconut milk, dilute it with a little water or cow’s/plant milk so the pudding doesn’t turn out too heavy and fatty. Grate the lime zest only towards the end of cooking or add it on top just before serving – long cooking dulls its fresh citrus aroma.
How to serve
Serve the pudding slightly warm on cooler days or chilled from the fridge in summer, sprinkled with desiccated coconut, mango slices or pomegranate seeds. It tastes great with a cup of green tea or Thai iced tea with milk if you want to stay in the Thai cuisine mood. It’s a dessert that works perfectly for a lazy Sunday afternoon or as a sweet breakfast when working from home.
Watch out for
- Don’t leave the pudding without stirring – coconut milk catches quickly and a burnt bottom will ruin the whole pot.
- Avoid a vigorous boil: if the mixture starts “exploding” in big bubbles, immediately lower the heat or it will easily boil over.
- Don’t add the lime juice at the beginning of cooking, as the coconut milk can develop a bitter, overcooked flavour.
Substitutions
- You can replace risotto rice with jasmine rice and extend the cooking time until the grains are very soft.
- You can swap white sugar for brown sugar or maple syrup, which will add a light caramel note.
- Cow’s milk can be replaced with plant milk, such as almond or oat, for a vegan version.
Ingredients
- rice you can also use regular rice - 150 g
- coconut milk - 400 ml
- cow’s milk or plant-based milk e.g. oat or rice milk - 250 ml
- sugar adjust to taste - 3 tablespoons
- pinch of salt - 1 pinch
- grated lime zest only the green part - 1 teaspoon
- lime juice - 1.5 tablespoons
- desiccated coconut for sprinkling - 2 tablespoons
- fresh fruit (e.g. mango, strawberries, raspberries) for serving, optional - 150 g
Preparation
- Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water, rubbing the grains with your hand until the water is almost clear. The grains should run loosely between your fingers without a milky residue.
- Pour the coconut milk and regular milk into a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the rice, sugar and a pinch of salt and mix thoroughly, scraping the bottom so no grains stick from the very beginning.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring every so often, until small bubbles appear around the edges and the surface starts to tremble slightly. Do not let it come to a vigorous, “exploding” boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for 25–30 minutes uncovered, frequently stirring along the bottom with a spoon. The pudding is ready when the rice is very soft, easily breaks apart under the spoon, and the mixture resembles a thick, slowly flowing porridge.
- If during cooking the spoon stands upright in the pudding, add 1–2 tablespoons of milk or water at a time, stirring well after each addition. The consistency should be creamy but not as thin as soup.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Add the grated lime zest and lime juice and stir. Taste – it should be coconutty, citrusy and pleasantly sweet; if needed, add a little more sugar or lime juice.
- Transfer the pudding to small bowls or glasses. At this stage it should slowly fall off the spoon but not be watery – it will thicken noticeably as it cools and a thin skin will form on top.
- Serve immediately while warm, or let it cool to room temperature and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour, until the pudding sets more but stays soft and creamy inside.
- Just before serving, sprinkle the top with desiccated coconut and decorate with fresh fruit. Gently press some of the fruit into the pudding so they’re half submerged, which will stop them sliding off the smooth surface.
Storage
Store the pudding in the fridge in closed jars or containers for up to 3 days. Before serving, loosen it with a little milk if it has thickened too much; you can reheat it gently or eat it cold.
I often cook this pudding in the evening, in a larger batch, and put portions into small jars – in the morning I just take one out of the fridge and have breakfast ready before my first emails. I also sometimes take it in a thermos for winter ice-skating trips, because it warms you up nicely without being as heavy as hot chocolate with whipped cream.
