I love making whole grains for my kids, but man, they are messy! Learning how to make Coconut Rice can be a game changer since it’s much less prone to winding all over the floor. And it’s simply delicious!
Coconut Rice
This coconut rice can be a simple side dish or even a breakfast component and it’s made with just a few ingredients including rice, coconut milk (the kind that comes in a can), ginger, and optional sweetener. It’s super sticky, which makes it easier for kids to eat since it clumps together nicely—so it’s a great finger food if your kids aren’t quite up to utensils yet!—and it’s really versatile.
Coconut Rice with Coconut Milk
I love the consistency and flavor that canned coconut milk lends to coconut rice, so it’s my go-to liquid to use in this recipe. It sort of reminds me of rice pudding, but it’s way less sweet—and just as satisfying!
Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice
The inclusion of ginger, which honestly is optional since I’ve made it without and it’s just fine, lends another depth of flavor. And it provides a really mellow way to introduce kids to another flavor. I am a big fan of coconut, as is my youngest, so this rice is one of our favorites.
Ingredients in Coconut Rice
To make this recipe you’ll need:
- jasmine rice
- coconut oil
- fresh ginger (optional)
- canned light coconut milk
- shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)
- maple syrup, cinnamon, and/or turmeric (optional)
TIP: I like to store fresh ginger in a freezer bag in the freezer and grate it (still frozen) on a microplane. It’s so easy to grate this way and it never goes bad!
How to Make Coconut Rice Step-by-Step
Here’s a look at the process involved in making this coconut rice. Scroll down to see the full recipe at the bottom of the post.
- Gather your ingredients. (photo 1)
- Place the rice into a medium bowl and fill with water. Swirl and pour off the cloudy liquid. Repeat a few more times until the water is mostly clear. (photo 2)
- Add the coconut oil to a medium pot placed over medium heat. Grate the ginger, if using, with a fine microplane into the warm oil. Stir and cook for about a minute. Stir in the rice to coat. (photo 3)
- Add water and bring to a simmer. Cook until the water is almost all absorbed. (photo 4)
- Stir in the coconut milk. Cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft. (photo 5)
- Remove from heat and cover. Let sit and stir in the shredded coconut, if using. (I recommend you use it!) Serve warm. (photo 6)
TIP: Rinsing the rice this way ensures that the grains don’t stick together immediately when you start to heat the pot.
What kind of rice works best in this recipe?
I use jasmine rice here, but you can also use basmati. They both have a nice flavor that works well with the coconut. I’ve made it with short grain brown rice, but since that sort of rice grain is denser, it requires additional time to cook it to soft. You can totally do it, it will just take a little longer!
What to Serve with Coconut Rice
You can think of this rice as Caribbean style rice and serve it with black beans and pineapple or mango. Or stir in frozen peas to thaw. Or add a few additional spices and raisins to turn it into a sweeter rice pudding. It’s also great with any sort of basic chicken, fish, shrimp, or tofu! Or, of course, plain.
Tips for the Best Coconut Rice
- Rinse the rice to remove extra starch and help prevent it from sticking to the pan.
- Make sure that the temperature of the stove doesn’t get too high to avoid the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Stir occasionally since the coconut milk has a tendency to sort of float to the top of the pot.
- Season to taste to make sure you like the levels of sweetness.
- Cook the rice all the way through to ensure it’s soft. You can always add a little water if needed to cook it to softness.
- Choose optional flavorings as desired.
- Let the kids eat with a spoon or their hands.
Let me know if you make the recipe—I’d love to hear what your family thought of it!
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Make this without the optional flavors for a simple, yet yummy side dish that’s easy for your little ones to eat since the grains hold together well. Add just ginger, or add ginger and the optional spices at the end for more flavor. We like adding raisins to the mix when we add the extra spices!
Ingredients
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1-inch fresh ginger (optional)
- 1 14.5-ounce can light coconut milk
- 1/4–1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and/or 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
Instructions
- Place the rice into a medium bowl and fill with water. Swirl and pour off the cloudy liquid. Repeat a few more times until the water is mostly clear.
- Add the coconut oil to a medium pot placed over medium heat. Grate the ginger, if using, with a fine microplane into the warm oil. Stir and cook for about a minute. Stir in the rice to coat.
- Add 4 cups water and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the water is almost all absorbed, stirring once or twice. Stir in the coconut milk and bring back to a simmer. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft, stirring a few times.
- Remove from heat and cover. Let sit for at least 5 minutes. Stir in the shredded coconut, maple syrup, cinnamon, and/or turmeric if using. Serve warm.
Notes
You can store this in the fridge, once cooled, for 3-5 days. Reheat to serve.
Rinse the rice to remove extra starch and help prevent it from sticking to the pan.
Make sure that the temperature of the stove doesn’t get too high to avoid the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Stir occasionally since the coconut milk has a tendency to sort of float to the top of the pot.
Season to taste to make sure you like the levels of sweetness.
Cook the rice all the way through to ensure it’s soft. You can always add a little water if needed to cook it to softness.
Choose optional flavorings as desired.
When do we add the maple syrup? Can’t wait to try it!
Right at the end of the process!
Hi Amy,
Would it still taste the same if I used lite unsweetened canned coconut milk? I couldn’t find regular lite coconut milk at the grocery store. Thank you!
★★★★★
Yes, that should be fine!
You mention in step 3 to add the water and bring to simmer. Do you boil first and bring to a simmer? Also you state that when you add coconut milk you bring back to a simmer. Do I bring to a boil first and bring back to simmer? Not sure I quite understand the statement to bring back to simmer if it should be simmering. Lastly the ingredients list tumeric and cinnamon as optional but instructions don’t say when to add those. Thanks!
You can either bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, or heat over a more medium heat straight to a simmer. When you add the coconut milk, you’ll need to bring it back up to a simmer since it will cool down with the additional liquid and will stop simmering. You can stir in the optional flavorings at the end.
How can you do this in a rice cooker?
If you skip Step 2 and prepare the rice as you normally would in the rice cooker, then I think you could stir in the coconut milk and shredded coconut at the end and let it sit, lid on, for 5-10 minutes. I haven’t tried it though so I can’t say for sure—it may need a little more time to cook at the end but I think it would be close!