12 Creamy Coconut Rice Recipes

If you’ve never tried coconut rice, you’re in for a treat. Made with coconut milk, coconut rice is fluffy, creamy, subtly sweet, and a great way to add a tropical twist to any meal!

1. Jerk Mushrooms with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice

Source: Jerk Mushrooms with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice

The mango salsa brings a variety of fresh flavors to your pallet to compliment the spicier mushrooms and creamy coconut rice. Although this Jerk Mushrooms with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice recipe by Dominique Ebra has a fairly long list of ingredients, making this dish at home is super easy!

2. Crispy Peanut Tofu and Oyster Mushrooms With Coconut Rice

Source: Crispy Peanut Tofu and Oyster Mushrooms With Coconut Rice

Combine the crispy tofu and Oyster mushrooms, then lay them on a bed of coconut rice and you have a tasty meal. This dish is cozy enough to curl up with on a chilly fall day fall but brightly flavored enough to feel invigorated. The Crispy Peanut Tofu and Oyster Mushrooms With Coconut Rice recipe by Dana Sandonato is comfort food that won’t weigh you down.

3. Coconut Rice Cakes With Mango Sauce

Source: Coconut Rice Cakes With Mango Sauce

The rice keeps the cake together wonderfully. The mixed coconut flakes loosen up the dough a bit and the orange and mango give the Coconut Rice Cakes by Melanie Kröpfl a fruity, sweet and sour note.

4. Karioka: Filipino Sweet Coconut Rice Balls

Source: Karioka: Filipino Sweet Coconut Rice Balls

Karioka or carioca is a Filipino street food made from glutinous rice flour and coconut meat which is deep fried, then dipped in coconut milk and sugar syrup. Sounds delicious? This Karioka: Filipino Sweet Coconut Rice Balls recipe by Raymund Macaalay is also easy to make and uses minimal ingredients. It’s soft on the inside and crispy on the outside with a hint of coconut and warm thick sweet syrup.

5. Bell Pepper Stuffed with Pelau

Source: Bell Pepper Stuffed with Pelau

Peppers are the ideal container for this slightly spicy Caribbean coconut rice because the sweetness pairs beautifully. The splash of citrus, chopped cashews, and glorious green cilantro elevate this Bell Pepper Stuffed with Pelau dish by Michelle Anderson beyond a simple family meal to a restaurant-quality experience.

6. Coconut Arancini With Tomato Curry

Source: Coconut Arancini With Tomato Curry

Sticky coconut rice balls are rolled in a bread crumb mixture to form these deliciously crispy arancini. A combination of bread crumbs, chia seeds, flaxseed powder, and nutritional yeast makes the exterior of these savory treats not only delectably cheesy, but good for you! Paired with a tangy tomato curry, this Coconut Arancini With Tomato Curry dish by Lena Pfetzer is a gift for your taste buds.

7. Cacao-Coconut Plantain Rice Balls

Source: Cacao-Coconut Plantain Rice Balls

Plantain rice is savory and sweet all at the same time. By toasting the plantain slightly, you get rid of that pre-ripe bitterness. Plus, the texture of toasted plantain rice is a bit hearty and sticky, thanks to the starchiness of this fruit. When the plantains, cacao, medjool dates, and coconut flakes are mixed together, the result is the absolute perfect sweet Cacao-Coconut Plantain Rice Balls by Alissandra Maffucci.

8. Forbidden Black Rice With Ginger and Coconut

Source: Forbidden Black Rice With Ginger and Coconut

This Forbidden Black Rice With Ginger and Coconut by Rinku Bhattacharya is a very simple dish. I sneaked in something simple but surprisingly flavorful into this black rice — I added a touch of ginger, hint of coconut, and finished it off with lime. The grain cooks up slightly sticky and changes to a very deep and pretty shade of purple, so the rice is also called forbidden rice or purple rice.

9. Crispy Saffron Rice With Coconut Dressing 

Source: Crispy Saffron Rice With Coconut Dressing

This Crispy Saffron Rice With Coconut Dressing by Simona Malerba is more delicious than it sounds. Dishes that come with their own homemade dressing always give the cook a more authentic feel, and the taste of this dish makes this meal an all round favorite.

10. Coconut Oil Crispy Rice

Source: Coconut Oil Crispy Rice

The crispy layer is the ultimate treat in this Coconut Oil Crispy Rice recipe by Katzie Guy-Hamilton. Known as tah dig, it forms during the steaming of the basmati rice on the bottom of the pot. A good tah dig is judged by its even, golden-brown crust as well as its easy release from the bottom of the pot. You essentially scoop out the steamed rice and then turn the pot upside down in hopes that the tah dig pops out fully intact onto a plate. Saffron threads, the most luxurious spice on earth, add a touch of color and earthiness to the finished rice.

11. Instant Pot Idlis (Steamed Rice Lentil Cakes) with Coconut Chutney

Source: Instant Pot Idlis (Steamed Rice Lentil Cakes) with Coconut Chutney

This Instant Pot Idlis (Steamed Rice Lentil Cakes) with Coconut Chutney recipe by Manali Singh is a traditional south Indian breakfast. The idlis, which are a steamed rice lentil cake are traditionally made by fermenting rice and lentils. Once you have the batter made, these idlis can be on the table in 15 minutes!

12. Sweet Coconut Cauliflower Rice

Source: Sweet Coconut Cauliflower Rice

This Sweet Coconut Cauliflower Rice by Rachel Hanawalt has a natural sweet flavor from coconut oil, turmeric, and paprika without added sugar. It’s a great recipe for anybody grain-free who wants a side that they can serve with practically anything. This pairs perfectly with Middle Eastern dishes, hot and spicy curries, or any fragrant dish.

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness of important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing that is designed to be returned and remade repeatedly.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!