pounded sticky rice filled with ice cream
Pounded sticky rice filled with ice cream refers to a delightful Vietnamese- Thai fusion dessert known as Kem Xôi (or sticky rice ice cream), where soft, chewy glutinous rice—often infused with pandan or coconut—cradles scoops of creamy ice cream, topped with toasted coconut flakes for crunch.
This treat transforms humble ingredients into a textural symphony: the sticky rice's subtle sweetness pairs perfectly with melting vanilla or coconut ice cream, evoking street food stalls in Hanoi or Bangkok markets.
Origin and Cultural Buzz
Kem Xôi traces roots to Vietnam's vibrant dessert scene, blending Thai mango sticky rice influences with local twists like pandan for aromatic green hues.
Recent 2025 recipe updates, like Thai "Rice-Cream" innovations, show it's trending among home bakers experimenting with no-churn versions amid viral summer dessert forums.
Forum chatter on platforms like Facebook cooking groups highlights swaps like mango puree fillings, sparking debates on authenticity vs. fusion fun.
"So…could you call this rice cream? 😄" – Enthusiastic commenter on a pandan sticky rice ice cream post, capturing the playful hype.
How It's Made: Step-by-Step
Traditional prep involves soaking glutinous rice in pandan juice (optional for fragrance), steaming with coconut milk, then mounding it around ice cream.
- Soak rice : Rinse ½ cup glutinous rice; soak 4-6 hours in pandan-water blend (blend 6-7 leaves with 1¼ cups water, strain).
- Steam rice : Add salt, steam 15-18 mins until soft; stir in 2 tbsp coconut milk for 5 more mins. Cool.
- Toast toppings : Medium-heat pan, ⅓ cup coconut flakes until golden (5 mins); optional roasted peanuts.
- Assemble : Scoop ice cream (coconut/vanilla, ~200g) into pounded sticky rice mound; sprinkle toppings. Serve chilled.
Pro tip: "Pound" the warm rice lightly for a denser, mochi-like fillable texture before icing.
Variations Across Views
Style| Key Twist| Why It Works
---|---|---
Classic Kem Xôi 3| Pandan rice + coconut ice cream + flakes| Green hue,
floral notes balance creaminess.
Thai Rice-Cream 2| Blended rice-custard churned like ice cream| Ultra-
fragrant, scoopable hybrid.
Mango Fusion 56| Diced mango swirls, no-churn base| Tropical pop for U.S.
kitchens (2025 trend).
Mochi-Inspired 7| Microwaved glutinous flour wrap| Bite-sized, less
steaming hassle.
Home cooks speculate pandan-free versions suit beginners, while purists insist on full-fat coconut milk for authenticity.
Trending Context (Feb 2026)
As winter fades, forums buzz with "pounded sticky rice filled with ice cream" hacks—Instant Pot steaming queries spike post-2025 updates.
Light-hearted gossip: Bakers joke it's "rice cream," fueling TikTok recreations amid viral Asian dessert revivals.
Quick Scoop : Prep ~30 mins (+ soak); serves 2-4. Store rice 4 days refrigerated; freezes well.
TL;DR : Kem Xôi is chewy pandan sticky rice hugging ice cream, topped crunchy—easy, addictive, and forum-famous.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.