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This Easy Mango Pudding combines the sweet, fruity taste of mango with the rich creaminess of coconut milk, creating a dessert that everyone will love!
Why You’ll 🫶🏻 this Pudding
This pudding blends the sweetness of ripe mangoes with a smooth texture, creating a dessert that feels lavish yet is surprisingly easy to make. The key is using powdered gelatin, fresh mango, and coconut milk with a kiss of zesty lime. These components come together beautifully to produce a decadent treat. You’re not only relishing the rich flavors; you’re also enjoying the vibrant freshness of tropical fruit that stands out. Enjoy! ~Nicole
Key Ingredients for Easy Mango Pudding
Mangoes are renowned for their deliciously sweet and juicy flesh. These fruits come in a variety of vibrant colors, including shades of yellow, red, and green. Choose mangoes that are in season, fully ripe, and yield slightly when gently pressed; they should have a sweet, fragrant aroma. I chose Manila mangoes for this recipe. They are incredibly sweet and have little to no fiber.
Coconut Milk adds a luxurious, creamy texture, enhancing the dessert’s tropical flavor. It serves as a dairy-free substitute for traditional ingredients, like whole milk or heavy cream, yielding a smooth, delightful pudding.
Unflavored Gelatin Powder is a colorless, flavorless powder derived from animal collagen. It’s often used in pudding to achieve a smooth, creamy texture and assist in the setting process. After being bloomed in cold water, it is incorporated into the mixture, ensuring that the pudding retains its shape and consistency when chilled.
Lime Zest, when combined with mango, boosts the fruit’s sweetness and adds a refreshing tropical tang.
Granulated Sugar adds a sweetness that complements the mangoes’ inherent flavors. It enhances the overall taste and texture of the dessert, ensuring a smooth, delightful spoonful.
Tips for Making Easy Mango Pudding
*The most important tip is to use the ripest and sweetest fresh mango you can find. I do not recommend using frozen mango because it will not have the same fresh flavor. Canned mango is processed in a syrup, so I do not recommend that either. Fresh is best!
- Place the water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin on top and let it stand for 5 minutes to soften, or “bloom.”
- Remove the flat pit or stone from the mango and cut it into chunks. There are multiple ways to cut a mango (that needs a post all of its own), but for this recipe, I do not need uniform slices or dice. I am merely trying to remove as much of the flesh as possible from the pit. To do so, I use a flexible Boning knife to cut around the pit.
- Place the diced mango and lime zest in a mini food chopper or processor. I love using my Ninja Mini Food Chopper!
- Purée until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. If the purée appears stringy, press it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any fibers and achieve a silky-smooth texture.
- Place the mango purée, coconut milk, sugar, and “bloomed” gelatin in a small saucepan. (The gelatin mixture will appear lumpy, but it will dissolve.) Warm the mixture over low heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar and gelatin have dissolved. DO NOT BRING THE MIXTURE TO A BOIL. Boiling gelatin can cause it to lose its setting power.
- Once the mixture is smooth, remove it from the heat. I like to transfer the mango mixture to a liquid measuring cup with a pour spout, so I can easily fill the ramekins or dessert dishes.
Substitutions
- You can substitute the coconut milk with half-and-half or evaporated milk for a more concentrated dairy flavor.
- You can substitute the gelatin powder with agar agar for a non-GMO, gluten-free option. To replace gelatin powder with agar agar, use approximately 1 teaspoon of agar powder for each tablespoon of gelatin. Agar sets at room temperature and offers a firmer texture than gelatin, which needs refrigeration to solidify.
Serving Suggestions
- I like to serve the mango pudding with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream and a garnish of a little lime zest, finely diced mango, and a couple of refreshing mint leaves.
- Another popular way to serve the pudding, if you are using coconut milk, is to drizzle a little of the milk right on top.
- A sprinkling of toasted shredded coconut would also be a welcome topping.
- Mango pudding pairs well with green tea and almond cookies.
Yes. When properly covered and refrigerated, the pudding can last up to 3 days. Wait to garnish until right before serving.
Either too much gelatin was used, or the gelatin was overheated.
Most likely the gelatin did not dissolve properly.
Other desserts you may enjoy…
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Easy Mango Pudding
Ingredients
For the Puddings
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon (about 9 grams) powdered gelatin
- 16 ounces (about 3-4 small or 1 large) mangoes, peeled, flesh removed from the pit/stone, and diced
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 cup coconut milk, full-fat or lite
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
For the Garnish (optional)
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream or coconut milk to drizzle
- Lime zest
- Finely diced mango
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Place the water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin on top and let it stand for 5 minutes to soften, or "bloom."
- Add the diced mango and lime zest to a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. If you are using a more fibrous type of mango, you may want to press the purée through a fine-mesh strainer for a smooth pudding.
- Place the mango purée, coconut milk, sugar, and "bloomed" gelatin in a small saucepan. Warm the mixture over low heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar and gelatin have dissolved. DO NOT BRING THE MIXTURE TO A BOIL. (The gelatin mixture will appear lumpy, but it will dissolve.)
- Remove from the heat, then divide it into small ramekins or dessert glasses. Transfer the puddings to the refrigerator until they are set, at least 2 hours.e mixture among
- Served chilled with a spoonful of coconut milk or lightly sweetened whipped cream. Garnish with lime zest mint and finely diced mango. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
