Why it’s so good!
Mango gelato – it’s creamy, decadent and has an intense mango flavour. By using the ripest, fresh mangoes, you’ll get amazing flavour turned into a luscious creamy treat.
If you love a refreshing frozen treat, then the tropical, fruity flavour of this mango gelato is for you. This rich, Italian ice cream is wonderfully easy to make too.
If you love mango desserts, then try this mango sorbet too.
Table of contents
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Gelato vs Ice cream
So what is gelato anyway and how does it differ from ice cream? Well, gelato is very similar to ice cream except that it (most often) doesn’t use egg yolks and is churned at a lower speed. It tends to be more dense than ice cream due to less aeration which makes the flavour more intense. Since fat inhibits flavour too, the fact that there are no or less egg yolks in gelato means that flavour is stronger too.
Finally and again adding to the flavour, gelato is often served at a warmer temperature than ice cream. Since colder foods tend to have more subtle flavour (as a very general rule), the fact that gelato is served slightly warmer and softer than ice cream means the flavour is stronger.
So, less fat, denser, less cold = flavour, flavour, flavour.
Ingredients
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
Mangoes: Now, I want you to go and buy the ripest most flavourful mangoes you can get your hands on to really get that tropical flavour going. Steer away from very fibrous mangoes as they’re harder to puree to a nice smooth consistency. You can use frozen mango (let it thaw before using) or even tinned, just make sure it’s got great flavour.
Milk and cream: Use whole milk and full fat cream (thickened cream, heavy cream or whipping cream). This will give you the creamiest texture. I haven’t tested but you could try swapping the dairy for plant based milks and creams like coconut milk and coconut cream for instance.
Sugar: Obviously the sugar sweetens the mango gelato but it also helps to intensify the mango flavour so I don’t recommend trying to cut it back.
Cornflour / cornstarch: Depending on where you live, this can be called different things. Where I live, we know it as cornflour but in the US it’s known as cornstarch. It’s that very fine, flavourless starch powder that is often used for thickening sauces.
Corn syrup or liquid glucose: Both of these will work fine and work to reduce any iciness in the mango gelato. There is water in mangoes, so that can give a very slight icy texture to the gelato so using a little corn syrup helps to keep this at bay.
Lime juice: The lime juice adds a slight acidity and loads of balance to the gelato. You can use lemon juice instead if you like.
How to make mango gelato
Mango gelato is just so simple to make but this is a recipe that uses an ice cream maker. You don’t absolutely need a specific gelato machine, an ice cream machine will work, but all the better if yours does gelato too.
I have loads of amazing no-churn ice cream recipes, if you don’t have a machine though, from this black forest ice cream to the gorgeous passionfruit ice cream and so many more!
You can make the recipe exactly as written here but you can also make the mango flavour stronger and reduce any chance of iciness too if you have a little more time. By simply reducing the puree until it’s thicker, it cooks off excess water from in the mango leaving just the amazing flavour and a thicker puree.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
1. Mix the mango puree and cornflour
Simply whisk the mango and cornflour (cornstarch) together and set aside, while you heat milk, cream and sugar together.
2. Add the mango to hot milk and cream
Once your milk, cream and sugar come to a simmer, carefully add the mango mixture to it and stir it all together.
3. Bring it to a boil
You are essentially working with a type of mango custard at this point. Let it come to a boil, stirring it regularly so that it doesn’t catch on the bottom of a pan. Let it bubble away until very thick and it coats the back of a spoon, so that when you draw a line through with your finger, it doesn’t run.
4. Chill the mango custard
Pour the mango custard into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap making sure it’s press right to the surface so that it doesn’t form a skin. Chill for a minimum of two hours or overnight until very cold.
5. Churn and freeze the mango gelato
Pour the cold mango custard into an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturers instructions. I put it in my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker for 40 minutes.
Lastly, pour the churned mango gelato into a freezer safe container with a tight fitting lid and freeze at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
Storing and serving mango gelato
While I often recommend storing ice cream towards the back of your freezer where it is colder, gelato is actually served less solid than ice cream and at a slightly warmer temperature, so store it closer to the front. Make sure your ice cream container is airtight to prevent the formation of ice crystals.
Gelato is best served softer than ice cream so take it out of the freezer 20 minutes before serving to soften and get extra creamy.
This mango gelato is lovely served as is, as nice big scoops in a bowl or in waffle cones, however, it’s beautiful with a drizzle of fresh passionfruit pulp as well. You can add other dessert sauces as well like this raspberry sauce – so yum!
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Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups mango purée, (2-3 large ripe mangoes)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup thickened cream (heavy cream)
- ⅔ cup white granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons liquid glucose or light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons cornflour (US cornstarch) (8 tsp, notes 1)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (notes 1)
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- medium saucepan
Instructions
- To make the mango puree, cut the flesh away from the skin and seed of the mangoes. Discard the skin and seed but add the flesh to a blender and puree until very smooth. Measure out 2 ½ cups into a medium bowl.
- Pour the milk, cream, sugar and corn syrup/glucose into a heavy based medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Bring it just to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the mango purée cornflour.
- Once the milk mixture is simmering, whisk the mango mixture into it.
- Return to the saucepan and cook over medium heat stirring often until it comes to a boil. Let it cook another minute or so until it coats the back of a spoon thickly.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the lime juice. Cover with plastic wrap then chill for at least 2 hours or overnight before churning.
- Pour the mango mixture into the bowl of your ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturers instructions. I churn in my Cuisinart for 40 minutes.
- Transfer to a freezer safe container with a tight fitting lid and freeze for 4-6 hours or overnight.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- For an even more intense mango flavour, simmer the puree down until very thick. This helps to remove excess water from the mango, hence intensifying the flavour.
- Nutrition details are per cup (not per serve) and are approximate only – scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
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2 Comments on “Mango Gelato”
Delicious and a true Gelato I will certainly be making this again. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Thank you so much, Sandra. I’m so, so happy you love it 🙂