How To Make Mango Pudding

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Mango pudding is a classic Chinese adaptation. Pudding arrived in Asia via British colonialism, you see, where locals married it with exotic local fruits. In Hong Kong, ripe mangos, agar agar and evaporated milk became a pudding favored during hot summer months and after dim sum meals.

I made mango pudding one afternoon after a quick jaunt through Chinatown to buy fruit. Back home, all the prep work was done in about 15 minutes, making it an easy dessert to whip up for holiday reunion meals or dinner parties. Mango pudding for Mid-Autumn Festival, anyone? It is a round harvest fruit.

Mango pudding uses a simple base of gelatin (in place of agar agar), sugar, water and evaporated milk. I got a great tip to use coconut milk in place of the evaporated milk to bring out the flavor of the mango better. You can add a fairly endless variety of fruits to the pudding base — lychees, strawberries, longans and peaches are all fair game.

This recipe produces a smooth, creamy pudding with bright mango and coconut flavors. I’d recommend using fresh champagne mangos to avoid the strings you’ll find in other varieties. Good fruit equals good mango pudding. It’s that simple.

Here’s how to make mango pudding, step-by-step. The detailed tutorial with pictures and directions is at the bottom of the page.

Your turn! What tips can you share from your family’s recipe? Want to ask a question before you start cooking? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!

Mango Pudding Recipe

Makes: 4-6 Servings | Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: 2 Hours

Ingredients

3 large champagne mangos (to make 1 1/2 to 2 cups of puree)
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup coconut milk

Directions

1. Peel the mangos, remove the pits and then puree until smooth.

2. Add the gelatin powder to the hot water and mix well until dissolved and smooth. Add the sugar and the coconut milk and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved in the mixture.

3. Add the mango puree and then mix well again.

4. Pour the pudding mixture into shallow bowls or ramekins. Chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours until set, and then garnish with chopped mango, mint leaves or fresh whipped cream before serving.

Step-By-Step Tutorial

Gather your ingredients. When selecting mangos at the market, look for fruit that’s almost “past-ripe” to ensure the strongest flavor.

Peel the mangos, remove the pits and then puree until smooth.

Add the gelatin powder to the hot water and mix well until dissolved and smooth.

Add the sugar and the coconut milk and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved in the mixture.

Add the mango puree…

…and then mix well again.

Pour the pudding mixture into shallow bowls or ramekins, then chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours until set.

Garnish with chopped mango, mint leaves or fresh whipped cream before serving.