Creamy Mango Ice Cream Recipe (Dairy-Free)
This Mango Ice Cream Recipe delivers the taste of summer in every scoop. It’s bursting with fresh, vibrant flavors and offers a rich and creamy texture without the need for dairy. A perfect sweet treat for all the mango lovers on a hot summer’s day.
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In This Article
What Makes This Recipe So Good?
Mangoes aren’t just packed with flavor, they’re also brimming with nutrients. Mango season runs from late Spring to early Autumn with its peak in mid-Summer offering the perfect opportunity to indulge in their deliciousness and reap their potential health benefits.
Mangoes are an excellent source of vitamins A and C in addition to containing potassium, a mineral that helps to regulate blood pressure and muscle function. They’re also rich in antioxidants like mangiferin that has been shown to protect cells against oxidative damage, in addition to containing both soluble and insoluble fiber, which aid digestion and promote gut health.
Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Ice Cream
This recipe uses nothing more than a handful of simple, everyday ingredients found at all grocery stores. Commercial ice creams commonly contain artificial flavors and colors but they’re not needed here. Using very ripe mangoes will produce ice cream with a rich mango flavor and a bright yellow color.
- Fresh mangoes – this is the ice cream base flavor that brings intense sweetness, smooth texture and a vibrant tropical flavor.
- Canned coconut cream – creates a very rich and creamy ice cream without the need for dairy. It also contributes a subtle hint of coconut that is a perfect pairing with the mango in addition to providing healthy fats.
- Sweetened condensed coconut milk – adds sweetness and creaminess but also helps to lower the freezing point of the ice cream. This prevents it from freezing rock-solid and allows for a scoopable consistency even after freezing.
- Raw honey – balances the mild tartness of the mangoes and adds notes of toffee and caramel.
- Vanilla extract – enhances the overall flavor profile of the ice cream while adding a touch of subtle sweetness.
- Salt – a small pinch helps to balance the sweetness of the other ingredients and intensify the flavors.
This recipe uses fresh, ripe fruit to achieve that delicious mango taste without the need for artificial flavors. It also ensures we can make the most of seasonal produce.
How To Make This Mango Ice Cream Recipe
This is a very easy recipe and while little hands-on time is needed, it does require some planning. The coconut cream needs to be chilled overnight to ensure it can be whipped and aerated. This is important to ensure you have an ice cream that’s easy to scoop and not rock hard. As such, if this is a recipe you intend to make for guests I suggest starting two days before you need it. One night to chill the coconut cream, and another to chill the ice cream (or at least 8 hours) so it sets.
- Place the can of coconut cream in the fridge overnight. This is also a good time to pre-freeze your ice cream machine bowl if needed. I use a Cuisinart ice cream maker and this is a necessary step. If yours is different to this follow the manufacturer’s instructions for prepping the bowl.
- When you’re ready to make the ice cream, cut the cheeks off each mango and cut the flesh into chunks. Also cut any excess mango from around the seed before discarding it.
- Add the mango chunks to a blender along with the sweetened condensed coconut milk, honey, vanilla and salt. Blend to combine then pour into a large bowl and set aside.
- Take the coconut cream from the fridge and pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer, or just another large bowl if you’re using a hand mixer. Beat the chilled coconut cream until stiff peaks form. This will take a minute or two.
- Take half the whipped coconut cream and gently fold it into the mango puree mixture until well combined (see how to do this in the video). Fold in the remaining whipped cream until the mixture is silky smooth.
The steps you follow after this will depend on whether you have an ice cream maker (churned version) or not (no churn version).
Ice Cream Maker Steps (Churned)
- Transfer the combined mango puree and coconut cream to the freezer for an hour to chill before you churn it.
- Remove the mango mixture from the freezer and pour it into the bowl of your ice cream maker. Churn for 20 minutes or until the ice cream has taken on a thick and creamy texture.
- Once done, tip this into a freezer-safe container with a lid or a clean loaf pan. If using the latter be sure to cover the top with some plastic wrap that sits right on top of the ice cream.
- Freeze for at least 8-10 hours but best overnight then serve. Store in the freezer for up to one month.
After the first 24 hours the ice cream will start to become much firmer and slightly more difficult to scoop. To combat this leave it to sit on the bench for 5-10 minutes allowing it to soften slightly.
No-Churn / No Ice Cream Maker Steps
No ice cream maker? No worries! If you don’t have an ice cream maker simply stirring every 30 minutes or so will prevent the formation of ice crystals. This will mean your ice cream is easy to scoop.
- Pour the mango mix into a freezer-safe container with a lid or a clean loaf pan. If using the latter be sure to cover the top with some plastic wrap that sits right on top of the ice cream.
- After an hour, stir vigorously with a whisk or spatula to break up any large ice crystals that are forming. Repeat this step every 30 minutes for the next 2-3 hours. This will ensure the ice cream won’t freeze to rock solid.
- Freeze for another four hours or overnight then serve. Store in the freezer for up to one month.
Not stirring the ice cream thoroughly or often enough will cause ice crystals to form. This will affect the overall texture making it difficult to scoop and icy to eat, and it can also affect the flavour. If this happens, the best way to rectify it is cutting out the amount of ice cream you’d like and whizzing it up in a blender. This will make the ice cream lovely and creamy again.
Substitutions And Variations
Get creative with toppings! Experiment with fresh fruits, chopped nuts, or even crumbled cookies for everyone to customize their scoops.
Want a tangy twist? Add a squeeze of lime juice before blending.
Reducing The Sugar
The amount of honey used in this recipe can be reduced for a low-sugar version. If doing so though, it’s important to understand the role sugar plays in an ice cream recipe. While sugars are used to sweeten the ice cream, they also reduce the freezing point. The coconut condensed milk helps with this too. This means the ice cream is more scoopable and doesn’t become a solid block in the freezer – as many vegan/homemade ice creams tend to do. That said – if this isn’t something that bothers you, and you would like to reduce the amount of sugar – simply leave the ice cream out of the freezer for 10 minutes before you intend to serve it. Another option is to cut out the amount you’d like and whizz it up in the blender, which will make it nice and creamy again.
Tips And Tricks For Success With This Recipe
Use very ripe mangoes for the sweetest flavor. Not doing so will result in an ice cream that tastes mostly of coconut not a delicious mango ice cream.
Ice cream loses a lot of sweetness as it freezes, which is why the mix may taste overly sweet before it’s frozen. Keep this in mind if you decide to reduce the mound of honey used.
After the first 24 hours the ice cream will start to become much firmer and slightly more difficult to scoop. Just leave it to sit on the bench for 5-10 minutes before serving, which will allow it to soften slightly.
Storing/Freezing/Make Ahead
While storing the ice cream in a loaf pan is fine, ice crystals will form rapidly, which are what cause the hardening of many homemade ice creams. As such I recommend storing it in an airtight container if you have one. It will still harden over time but not quite as much.
This recipe can be made well in advance however, just keep in mind that it will harden more after the first 24 hours it’s been in the freezer. As such it will need 5 – 10 minutes to sit on the bench at room temperature before serving.
FAQ
Condensed milk adds sweetness and creaminess to an ice cream recipe but also helps to lower the freezing point. This prevents the ice cream from freezing rock-solid and allows for a scoopable consistency.
More Dairy-Free Dessert Ideas
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok!
Creamy Mango Ice Cream Recipe (Dairy-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large very ripe mangoes (3 cups/600g/1.3lb)
- 1 can coconut cream, (chilled overnight)
- ¾ cup sweetened condensed coconut milk
- ¼ cup raw honey
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Place the can of coconut cream in the fridge overnight. This is also a good time to pre-freeze your ice cream machine bowl if needed. I use a Cuisinart ice cream maker, and this is a necessary step. If yours is different follow the manufacturer’s instructions for preparing the bowl to churn.
- When you’re ready to make the ice cream, cut the cheeks off each mango and cut the flesh into chunks. Also cut any excess mango from around the seed before discarding it.
- Add the mango chunks to a blender along with the sweetened condensed coconut milk, honey, vanilla and salt. Blend to combine then pour into a large bowl and set aside.
- Take the coconut cream from the fridge and scoop the hardened cream into the bowl of a stand mixer, or another large bowl if you’re using a hand mixer. Discard the liquid in the bottom of the can or keep for smoothies.
- Beat the chilled coconut cream until stiff peaks form. This will take a minute or two.
- Take half the whipped coconut cream and gently fold it into the mango mixture until well combined (see how to do this in the video). Fold in the remaining whipped cream until the mixture is silky smooth.
Ice Cream Maker Steps (Churned)
- Freeze the mango mixture for an hour so it's well chilled before being churned.
- Take the ice cream maker bowl from the freezer and add it to the machine.
- Start the machine churning then add the chilled mango mixture into the bowl. Churn for 20 minutes or until the ice cream has taken on a thick and creamy texture.
- Once done, tip this into a freezer-safe container with a lid or a clean loaf pan. If using the latter be sure to cover the top with some plastic wrap that sits right on top of the ice cream.
- Freeze for at least 8-10 hours but best overnight then serve. Store in the freezer for up to one month.
No Churn / No Ice Cream Maker Steps
- Pour the mango mix into a freezer-safe container with a lid or a clean loaf pan. If using the latter be sure to cover the top with some plastic wrap that sits right on top of the ice cream.
- After an hour, stir vigorously with a whisk or spatula to break up any large ice crystals that are forming. Repeat this step every 30 minutes for the next 2-3 hours. This will ensure the ice cream won’t freeze to rock solid.
- Freeze for another 4-5 hours or overnight then serve. Store in the freezer for up to one month.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY