Mango Ice Cream Recipe

An easy mango ice cream recipe made with fresh or frozen mango, lemon juice, sugar, and cream. The best mango ice cream recipe!

Why Make This Mango Ice Cream Recipe?

Mango ice cream? Why am I making mango ice cream?

As most of my friends and family can attest, I’m not a huge fan of mango. (Some residual frustration left over from the mango Charlotte exam dish I learned at pastry school, perhaps?) While I don’t absolutely hate this brightly-colored tropical fruit, it probably won’t ever be my first choice for snacking or smoothies or sprucing up my plain Greek yogurt.

I do sometimes enjoy mango in savory dishes, and in fact, the leftovers from a Thai-inspired rice bowl actually sparked the idea for this mango ice cream recipe. I didn’t want to waste the extra fruit, and since I already had milk, cream, and sugar on hand, I thought I’d give homemade mango ice cream a try.

As it turns out, mango ice cream might be the exception to my aversion to mango desserts! It’s smooth, creamy, and not overly sweet, with a hint of tropical flavor that makes it especially well-suited to a warm summer evening.

My homemade mango ice cream recipe features just a handful of simple ingredients: fresh or frozen mango, granulated sugar, whipping cream (heavy cream), whole milk, and lemon juice, plus hints of vanilla and sea salt. It’s an easy ice cream recipe to throw together, and a great way to use up those chunks of left over mango lingering in the fridge or freezer.

Mango Ice Cream Recipe Ingredients

To make homemade mango ice cream, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Mango – You can use fresh or frozen mango. If fresh, peel the fruit, remove the hard pit, and cut the flesh into 1-inch chunks. If frozen, thaw prior to blending.
• Lemon Juice – For a hint of citrus. Use real, freshly squeezed lemon juice, not bottled or reconstituted juice.
• Whole Milk – For maximum creaminess, opt for whole milk for this recipe, rather than skimmed.

• Whipping Cream – Or heavy cream, in the US.  Look for a milk fat percentage around 35-36%.
• Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar adds sweetness, and prevents the homemade ice cream from freezing solid.
• Alcohol – Homemade ice cream does not contain the emulsifiers and stablizers that prevent store-bought frozen desserts from solidifying, so a teaspoon of alcohol helps to inhibit freezing instead. I like citrus vodka for this recipe, but plain vodka (or rum) will also work.
• Sea Salt – A small amount of fine sea salt balances out the sweetness of the fruit.
• Vanilla Bean Paste – Nielsen-Massey makes my favorite vanilla bean paste. You can use extract, but paste (or the scrapings from one vanilla pod) add a deeper vanilla flavor, plus pretty speckles of vanilla bean.

Notes on Alcohol

Store-bought ice creams contain stabilizers and emulsifiers to inhibit freezing. Adding a tiny amount (1 teaspoon) of alcohol to this homemade ice cream recipe serves a similar purpose, lowering the freezing point for an easier-to-scoop consistency.

I generally recommend plain vodka for homemade ice cream, because it has little to no flavor. However, for mango ice cream you can also opt for something like citrus vodka for an additional hint of fruity flavor.

You can omit the alcohol from this recipe, but you might also notice a less smooth consistency, with more ice crystals. You will also need to allow more time for the ice cream to soften on the countertop before serving.

Tools and Equipment for Making Homemade Mango Ice Cream

• Blender or Food Processor – For blitzing the fresh or frozen mango into to a smooth, creamy purée.
• Ice Cream Maker – For an entry-level machine that gets the job done, I recommend this Cuisinart 1.5 quart ice cream maker. Thoroughly freeze the bowl (I recommend at least 48 hours) before use, or store it in the freezer at all times.
• Ice Cream Scoop – For scooping and serving the finished product! I prefer a sturdy metal scoop, like this one.
• Hand Whisk – You’ll need a whisk to combine the milk, cream, and fruit purée to make the ice cream base.
• Flexible Rubber Spatula – Use a rubber spatula to scrape the churned base from the ice cream maker into your storage container. Opt for soft silicone utensils rather than metal, which can scratch the bowl’s delicate interior.
• Storage Containers – You can store homemade ice cream in lidded plastic food storage containers, cardboard pint containers, or reusable silicone ice cream containers.

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

Store homemade mango ice cream in the freezer for up to one month. Prior to serving, allow ice cream to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, or until just soft enough to scoop.

Pint or quart-size plastic food storage containers work great for storing homemade ice cream. If making ice cream to gift or share, I recommend scooping it into disposable cardboard pint containers, like these.

Or, if you’re planning to make lots of homemade ice cream, consider purchasing reusable ice cream containers instead.

Other homemade ice cream recipes you might enjoy:

S’mores Ice Cream Recipe
Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe
Oreo Ice Cream Recipe

And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!

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