Mango Gelato
This Mango Gelato is creamy, easy to make, and has a delicious tropical mango flavor!
You’ll love that this simple no-churn gelato uses just 4 ingredients and is so incredibly creamy and scoop-able. Just one bite and you will journey from Italy to a tropical island!
This Mango Gelato is super quick to prepare and doesn’t require an ice cream maker. You’ll never buy mango ice cream from the store again once you’ve tried this deliciously creamy and perfectly sweet homemade gelato.
The secret to this Mango Gelato is in the fresh mango puree! Fresh mangoes bring so much natural sweetness and flavor to this gelato. Just like my Italian Panna Cotta, fragrant Strawberry Coulis, or Blueberry Compote, this Mango gelato is the perfect sweet treat for a warm summer’s day!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Four ingredients – unlike store-bought ice creams, this frozen treat doesn’t have a long list of ingredients or preservatives. Just four basic ingredients!
- Tropical flavors – the fresh mango puree in this homemade ice cream recipe adds the perfect sweetness and is sure to transport you to a tropical island on a warm day.
- No-churn – this Italian Mango gelato recipe is so easy to prepare and doesn’t require any fancy gelato machines or makers. All you need is one large mixing bowl and a whisk.
- Creamy – you won’t believe how wonderfully creamy the texture of this no-churn gelato is! It’s so incredibly luscious and I know after just one taste, you’ll be left wanting more.
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
- Mango puree – remove the skin of fresh ripe mangoes and blend the mango pulp until smooth to form the puree. Use a fresh mango that has lots of flavor. Depending on where you live try Kensington Pride or Alphonso mangoes because they have a stronger taste. You could use canned mango puree instead. Or thaw and puree frozen mango pieces.
- Sweetened condensed milk – sweetens this delicious Mango gelato. I personally find there’s no need for additional sugar. If you can’t find condensed milk in your area, it can be made by boiling together whole milk and sugar until reduced and thickened. There are many recipes online.
- Heavy cream – be sure to use cream with at least a 30% fat content for creamy gelato.
- Vodka – this might be a surprising ingredient, but a little dash of vodka (or another liquor) helps to maintain the creamy and scoopable texture of this mango gelato.
Instructions
Cut each mango into two “cheeks” on either side of the seed. Make crisscross cuts in the flesh and scoop out with a spoon.
Place the mango flesh in a food processor to create a puree.
Using a large whisk, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Then whisk in the condensed milk.
Add the mango puree and vodka.
Whisk just until the mixture achieves a thick, but soft and ribbony consistency.
Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan and freeze for 6 hours or overnight before serving.
Marcellina’s Hint: Have all the ingredients and kitchen equipment very cold so that the gelato doesn’t melt.
Substitutions
- Vodka – you could use another liquor like gin, whisky, or tequila in this homemade gelato.
- Mango puree – if you can’t find fresh mangoes, you could substitute frozen mango pieces, that have been thawed and blended.
Variations
- Tangy – add a squeeze of lime and lemon juice to this Mango gelato for a tang that compliments the mango flavor perfectly.
- Spicy – a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or Mexican tajin is a delicious variation to this recipe.
- Coconut cream – while I haven’t tried it myself, you could use coconut cream in place of heavy cream. It doesn’t have quite the same body as heavy cream, however, the flavor would be amazing.
Equipment
You’ll love that you can make this Mango gelato without an ice cream maker or machine! Just a large mixing bowl, loaf pan, and a whisk.
Storage
This Mango gelato can be stored in the loaf pan, wrapped with tightly cling wrap, or in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Remove from the freezer a few minutes before serving. The time is dependent on how warm the climate is. In hot weather, it won’t take long to soften but in colder weather, you may have to remove the gelato from the freezer earlier.
Top tip
- Don’t forget to have all the ingredients well chilled including the condensed milk and the vodka.
- Whenever you make gelato, ice cream, or frozen desserts, it is important to freeze the bowls, utensils, and particularly the pan you will be freezing your gelato in. This tip really helps to keep the ice crystals to a minimum.
- Take care not to overwhip the cream or you’ll make butter. This isn’t a recipe that you can walk away from. Stay close by, keeping a close eye on the cream, and stop the mixer to check if you’re unsure. You’ll know that the cream is a soft peaks stage when you lift the whisk and the cream holds a peak before falling back on itself.
- After adding the final ingredients, whisk only until thick and ribbony. This means that the gelato mixture will fall from the whisk in thick ribbons.
FAQ
Gelato and ice cream are very similar and you might think they are the same. In fact, gelato is the Italian word for ice cream. But there are differences. Both are prepared with the same ingredients cream, milk, sugars, and flavorings like nut and fruit purees. However, ice cream often has egg yolks added but gelato rarely does making ice cream higher in fat than gelato.
The biggest difference between gelato and ice cream is how each is churned and serving temperature. Gelato is churned slower and has less air incorporated which means it’s more dense than ice cream. Then when serving, gelato is served at a higher temperature the ice cream allows the flavors to be more intense.
This homemade Mango gelato contains only four ingredients and is completely preservative and additive-free. I love knowing exactly what’s in my gelato! While I wouldn’t consider gelato a healthy food, I do believe in enjoying all foods in moderation.
My recipe for mango gelato does have dairy in the form of condensed milk and cream. However, you could try making it with condensed coconut milk instead of regular condensed milk and coconut cream instead of heavy cream. While I’ve never tried this, it should work.
Serving Suggestions
I can’t think of a better way to end a simple meal of pasta with garlic butter sauce than with this refreshing Mango gelato recipe! Serve it between two cookies or in a waffle cone just like my homemade krumkake cones. I also love serving my Mango Gelato with fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Or with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts and toasted coconut.
But don’t forget some of my other favorite dessert recipes like Mascarpone Cream, Italian Tiramisu, Christmas gelato Pudding or Nutella Panna Cotta!
Made this recipe?
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Mango Gelato Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups mango puree (you'll need 2 large or 3 medium mangoes) see instructions on how to make
- 14 ounces condensed milk (1 can or 395 grams)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons vodka
Instructions
- Place condensed milk and vodka in refrigerator the night before making gelato.
- Place a large mixing bowl and a loaf pan in the freezer for 15 minutes before making gelato.
- Cut the flesh off each mango on either side of the seed.
- Make crisscross cuts in the flesh without cutting through the skin then use a spoon to scoop out the mango flesh.
- Whiz the mango flesh in a food processor until smooth.
- Measure out 2 cups of puree for this recipe and refrigerate until very cold.
- When everything is very well chilled, begin to make the gelato. Pour the heavy cream to the cold mixing bowl. Using a large whisk, whip the cream until soft peaks form.
- Add condensed milk and whisk until combined.
- Add the mango puree and vodka. Mix gently to combine, then whisk until the mixture achieves a thick, but soft and ribbony consistency.
- Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan (or a lidded container) and freeze for 6 hours or overnight.
- Remove the mango gelato from the freezer a few minutes before serving to soften. Serve in a bowl OR place a scoop between two cookie like pizzelle for a special treat!
Notes
- Prepare the mango puree in advance so that it can be chilled.
- Don’t forget to have all the other ingredients and utensil well chilled too.
- Take care when whipping the cream. If over whipped cream will turn into butter.
- Whenever you make ice cream or frozen desserts freeze the bowls, utensils and particularly the pan you will be freezing your ice cream in. This tip really helps to keep the ice crystals to a minimum.
- Be sure to take it out for a few minutes to soften before serving.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
This updated recipe was first published on 18 January 2017
Tastes like I’m back in Arco Felice!!! ❤️❤️❤️
What lovely memories! I’m so happy you were able to recreate them!
Marcella what can I use instead of vodka? The recipe sounds great
Miranda, the vodka lowers the freezing point of the gelato and assisting to prevent large ice crystals. If you would like to use another alcohol try gin, kirsh or whiskey though these will change the taste slightly. If you’d prefer not to use alcohol, omit the vodka. The gelato will not be as creamy. If you have an ice cream maker, churn your vodka-less gelato in it for a creamier texture. I hope that helps.
I am very much looking forward to trying this recipe for a large wedding party. However, is there any way to leave out or substitute the vodka. I know it’s not a lot, but some people (and children) may not appreciate that 1 ingredient. I do plan to make this vegan and use your suggestion for coconut cream, since I know for sure some members of the wedding party are vegan. My heritage is Indian, so I already have the Mango pulp ready to go in my freezer. Please advise…. I’m really looking forward to incorporating this item into my dessert menu even though it will be Mid January and maybe slightly chilly outside 🙂
Hello Rita, yes, you will be able to omit the vodka completely from the recipe. There will be a bit of a difference. Vodka does a couple of things to improve this recipe. Firstly the alcohol has a lower freezing point than domestic freezers so that means that it never freezes completely solid and it’s more scoopable and creamy. The other thing that vodka does is prevents large ice crystals forming. So you can see that the texture will be a bit more icy than the original recipe but if you don’t mind, then it will still be delicious. I suggest that you have a practice run beforehand to see if you like the change in texture. Hope that helps.
Another thing, be sure that the mango pulp doesn’t come from the freeze with extra ice. It needs to be a pure as possible.
Loved this – I also love in South Florida so always looking for recipes to try with mango. Need some help on it crystallizing a bit too much more than I would like. I froze everything – whisk, mixing bowl, gelato bowl, etc and chilled all of the ingredients but still a bit of crystallization. I did use regular cream – problem there?
I’m so happy that you loved this Mango Gelato. If the cream you used had approximately 35% milk fat, then it wouldn’t be a problem. Less fat in the cream and yes, that’d be the reason for some iciness. Crystallization occurs because of the water contained in the ice cream. Due to the water in the mango puree, there is a will be a bit of crystallization. Some mango puree will be more watery creating more ice crystals. You can add 1 tablespoons of skimmed milk powder together with the condensed milk to assist with preventing ice crystals. Removing the gelato from the freezer 10-20 minutes (depending on how hot the day is) before serving for it to come to the correct temperature for serving helps. This isn’t an gelato that keeps for a long time. Fresh is best!
Hi. I just love your recipes and how well you explain the process. Can you tell me if I can use other fruit, like strawberries instead of mango, or even dark chocolate in your Gelato recipe?
Thank you, Sheryl! This gelato recipe will work perfectly for any fruit like strawberries. I will have a chocolate gelato recipe up very soon which works better than just adding chocolate to this one. Stay tuned.
Just found this recipe again Marcellina. Now that mangoes are in season I must make some ice cream. Great recipe, thanks.
Thank you! Love your recipes
You’re welcome, Kerry!
I haven’t had mango ice cream in years. Now that I’m living back in Florida were mango season is almost here, I need to try your version.
Perfect timing ! We had heavy rains but the heat arrived and decided to stay and ice creams are on our menu 🙂 Thank you so much !
Quite interesting and creative recipe.
It looks tempting .
I would love to try this out.
Thanks for sharing !!
keep Posting !!
Thanks for your feedback! I love hearing from my readers!
I love the combination of mango and lime, and this looks just beautiful!
I do, too, Robyn. Lemon is another option.
Marcellina, this mango ice cream looks so delicious! Mango is so refreshing and thirst quenching. Love how it’s so easy to make!
That is so true, Kelly, mango is perfect for summer!
Mangoes are getting big on the trees here in Florida and should be ripening soon. Your ice cream sounds delicious.
Oooh, nice! Here in Australia I’ve got a store of mangoes in my freezer. I have to wait a little while before they are back on the trees again. Enjoy!
Ice cream is my guilty pleasure so I zoned in on this recipe of yours, Marcellina. So fabulous! I love mangoes as well so this is a no brainer. So nice to land on such a beautiful site. Ok, I’m off to explore more!
I love the new look! You’re looking gorgeous Marcella darling!! 😀 And this is just the treat for this week’s heat.
Thank you Lorraine! It’s a bit of a work in progress. There is so much to learn but I think I have a renewed passion. The ice cream helps, of course!