Chinese Mango Pudding (芒果布丁)

Satisfy your yum cha cravings with homemade Chinese Mango Pudding! Using just 8 ingredients, you can create a silky dessert that no money can buy. Make it from scratch so you can add as many mangoes as you like to get the REAL taste of the fruit.

For all the lovers of mangoes, try it with pancakes or as a salad!

A treat for any time of the day

A weekend trip to our local yum cha restaurant almost always ends with someone ordering a Chinese Mango Pudding from the dim sum cart. But when you’re back at home and the dim sum opening hours are over, there’s only one way to satisfy those dessert cravings – make it yourself at home!

This homemade version celebrates our beloved Australian Summer by using the freshest and sweetest mangoes. It marries the silky smooth texture of egg pudding with the fruity fragrance of a tropical smoothie.

Much like Red Bean Dessert Soup, Ching Bo Leung and Black Sesame Tang Yuan, it has a simple flavor profile which is signature to Cantonese cuisine.

It’s the perfect way to end a meal or to snack on after school!

Which mangoes do I use?

In Australia, we have a wide range of mangoes to eat or cook with, including the raw green mango you dip into a spicy salt or sweet fish sauce dip.

For Chinese Mango Pudding, however, it’s best to use the sweet and juicy varieties such as KP mangoes or calipso. You can read more about them below:

• KP (Kensington Pride) Mangoes: These are vibrant with orange and yellow on the skin. To choose the best ones, bring your nose close to the surface and give them a good smell. Better ones will have a strong – almost floral – mango scent.
• Calipso: Also comes with a colorful orange and yellow blush. These are better for storing as they’ll last longer on the shelf.

In a nutshell, you’re after fragrant and heavy mangoes.

If you want to learn more about how to pick the best mangoes, check out the video from Thanh Truong (a.k.a. the Fruit Nerd) over at ABC Australia. The fruit tips are gold for making your Chinese Mango Pudding even better!

Why this recipe works

• Blending in ice cream brings out a more fragrant mango flavor.
• Using thickened cream and full cream milk keeps the dessert luxuriously creamy.
• A sieve will help to remove any clumps, resulting in a smooth and silken texture.

What you’ll need

About the ingredients

We use thickened cream and full cream milk for our Chinese Mango Pudding. This helps to achieve a creamier result. As for the ice cream, the only available option for us at the time was from the brand Weis.

Gelatin powder substitutes

Gelatin sheetsYou can use gelatin sheets in place of the powder form or agar agar. Just make sure to adjust the ratios accordingly.

Different brands will have slightly different results, but 1 tablespoon of gelatin powder is roughly equal to 4 sheets of gelatin.

With agar agar, you’ll need less of it to firm up the mixture. Using agar agar will also make the texture snappier rather than soft.

How to make this recipe

Combine sugar and gelatin in bowl, then mix in the hot water until everything has dissolved. Set aside for later.

Remove the mango flesh from the skin and seed and reserve 150g (0.33 lb) to be diced. Puree the rest using a blender.

Use sieve to strain the puree into a bowl. This will help to remove clumps.

Pour the puree back into the blender and blend it with the ice cream, milk and cream.

Pro Tip: If you’re using a smaller blender, do it in batches. Also, don’t worry about the ratio of ingredients. You can mix it all together by hand when they’ve been pureed.

Stir the gelatin mixture to combine it again, then slowly pour the puree in and combine both liquids.

Use a spoon to skim off any bubbles on the top.

Use a clean sieve to strain the puree into cups. Let it rest in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours or until set.

To serve, drizzle some evaporated milk on top and garnish with the diced mangoes. Enjoy chilled as is!

Recipe FAQs

Tips for the best results

• Use good quality mango ice cream. This will form the base of the pudding and add a creaminess that the fruit itself won’t.
• Make it when mangoes are in season. By doing so, you’ll get sweeter and more fragrant flavors.
• Puree the fruit until fine. When you do this with a blender, it results in a smoother dessert with minimal clumps.
• Avoid stirring vigorously. The harder and faster your stir, the more bubbles will form and get trapped in the liquid. This will affect how smooth the texture ends up being.

Enjoy a hearty yum cha experience at home!

• Ham Sui Gok (Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings 咸水角) and Seafood Rolls are a great way to start any banquet.
• Jazz the meal up with Braised Beef Honeycomb Tripe, Grandma’s Stuffed Tofu (Yong Tau Fu 釀豆腐) or Steamed Pork Ribs with Black Bean Sauce (豉汁蒸排骨).
• Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce (蠔油芥籣) is a simple vegetable side dish that everyone will love.
• Take every savory dish to the next level with some XO Sauce (XO 酱).
• Make a pot of Century Egg and Pork Congee (皮蛋瘦肉粥) to complete the meal!

Want more home cooked recipes?

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This post was originally published on 21/7/22 and updated with ingredient substitutions in June 2023.

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