Easy Silky Mango Pudding Recipe

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Make a Chinese restaurant-style dessert using this 6-ingredient easy mango pudding recipe. Bursting with sweet mango and creamy coconut flavor, this refreshing treat is blended quickly and left to chill to perfection. It is a foolproof, make-ahead dessert option that frees you up to enjoy your party.

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Why My Recipe Works
Ingredients & Substitutes
Instructions
Expert Tips
Variations
Pairing Suggestions
Storage
FAQ
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Authentic Chinese mango pudding (芒果布丁) is a popular, chilled dim sum dessert made with fresh mango purée, coconut milk, sugar, and gelatin powder. Served with a splash of evaporated milk to mellow out the sweetness, this classic Hong Kong dessert is refreshing, creamy, and incredibly easy to make at home.

This is hands down my favorite Asian mango dessert, and I always order it at dim sum for its silky-smooth texture and sweet profile. After rigorous kitchen testing, I finally perfected this recipe to recreate that exact restaurant-quality texture at home.

The secret lies in the precise ratio of gelatin to mango and water. By balancing these elements perfectly, we achieve that coveted, melt-in-your-mouth texture without making the pudding stiff or rubbery.

Why My Recipe Works

Ultra-Silky Base: Passing the blended mango through a fine sieve removes all stringy fibers, ensuring a smooth, restaurant-quality pudding texture.
The Best Mango Varieties: Opting for Ataulfo (Honey/Champagne), Alphonso, or Nam Dok Mai mangos guarantees a naturally sweet flavor profile that is low in fiber.
No Rubbery Texture: Gently melting the gelatin over low-medium heat avoids the overheating that causes other mango pudding recipes to turn out stiff or rubbery.

Ingredients & Substitutes

The exact ingredient measurements are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Fresh Ripe Mangoes: Adds sweet tropical flavor; pick mangoes that are tender to the touch and smell sweet to avoid tartness. Use less-fibrous mangos like Ataulfo, Alphonso, or Nam Dok Mai for a smoother texture.
Full-Fat Coconut Milk (17-18% fat): Adds a rich, creamy tropical flavor that balances the sweet mangos. Use standard full-fat milk only; light coconut milk is too watery, and coconut cream is too thick. Subs: Heavy cream or whipping cream.
Cold Water: Crucial for blooming the gelatin properly before heating. Avoid room temperature or boiling water, as incorrect temperatures prevent activation and cause a hard, rubbery pudding.
White Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the pudding without altering its color. Avoid brown or raw sugars, which add a molasses flavor and discolor the pudding.
Gelatin Powder: Thickens the dessert to get that silky-smooth texture. To make this vegan, sub with agar-agar powder; but see the Variations section below as it is not a 1:1 swap.
Evaporated Milk: Poured over the top before serving to add richness and mellow out the sweetness. Subs: Table cream or half-and-half.

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make mango pudding:

Ripe mangoes being peeled, pitted, and blended into a very smooth purée, then strained through a fine sieve for an ultra-silky texture.

Prepare mango purée: Peel, pit, and slice mangoes into small pieces. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend into a very smooth purée, at least 1 minute, until no fibrous texture remains. For an extra-smooth result, strain the purée through a fine sieve.

Gelatin being mixed with cold water in a bowl until thickened into a gel-like consistency.

Bloom the gelatin: In a large bowl, combine cold water and gelatin. Stir for 30-45 seconds until it thickens. The mixture will become gel-like and may have a slight smell; this is normal and will disappear once combined with the other ingredients.

Sugar, coconut milk, and mango purée being stirred into the bloomed gelatin until smooth and fully combined.

Combine base mixture: Add the sugar, coconut milk, and mango purée to the gelatin mixture. Stir until smooth and fully combined.

Mixture being gently heated in a pot over low heat while whisking until the gelatin fully dissolves without boiling.

Heat and dissolve gelatin: Transfer the mixture to a small pot. Warm over low-medium heat, whisking continuously until the gelatin is fully dissolved, about 3-4 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to simmer or boil; it should remain smooth and creamy.

Mango mixture being poured into greased bowls or silicone molds, with air bubbles tapped out and surface smoothed.

Pour and set molds: Pour the mixture into four greased serving bowls or silicone molds. Tap lightly to release air bubbles and smooth the surface with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap, if desired.

Set mango pudding being chilled in the refrigerator until firm and served cold with evaporated milk.

Chill until set and serve: Refrigerate for 6 hours, or until fully set. Serve chilled with evaporated milk.

Expert Tips

Select Ripe Mangos: Choose fruit that smells sweet and yields to gentle pressure, leaving a slight indentation. Underripe mangos will make the pudding sour and chalky.
Prep at Room Temp: Keep mangos at room temperature before peeling and dicing. Cold fruit is firmer, harder to peel cleanly, and yields less juice.
Never Boil Gelatin: Heat the mixture over low-medium heat only until dissolved. Boiling destroys gelatin's setting power, making the pudding rubbery or runny.
Sieve for Texture: Pass your blended purée through a fine-mesh sieve. This step removes hidden fibrous strands to guarantee a velvety restaurant texture.
Prevent a Skin: Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the liquid pudding before its 6-hour chill to keep the top perfectly smooth.

Variations

Dairy-Free: Swap the evaporated milk topping with light canned coconut milk or evaporated coconut milk.
Vegan: Substitute 1 tablespoon of gelatin powder with 1 teaspoon of agar-agar powder. Note that agar-agar must be brought to a boil for 1 to 2 minutes to activate the gelling process, and the final pudding will have a slightly firmer, brittle texture.

Pairing Suggestions

This refreshing mango coconut pudding pairs deliciously with:

Tropical Fruits: Fresh lychee, rambutan, diced pineapple, or sliced starfruit.
Refreshing Drinks: Classic boba tea, strawberry milk, watermelon milk, or grass jelly milk.
Asian Desserts: Pandan coconut jelly, fruit jelly cake, lychee jelly, or a scoop of coconut ice cream.

Storage

Fridge: Store leftover mango pudding in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If possible, store the evaporated milk topping separately and add it just before serving to keep the pudding fresh.
Freezing: This recipe is not freezer-friendly. Freezing breaks down the gelatin bonds, causing the pudding to become watery and lose its smooth texture upon thawing.

FAQ

Can I make mango pudding in advance?

Yes, you can prep this dessert up to 4 days ahead and store it in the fridge using the instructions above.

Can I use frozen mangoes instead of fresh?

Yes, frozen mango chunks can work, though the final pudding may be slightly less sweet. For the best results, thaw the mango chunks fully before blending, and run the purée through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any excess fibers.

Why is my mango pudding rubbery or stiff?

A rubbery texture usually means the gelatin was bloomed in warm or boiling water instead of cold water, or overheated on the stove. It can also happen if you use underripe mangos, omit the coconut milk, or use too little liquid, which alters the recipe's liquid-to-gelatin ratio. Always melt gelatin gently over low-medium heat and use ripe, juicy fruit for a soft, delicate set.

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