Mango Sago. A delicious popular Asian dessert with sweet mango flavor with creamy coconut tapioca pudding! This quick and easy dessert is ready in 30 minutes with only 4 ingredients. A refreshing treat for the family to enjoy!
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What is Mango Sago?
Mango Sago is a chilled Cantonese dessert from Hong Kong. It is made of sweet mango purée, condensed milk, coconut milk and tapioca with fresh mango chunks!
This refreshing dessert was created in the 1980's by a Chinese restaurant called "Lei Garden". The leading chef created this dessert for Singaporeans to enjoy and cool off in the hot and humid weather there. Since it's innovation, it's swept Asia with its popularity.
Mango sago is a beloved treat because it's naturally sweet, creamy and packed with contrasting textures thanks to the bouncy tapioca pearls! It can also be dairy-free adaptable with a simple substitute.
I love making this refreshing dessert on hot summer days or when it’s mango season (May - September in Canada) so I can use up any ripened mangoes! It's also a beautiful treat to impress guests with.
You can use any mangoes that you enjoy and I share expert tips and step-by-step visuals on how to make this tasty Asian dessert at home.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Fully Ripened Fresh Mangoes: Choose ripe mangoes that smell sweet, vibrant in color and tender if you press down on it with your thumb. They should not be hard or evenly slightly green as this will result in a very sour mango pudding. As for which breed of mangos, I prefer using Ambika mangoes or ataulfo mangoes but use what you have!
- Mango season is between May to September for in-season mangoes.
- Or substitute with canned mango pulp for the purée portion or substitute with fresh ripe strawberries (I share a recipe for strawberry sago here).
- Small tapioca pearls: they are white dried pearls that you can find at the Asian market in the dried section. As a last resort, you may substitute with large tapioca but prepare according to package directions. Avoid using minute tapioca!
- Condensed milk: this is a thick and sweet concentrated creamy milk that is different from evaporated milk. See below for a dairy-free substitute.
- Room Temperature Whole Fat Coconut Milk: avoid using light coconut milk as it's not thick enough for the mango purée. Or substitute with whipping cream or heavy cream (35%).
- Fresh Mint Leaves: optional garnish for aesthetics.
Note: Most Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
Variation
- If you're dairy-free: substitute with condensed coconut milk for a vegan version! I've seen them sold online or at select health food stores or grocery stores.
Expert Tips
- Boil the tapioca until fully translucent! If you see a small white dot in the center of the tapioca, let it sit in the hot water covered for another 2-3 minutes or more until the dot is gone.
- Keep cooked tapioca in submerged in cold water to prevent sticking until you're ready to strain and make the coconut sago mixture.
- Use a high power blender for the best results. This ensures a smoother mango purée.
- Run the mango mixture through a fine sieve for extra smoothness (optional).
- Use a blender stick or spatula to move the components around if they get stuck in the blending process but make sure to turn off the blender.
- To easily dice your mango, slice off the widest sides of the mango. Make 1-cm vertical and horizontal slits with a sharp knife into mango flesh. Then glide a large spoon between the mango flesh and the mango skin to remove the diced mango.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make mango sago:
In a medium size pot of water (about 5 cups of water), bring to a boil on high heat. Once the hot water reaches boiling point, add tapioca pearls. Reduce to medium heat or to a rolling boil, boil for 10 minutes uncovered. Stir occasionally.
Then turn off the heat, cover and let it sit for another 10 minutes until the pearls have softened and are completely translucent. If you see a small white dot in the center of the pearls, let them sit in the hot water covered for another 2-3 minutes to become fully translucent.
Strain the cooked pearls in a fine mesh sieve and rinse off the excess starch with cold running water until cool to touch. Then strain out excess water. Transfer cold tapioca to a large bowl.
Open canned coconut milk with a can opener to remove the lid and give it a thorough mix inside the can so the fats combine with the coconut water.
Combine the coconut milk with the tapioca and mix well. This is your sago mixture. Set aside.
Next peel and slice 2 large mangos removing the pit. Reserve the remaining mango for later as a topping.
Place peeled mango pieces into a blender or food processor with condensed milk. Blend until smooth. If the components get stuck, turn off the blender and use a blender stick or spatula to loosen it so it can blender properly.
Divide mango mixture among 4 dessert bowls or glasses.
Peel the remaining mango and dice the mango flesh into 1-cm cubes. Or see expert tips on how to easily dice mango.
Divide the coconut sago mixture into 4 equal portions and pour on top of the mango layer in each serving. Top off with the cubed mangos. Garnish with a fresh mint leaf and enjoy cold!
Alternatively, you can mix everything together in a large bowl and divide into small portions but you won't get the layered effect.
Storage
- Mango sago is best enjoyed fresh as the tapioca pearls will expand and become less chewy over time.
- However if you have leftovers, store the different components into separate airtight containers or mix everything altogether in a large airtight container. Then store in the fridge for up to 4 days. To serve, allow the mixture to soften at room temperature, specifically the coconut sago component as coconut milk tends to go hard when cold.
- Freezer-friendly? I don't recommend freezing mango sago as the cooked tapioca pearls will not be chewy anymore.
Pairing Suggestions
Mango sago serves well with:
- coffee, milk, tea, bubble tea or boba tea
- fresh fruit
- strawberry sago or jello cakes like my Vegan Fruit Jelly Cake, Lychee Coconut Jelly, Pandan Coconut Jelly
- cakes, desserts, pastries, cookies or other sweet baked goods
FAQ
Mango sago can be made 4 days in advance. Just store the different components into separate airtight containers in the fridge or alternatively, mix everything together in a large airtight container. When you're ready to serve, you can divide the pudding into serving bowls as instructed. A note: thin membrane will form on top of the coconut milk but it's still edible, just give it another mix to dissolve it.
To tell if your mango is ripe: you should be able to easily leave a thumbprint in the meat of the fruit. If you're pushing down too hard, it's not ripe. Also, ripe mangoes are vibrant in a yellow, orange or red color depending on the type of mango. If you spot any green color in the skin, it's most likely not fully ripe. If you use unripe mangoes, the mango sago dessert will be too tart in taste.
Yes, feel free to substitute the mango for fresh strawberries. Follow my strawberry sago recipe for full details.
I would suggest doubling or tripling the portion depending on the size of your party. Then prepare the components but store them individually in airtight containers in the fridge up to a day in advance. Anymore than that and the cooked tapioca will lose its chewiness. Close to serving time, assemble your dessert layers by layering everything together or mixing all the components together in a few large bowls.
Other desserts you may enjoy
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy 4-ingredient Mango Sago
Ingredients
- 3 large mangos fully ripe (about 750 grams or 1.7 lbs worth of mangos)
- ½ cup tapioca pearls small uncooked kind (do not use minute tapioca)
- ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk (for a vegan alternative, replace with condensed coconut milk)
- 13.5 floz coconut milk whole fat at room temperature
Optional Garnish
- fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- In a medium size pot of water (about 5 cups of water), bring to a boil on high heat. Once the hot water reaches boiling point, add tapioca pearls. Reduce to medium heat or to a rolling boil, boil for 10 minutes uncovered. Stir occasionally.
- Then turn off the heat, cover and let it sit for another 10 minutes until the pearls have softened and are completely translucent. If you see a small white dot in the center of the pearls, let them sit in the hot water covered for another 2-3 minutes to become fully translucent.
- Strain the cooked pearls in a fine mesh sieve and rinse off the excess starch with cold running water until cool to touch. Then strain out excess water. Transfer cold tapioca to a large bowl.
- Open canned coconut milk with a can opener to remove the lid and give it a thorough mix inside the can so the fats combine with the coconut water.
- Combine the coconut milk with the tapioca and mix well. This is your sago mixture. Set aside.
- Next peel and slice 2 large mangos removing the pit. Reserve the remaining mango for later as a topping.
- Place peeled mango pieces into a blender or food processor with condensed milk. Blend until smooth. If the components get stuck, turn off the blender and use a blender stick or spatula to loosen it so it can blender properly.
- Divide mango mixture among 4 dessert bowls or glasses.
- Peel the remaining mango and dice the mango flesh into 1-cm cubes. Or see expert tips on how to easily dice mango.
- Divide the coconut sago mixture into 4 equal portions and pour on top of the mango layer in each serving. Top off with the cubed mangos. Garnish with a fresh mint leaf and enjoy cold! Alternatively, you can mix everything together in a large bowl and divide into small portions but you won't get the layered effect.
Carmen
This is my most favorite dessert ~ Mango Sago ~ I can’t wait to try it. Thank you for sharing your recipe 😊
Christie Lai
Thank you so much! I really hope you enjoy it Carmen!
Jd
Yummy
Wendi
Can I make this ahead by a couple of hours? I have guests coming and I don't want to be assembling this when they are here, so I was hoping to do it right before they came. Will it 'collapse' and run together if I do that? I want this beautiful presentation to stay intact.
christieathome
I would recommend making each component separately on the day of but in advance. Then chilling each component in the fridge. When before your guests arrive, you can layer each component just before. Hope this helps.
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
So I already have a soft spot for tapioca pudding, but you really take tapioca to the next level with this amazing single serve Coconut Mango Sago! 💕
Sherri
This is the perfect dessert for springtime! So refreshing and such a pretty color too! 🙂
Molly
Not only is this beautiful but it was so tasty! I love the flavours of the coconut and mango with sago! Will be trying this again!
Rebecca Dillon
What a great dessert idea for spring entertaining!