Chewy tapioca pearls with creamy coconut mango pudding. This quick and easy mango sago dessert is ready in 30 minutes with just 4 ingredients. A sweet and refreshing treat for all the mango lovers. Great to impress guests with.
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Mango Sago is a chilled Cantonese dessert from Hong Kong made of sweet mango purée, condensed milk, coconut milk and tapioca with fresh mango chunks!
It's naturally sweet, creamy and packed with contrasting textures thanks to the bouncy tapioca pearls! I love this dessert with a passion and I could eat it everyday.
This refreshing Asian 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 weather. Since it's innovation, it's swept Asia with its popularity.
You'll love this easy mango recipe because it's:
- quickly made in 30 minutes with only 4 ingredients if you don't count the mint!
- so delicious and refreshing especially for the summer months.
- great dessert idea to impress guests or for parties.
- fantastic during mango season (May to September).
- dairy-free adaptable with a simple substitute listed below.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Fresh Ripe Mangoes: that smell sweet, vibrant in color and tender. Avoid hard ones with a lot of greening or they will be too sour. I recommend Ambika mangoes, or ataulfo mangoes but use what's available to you. Or substitute with frozen mangoes as a last resort.
- Small Tapioca Pearls: these are white dried pearls made of tapioca starch sold at the Asian market. Or substitute with large tapioca pearls and prepare to package directions. Avoid minute tapioca!
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: a thick and sweet concentrated creamy milk. If you're dairy-free, substitute with condensed coconut milk.
- Room Temperature Whole Fat Coconut Milk: Or substitute with whipping cream or heavy cream (35%). Avoid light coconut milk as it's not thick enough for the mango purée.
- Fresh Mint Leaves: optional garnish.
Note: Most Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
Expert Tips
- Boil the tapioca until fully translucent! If you see a small white dot in the center of the tapioca, let it soak 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 filled with 5 cups of water, bring to a boil on high heat. Add tapioca pearls and reduce to medium heat. Boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then turn off the heat, cover and rest for 10 minutes on the heat source, until the pearls are fully translucent. If you see a small white dot in the pearls, let them sit in the hot water covered for another 2-3 minutes.
- Strain the cooked pearls using a fine mesh sieve. Rinse off the excess starch with cold running water. Then strain out excess water. Transfer cold tapioca to a large bowl.
- Combine the room temperature coconut milk with the tapioca and mix well. This is your sago mixture. Set aside.
- Next peel and slice only 2 of the 3 mangos removing the pit. Place mango into a blender or food processor with condensed milk. Blend until smooth. Use a blender stick or spatula to loosen the mixture if mango gets stuck. Set aside.
- Peel and dice the last mango into 1-cm cubes. Set aside.
- Divide and pour the mango mixture into 4 dessert bowls or glasses. Then divide and pour the sago mixture on top of the mango layer. Top off with the cubed mangos. Garnish with a fresh mint leaf and enjoy cold! (You can also mix everything in a large bowl and serve).
Storage
- Mango sago is best enjoyed fresh as the tapioca pearls will expand and become less chewy over time.
- Leftovers can last up to 2 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container. Please note with time, the sago will soften and become less chewy. You can store each component into separate containers to avoid soggy sago.
- 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 up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge. I recommend storing the different layered components into separate airtight containers so the sago doesn't become soggy.
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.
Yes, the mango can be substituted with ripe strawberries. I share a recipe for strawberry sago here.
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy 4-ingredient Mango Sago
Ingredients
- 3 large mangos fully ripe (750 grams / 1.7 lbs)
- ½ cup tapioca pearls small uncooked kind (not minute tapioca)
- ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk or sweetened condensed coconut milk
- 13.5 floz coconut milk whole fat kind, at room temperature
- fresh mint leaves optional garnish
Instructions
- In a medium size pot filled with 5 cups of water, bring to a boil on high heat. Add tapioca pearls and reduce to medium heat. Boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then turn off the heat, cover and rest for 10 minutes on the heat source, until the pearls are fully translucent. If you see a small white dot in the pearls, let them sit in the hot water covered for another 2-3 minutes.
- Strain the cooked pearls using a fine mesh sieve. Rinse off the excess starch with cold running water. Then strain out excess water. Transfer cold tapioca to a large bowl.
- Combine the room temperature coconut milk with the tapioca and mix well. This is your sago mixture. Set aside.
- Next peel and slice only 2 of the 3 mangos removing the pit. Place mango into a blender or food processor with condensed milk. Blend until smooth. Use a blender stick or spatula to loosen the mixture if mango gets stuck. Set aside.
- Peel and dice the last mango into 1-cm cubes. Set aside.
- Divide and pour the mango mixture into 4 dessert bowls or glasses. Then divide and pour the sago mixture on top of the mango layer. Top off with the cubed mangos. Garnish with a fresh mint leaf and enjoy cold! (You can also mix everything in a large bowl and serve).
Notes
Storage
- Mango sago is best enjoyed fresh as the tapioca pearls will expand and become less chewy over time.
- Leftovers can last up to 2 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container. Please note with time, the sago will soften and become less chewy. You can store each component into separate containers to avoid soggy sago.
- Freezer-friendly? I don't recommend freezing mango sago as the cooked tapioca pearls will not be chewy anymore.
H
Why room temperature coconut milk vs cold?
Christie Lai
The cold kind will have the milk and fat separated and it will be a clumpy if you don't dissolve it well so I recommend using room temperature for a smoother taste.
H
Also since I am making a head, do I store the cooked tapioca pearls separately in the refrigerator in cold water to keep them from separating and then drain when assembling?
Christie Lai
Since you're making it in advance, yes store the sago separately. I recommend to drain the cooked tapioca and store in the fridge so the water doesn't make the pearls soggy.
H
While the ingredient amount changes the instructions don't change if you increase the serving size. (Note I am making for 12 people or 3X). Also why use frozen mangos as a last resort?
Christie Lai
Frozen mangoes can work but for best taste and texture, I recommend fresh ripe ones.
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!