Mango Ice Cream Recipe

Prepare Mango

Peel and dice ripe mangoes until you have about 2 cups of flesh. Reserve any small cubes if using for swirl.

Place the mango flesh in a blender or food processor with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice. Blend until completely smooth, about 30–60 seconds, scraping down the sides as needed.

Taste the purée and adjust sweetness with up to 1 additional tablespoon sugar if needed. Chill the purée in the refrigerator while you make the custard base so it is cold before churning (at least 20 minutes).

In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup whole milk and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Warm over medium heat until steam appears and small bubbles form at the edges (do not boil).

While the milk warms, whisk together 3 egg yolks in a heatproof bowl until smooth.

Temper the yolks: slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot milk into the yolks in a thin stream while whisking constantly to raise their temperature without scrambling.

Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Return the pan to low–medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon (an easy-read target is 170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not let it boil.

Remove the pan from heat and strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any coagulated bits.

Stir in 1 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt into the warm custard. Let cool for 10 minutes at room temperature.

Cover the custard with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator until fully cold, at least 2 hours (or up to overnight).

Once the custard is cold, whisk the chilled mango purée into the custard base until evenly combined. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity if needed (add up to 1 teaspoon sugar or more lime juice).

If you have an ice cream maker, follow manufacturer instructions: freeze the churn bowl as required, then pour the mango-custard mixture into the machine and churn until it reaches a soft-serve consistency (typically 20–30 minutes).

If you do not have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a shallow, freezer-safe container and freeze. Every 30 minutes for the first 2–3 hours, vigorously stir or beat the mixture with a fork or hand mixer to break up ice crystals until it becomes creamy and semi-frozen, then allow to firm fully.

Spoon half of the churned mango ice cream into a loaf pan or container, scatter optional mango chunks, then layer the remaining ice cream on top. Swirl gently with a knife for a ribbon effect.

Press a piece of parchment directly onto the surface or cover with an airtight lid. Freeze the ice cream until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight for best texture.

Before serving, let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes to soften slightly. Scoop and serve garnished with optional lime zest.