Mango Ice Cream Recipe

Prepare and purée mango

Peel and dice enough ripe mango flesh to equal about 2 cups. Place the mango pieces, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice in a blender or food processor. Purée until completely smooth. Taste and adjust sugar or lime if needed. Transfer purée to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator while you make the custard (at least 20 minutes).

Heat dairy

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and a pinch of salt. Warm over medium heat until the mixture is steaming and small bubbles form around the edges but do not boil (around 175°F / 80°C).

Temper yolks

Whisk 3 large egg yolks in a heatproof bowl until smooth. Slowly ladle about 1/3 of the hot milk-cream mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper. Then slowly whisk the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot dairy.

Cook to nappe

Return the saucepan to low-medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the spoon (the nappe stage), about 3–6 minutes. Do not let it boil. If you have a thermometer, target 170–175°F (77–80°C).

Strain and chill

Immediately pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Let the custard cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate until cold (at least 2 hours or overnight).

Combine mango purée and custard

Once the custard is fully chilled, whisk the chilled mango purée into the custard until fully combined and uniform in color. Taste and add up to 1 tablespoon extra sugar or a squeeze of lime juice if needed to balance sweetness and acidity.

Churn

Churn the mango-custard mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches soft-serve consistency (usually 20–25 minutes). About 5 minutes before the end of churning, add the optional 1 cup finely diced ripe mango if you want fresh mango pieces folded in.

Freeze until firm

Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container. If you want a swirl effect, spoon half the base into the container, dot with some reserved mango purée or diced mango, then spoon the remaining base on top and gently swirl with a knife. Press a piece of parchment directly on the surface, seal, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours (overnight preferred).

Remove the ice cream from the freezer about 5–10 minutes before serving to soften slightly. Scoop into bowls or cones and, if desired, finish with a small sprinkle of lime zest for brightness.