Baking Mangoes: A Tropical Treat For Your Oven

Baking mangoes is an innovative way to enjoy this tropical fruit. The process is simple: cut a ripe mango in half, top with a mixture of oats, nuts, coconut, and honey, and bake in the oven. The result is a delicious combination of textures and flavours, with the soft, juicy mango providing the perfect base for the crispy, nutty, and sticky topping. This dessert is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Baked mangoes are a great way to use ripe and juicy summer mangoes and can be easily scaled up or down depending on the number of servings required. The recipe can also be adapted to individual tastes, with substitutions such as maple syrup for honey to make it vegan, or the addition of spices like cardamom or nutmeg.

So, if you're looking for a creative way to enjoy mangoes, why not give baking them a try? It's a simple yet impressive dessert that's sure to impress!

How to make mango crumb bars

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups ripe mangoes (small chunks) 2-3 mangoes
• 3-5 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
• 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh ripe mango
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons corn starch

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut cold (important: make sure it is cold!) unsalted butter into chunks and add to the flour mixture. If using a food processor, pulse until small crumbs are formed. If using a pastry cutter, cut butter into flour mixture until small crumbs are formed.

Mix together wet ingredients – brown sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Then add wet ingredients into buttery dry mixture. Mix well – mixture should be slightly crumbly.

Bring ~2/3 of the crumbly mixture to the bottom of a 8″ x 8″ baking pan lined with parchment paper. Press the mixture onto the pan to form a layer of crumb pastry.

Add mango mixture, and spread it out evenly. Then sprinkle the top with the rest of the crumbles.

Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Then lift the parchment paper and bring the pastry out from the pan. Let it cool for another 15-20 minutes. Cut into 9 square bars. Serve and enjoy!

How to make dried mango in the oven

Ingredients:

Mangos (as many as you'd like to dry out)

Equipment:

• Oven-safe cooling rack
• Baking sheet

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 175°C.
• Peel the skin off the mangoes, then gently slice each mango into 1/4-inch pieces lengthways, cutting around the pit.
• Place the mango slices onto a baking sheet that has been topped with an oven-safe cooling rack.
• Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 5 hours, flipping each piece over every hour.
• Remove from the oven and let the mangoes cool before serving.

Storage:

Store your homemade dried mangoes in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

How to make mango muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda (or 4 tsp baking powder)
• 1/3 cup unrefined coconut oil (or unsalted butter)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 3/4 cup white sugar (can be reduced to 1/2 cup)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup mango puree (260g mango flesh or 1 1/3 cups mango chopped into small cubes)
• 2 cups chopped mango (370g or 8mm to 1 cm max)
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut (unsweetened, finely shredded coconut)
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan-forced). Grease a 12-hole muffin tin with butter or spray with canola oil.
• Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt) in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (mango puree, sugar, egg, coconut oil, vanilla, and vinegar) until smooth.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and mix until the flour is mostly incorporated.
• Add the chopped mango and coconut, stirring until no flour is visible. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
• Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them slightly mounded. Sprinkle each muffin with 1/2 teaspoon of demerara sugar.
• Place the muffins in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan). Bake for 24 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least another 10 minutes before serving.

Tips:

• For the best mango flavour, use ripe, sweet, and juicy mangoes. Honey Gold and R2E2 varieties are recommended.
• If using frozen mango, ensure it is completely thawed and brought to room temperature before using.
• Do not overfill the muffin cups, as the batter may spill over. Fill them no more than 2/3 full.
• Allow the muffins to cool completely before serving. This helps them stay together better and prevents sticking to the paper liners.
• If desired, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with oats or nuts instead of demerara sugar.

How to make baked mangoes

Baked mangoes are a delicious and innovative dessert, combining juicy mango with a range of tasty toppings. This recipe is a fun twist on the classic baked apple and is a great way to use up ripe mangoes.

Ingredients

• 2 large ripe but firm mangoes
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut (or unsweetened with a teaspoon of honey or sugar added)
• 1/2 cup of nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios, or a mix)
• 1/4 cup of rolled or quick-cooking oats (not steel-cut)
• 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil or butter
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• Honey to taste
• Optional: a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or Greek yoghurt to serve

Method

• Preheat your oven to 375°F and get out a rectangular baking pan.
• Cut your mangoes into halves by standing them on their ends and cutting down either side of the pit with a sharp knife.
• Score the flesh of each mango half in a criss-cross pattern, being careful not to cut through the skin.
• In a bowl, mix together your coconut, nuts, oats, honey, melted coconut oil or butter, and salt.
• Place your mango halves in the baking pan and divide the filling evenly between them, pressing it down lightly.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the topping is a deep golden brown.
• Serve hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or Greek yoghurt.

Tips

• Choose large, firm mangoes with flatter sides so they sit upright in the baking pan.
• If your mangoes are unripe, store them at room temperature until they are soft. To speed up the process, you can put them in a brown paper bag.
• This recipe works best with sweet mango varieties such as Kent, Alphonso, Manila, Kesar, or Palmer.
• If you want to make this vegan, substitute honey with maple syrup.
• You can add ground cardamom or freshly grated nutmeg to enhance the flavour.
• If you don't want to use oats, simply use more nuts.
• This recipe also works well with melted butter instead of coconut oil.
• For a nut-free version, use a combination of rolled oats and coconut (a total of 1 1/4 cups).

How to make a mango mousse

Ingredients:

• 2 mangoes – sweet, ripe & medium-sized or 1.5 cups chopped
• 1 to 2 tablespoons raw sugar or honey – add as required, optional
• ½ cup light cream (25% to 35% fat) or whipping cream
• ¼ cup chopped mangoes, for garnish
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped nuts – cashews, almonds, pistachios
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fruit preserve
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chocolate shavings or grated chocolate or chocolate syrup
• 3 to 4 mint sprigs

Method:

First, prepare the mango puree. Peel and chop two medium-sized mangoes. You will need about 1.5 cups of chopped mangoes. Add the mangoes to a blender, along with 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey or sugar, if desired. Blend until you get a thick, smooth mango puree. This should yield approximately 1 cup of mango puree. Set aside.

Next, add ½ cup of light cream or whipping cream to a mixing bowl. Use an electric beater or wired whisk to beat the cream until you see fluffy and soft peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip the cream.

Now, add the mango puree to the whipped cream and gently fold and mix until well combined.

Pour the mango mousse into four to five small serving glasses or bowls. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about one hour or up to a couple of hours.

Serve the mango mousse cold. Garnish with any of your preferred toppings or enjoy it as is. This mango mousse will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Keep the glasses covered or transfer to a sealed container.

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