This super simple mango coulis is done using only 3 simple ingredients and makes for an amazing healthy fruit purée to accompany cakes, ice cream, yogurt and much more. Naturally vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and can easily be made without any added sugar.
I love making cranberry coulis during the holiday season to use up extra fresh cranberries that were not used for other recipes. But today, I am sharing a super simple fruit coulis recipe that I make all the time and all year around: mango coulis.
I actually prepare coulis using many different fruits, especially when they start to turn a little too soft or overripe. It is such a good way to "save" them!
But, mango is an absolute favorite fruit to turn into a smooth sauce as it is free of small seeds, isn't overly juicy and easily brings a bright sunny fresh flavor to so many dishes. Plus, our kids LOVE mangoes so much, so I always have them around.
And what I love most about this mango coulis is how easy and quick it is to make. Simply cook the fruit for a short period of time with a little lemon juice and sweetener, depending on how sweet your fruits are, and then, blend until super smooth. You can easily adjust the final consistency with extra water depending on how you want to serve it, SO EASY. It keeps in the fridge so well, making it a great meal prep recipe.
The lemon juice adds a mild zesty flavor to complement the sweet mango, which worked out so great. You can adjust the ratio of tangy vs sweet to your taste very easily.
Then, dollop over vegan overnight oats, coconut yogurt, ice cream, cake, vegan berry cheesecake, pancakes and so much more. One of our favorite way to serve it actually is to layer in spiced chia pudding parfaits: so beautiful and amazing for breakfast or as a healthy dessert.
Ok, I hope you give it a try! ❤️
What is a fruit coulis
A fruit coulis simply is a fruit sauce that's usually a little thinner than a puree and made very smooth by removing any pieces of fruits, fiber or seeds. You can drizzle or dollop over sweet recipes, such as cakes or puddings.
Most fruit coulis will implicate straining the sauce, especially when it is made with seeded fruits such as raspberries or cranberries. But here, I found the straining step to be optional if you blend the sauce very well. Mango is so easy to turn super smooth if you cook it first!
Highlights of this recipe
- Super easy recipe and quick to prepare
- Great for meal prep and to garnish sweet recipes during the week
- Making fruit puree can help you eat more fruits!
- Great way to use mangoes that turned too soft or overripe
- Tasty tropical flavor that pairs well with so many sweet dishes
- Healthy and rich in Vitamin C
- Naturally vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and can be made sugar-free
Ingredients
Made using only 3 simple ingredients:
- Mangoes: use ripe mangoes that are super sweet for best result, of course. Fresh mangoes are ready to eat when they are soft and gives a little when you gently press on them. The skin also tends to turn more orang-y or reddish when ripe. I used 2 large red mangoes, but if you want to make it using the Ataulfo or Alphonso variety, then use 3 of them since they are usually smaller.
- Lemon juice: or fresh lime juice. The tanginess balances out the sweet fruit, brightens up the overall flavor and boosts the mango flavor.
- Sweetener: add to taste (or omit completely), around 1-2 tablespoons. Mango is naturally pretty sweet, so you should not need a lot.
How to make an easy mango coulis recipe
This recipe is so simple, quick and made only in a few easy steps! Try making it ahead so it has some time to chill in the fridge before serving.
Cook the fruit
Start by chopping the mangoes into cubes. No need to be perfect as they will cook and be blended as well. You can watch my super short video to give you a rough idea on how I cube a mango in seconds.
Transfer the mango cubes to a small-medium pot and then, add then the sweetener and lemon juice. I recommend starting with less sweetener and adding some more later, if needed.
Cover and cook the fruit on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. The mango is ready when softer and easily crushed with the back of a spoon.
Blend
Transfer the fruit into a blender and blend on high until super smooth.
Then, you can (or not) add some water and blend again until you reach desired consistency.
Strain (optional) + Chill
You may want to strain the coulis using a fine mesh sieve depending on if there are still some chunks of mangoes or extra fiber that were not blended to smooth.
If you have a high-speed blender (such as Vitamix), then you probably won't need to strain the mango puree. Mangoes also don't have small seeds that would alter the texture. But, I do strain coulis when I make it using small berries with tiny seeds and rougher skins, such as cranberries (check out my cranberry coulis video to see how I do it without a blender!).
Helpful tips
- Unripe mangoes can be a bit sour and tougher in texture. In that case, if you must use them, then cook a little longer and add more sweetener as needed.
- If your fruit dries out while cooking, then simply add a splash of water to the pot. On the other side, if you added too much water and it is too juicy, then cook uncovered for a few extra minutes.
- If you don't have lemon, then you can also use lime juice or even freshly squeezed orange juice. I would even simply omit the lemon juice if you have nothing to replace it with, that will still be delicious!
- Adjust the final consistency by leaving it as is for a thick puree or by adding a few tablespoons of water to the blender to thin it out to a pourable texture.
Storage
This fresh mango coulis stores very well in the fridge for a few days. Simply let it cool down for about one hour at room temperature first and then transfer in an airtight container (I love mason jars for this!) before transferring in the fridge.
Serving suggestions
There are so many different ways you can serve this sweet mango sauce, but we love it the most for either dessert or breakfast. This mango compote will add a nice color and also an amazing tropical sweetness to anything you serve it with, especially summer desserts. Here are a few serving ideas:
- Cake (particularly white vanilla cakes)
- Overnight oats (simply add some to this mango overnight oats)
- Yogurt
- Ice cream
- Oatmeal
- Chia parfaits
- Mocktails, such as this watermelon mojito mocktail or this passion fruit mocktail
- Pancakes, waffles or French toast
- Lemonade (try adding some to this dragon fruit lemonade!)
- Frozen smoothie bowls
- Omit the sweetener altogether and serve to babies or toddlers as a fruit compote
FAQ's
You can use about 2 heaping cups of frozen mangoes if you don't have any fresh fruit. I find frozen mangoes to often be less sweet and even a little sour, so if this is the case, then you might have to add a little more sweetener. Also, add a little water to the pot when cooking the fruit to help thaw it.
Yes you can! You could even freeze in ice cube trays to have smaller portions of thick mango sauce to add to drinks or to top oatmeals later in the month. Let the coulis thaw for a few minutes at room temperature or overnight in the fridge before using.
Yes you can, although this will give you a mango sweet sauce that's not as smooth. You could strain the mixture using a fine mesh colander to help remove the larger pieces remaining or leave it as is, if you don't mind having more texture in your coulis. You can even use an immersion blender if that's all you have, it will work too!
More mango recipes you might like
- Mango popsicles
- Mango water
- Cucumber, mango and edamame salad
- Mango overnight oats
- Southwestern quinoa and brown rice salad
- Vegan quinoa poke bowl
- Watermelon mango smoothie
- Roasted habanero mango salsa
- Mango fried rice
- Chocolate mango smoothie
I hope you like this mango coulis recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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📖 Recipe
Mango coulis
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 2 large red mangoes - or 3 smaller Ataulfo mangoes or frozen mangoes (see below)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice - or lime juice
- 1-2 tbsp sweetener (I used maple syrup, but sugar works too) - or more if the mangoes aren't very sweet
- 1-3 tbsp water - optional, to adjust consistency
Instructions
- Start by peeling and slicing the mangoes in cubes. Watch my quick video to see how I do this.
- Then, transfer the fruit in a small-medium pot and add the sweetener and lemon juice. Cover and cook on low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until the mangoes are softer. Stir often to prevent burning/sticking to the bottom and add a splash of water if the fruit is drying out.
- Then, transfer to a blender (or food processor) and blend on high until smooth. Check on the texture and add some water to thin out the coulis as needed.
- Optional: to have a super smooth consistency, then you can also pass the mango coulis through a fine mesh colander to remove any large pieces of fruit or extra fiber.
- Pour in an air-tight container (I love glass mason jars for this) and keep in the fridge until ready to use. I recommend chilling the coulis for about an hour before using. Serve over cakes, oatmeals, chia puddings, overnight oats, pancakes, mocktails, iced teas, etc.
Video
Notes
- Store the coulis in an air-tight container for up to 4-5 days.
- To use frozen mangoes: use about 2 cups of chopped frozen mangoes and also, add also about 2 tablespoons of water to the pot to help the mangoes thaw. Also, I find frozen mangoes often to be on the sour side, so if this is the case, simply add a little more sweetener to compensate.
- You can make this recipe completely free of added sugar by simply omitting the sweetener. This will work better if your mangoes are ripe and naturally super sweet.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
NUTRITION
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