This refreshing and sweet mango water (agua de mango) is the perfect cold drink for the summer. Features fresh mangos, lime juice and a hint of sweetener, plus you can serve with fresh herbs for more flavor. Easy, quick and perfect for the whole family!

Front angle view on a tall glass of bright yellow mango water filled with ice cubes and mint leaves. There is a lime wedge on the side of the glass as well.

This mango water, also called mango agua fresca or agua de mango, makes for such an amazing refreshing fruity drink to enjoy on a hot summer day. It is like a fruit flavored water, but blended to create a juice consistency.

This recipe actually is a Mexican popular drink that simply consists of blending mango with fresh water, a little sweetener and lime juice. We love its tropical vibe, beautiful orange color and amazing fruity flavor.

Also, it is made without alcohol, which makes it a nice vibrant drink that can be served to the whole family. You can also double or triple the recipe and make a whole pitcher to serve during summer gatherings, BBQs or Cinco de Mayo. I love to add extra fresh herbs when serving, such as mint or basil, just to boost the fresh flavor even more.

What I actually like to do is simply to make a whole jar ahead and keep it in the fridge so I can sip on delicious raw mango water during the next few days. It does store well, plus its amazing flavor pushes me to drink more water, which helps me stay hydrated. Also, it makes for such a healthier drink compared to store-bought juice you find at the grocery store, which my kids adore!

Overhead view on a glass of mango water topped with mint leaves and a lime wedge.

Why you'll love this recipe

Refreshing and perfect drink to help you stay hydrated on a hot day
Healthy and packed with vitamin C, plus contains a good amount of dietary fiber
Bright in color
Can be made ahead
Made using simple ingredients and features natural flavors
Great way to use overripe mangos
No highly processed white sugar
Easy to customize

Mango agua fresca vs mango-infused water

I love to make fruit-infused water, which pretty much consists of adding whole pieces of fruit to fresh water to make a refreshing drink. It adds color and makes the water more appetizing, but also the fruit diffuses some of its juice to flavor it.

In this case, it is an agua fresca recipe, which adds a little step compared to a fruit-infused water where you will actually blend the whole fruit within the water. It is super quick to make and you won't need a high speed blender as you can simply strain it using a colander. Blending the fruit really adds maximum flavor, but also turns the water into a nice thicker texture. And since you eat the whole fruit, you get all of its amazing vitamins and fiber. Agua fresca recipes are so simple yet flavorful and good for you!

What you'll need

Ripe mangos: you will need 2 mangos, be sure to use ripe fruit as they will be much sweeter. Your agua fresca can turn too sour if using unripe mangos, so this is important. A ripe mango is soft to the touch and might leave a dent if gently pressing on it.
Lime: adds such a nice flavor! Depending on how sweet vs sour your mango is, you might want to add half or the whole lime to the water.
Sweetener (optional): a traditional mango aqua fresca you will find in Mexico is pretty sweet. I don't like super sweet drinks, so I'll usually adjust how much sweetener I add depending on how ripe and sweet the mangos are. Other sweeteners will work too as long as they are liquid (will dissolve easier), such as agave syrup.

Which mango to use

Any kind will work, really. I used Ataulfo mango as they are sweeter and less fibrous, but red mangos will work too.

The important part really is to use a ripe mango. I made it using under ripe mangos as I wanted to re-test this recipe and didn't want to wait for them to ripen more. But, I had to add more maple syrup to balance the flavor and my aqua fresca still was a little too sour overall. Ripe mangos will give such a better flavor!

Also, you can use frozen mangos. I find them to be a little less sweet than fresh ripe fruits, but that would still work. Simply thaw the mango in the microwave first to soften the fruit, then blend as directed.

Showing are the ingredients needed to make mango water.

How to make mango water

Prepare the mango

Peel and slice the mangos. You can watch my short video to see how I do that, but essentially, you want to slice along the large flat seed in the middle. Then, I like to scoop the flesh out using a spoon.

Blend

In a blender, combine the cold water, mango, lime juice and maple syrup. I highly recommend starting with half of the lime and then adjusting by adding more if you prefer a more acidic drink. Same thing for the sweetener: depending on how sweet your mango is, you might want to add more or less maple syrup, or even not at all!

Blend until super smooth, then taste to adjust flavor.

Strain (optional)

You might or might not want to strain the agua de mango, this will depend on the strength of your blender and also what you are looking for (do you want pulp?). Although I strained mine as seen in the video to show you how to do it, I usually won't strain it.

If you choose to strain it, you will need a fine mesh colander (the pores of a cheesecloth or milk bag are too fine and the drink would take way too long to strain). You can use a spoon to help the juice strain.

Transfer to a storing glass container or serve right away.

In process picture: there is a spoon scooping out the flesh from a mango.

In process picture: there are hands squeezing some lime juice over a blender.

Helpful tips

I love adding fresh herbs to my drink whenever I serve it. Add the herbs only when serving (they don't store as well once incorporated into the juice) and muddle them at the bottom of your glass before pouring the mango juice over to ensure they release their flavor more easily.
This drink definitely is better when chilled. If you can, try to make it ahead and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve. Also, serve over a few ice cubes for best results.
If you want to serve your drink ultra cold, but are worried about diluting your drink by melting water from ice cubes, then you can make more of this aqua fresca and freeze some ahead of time in an ice cube tray. Use them instead of regular ice cubes (or blend them in your smoothies!).
For best presentation, serve with more pieces of mango and extra lime wedges.
You can also make a large pitcher by doubling-tripling the recipe!

Close up on a glass of mango water filled with mint and ice cubes. There is more fresh mango in the background.

Adds on ideas

As you might realize, this recipe is so easy to customize to your taste. Use it as a base or inspiration and add different fruits and herbs to your aqua fresca to make it your own. Simply use whatever you already have! Here are a few ideas:

Fruits: Watermelon, peach, strawberries, orange or pineapple.
Herbs: mint, basil, lemon balm or Thai basil. You can also try with fresh thyme for a more aromatic drink.
Also, you can use coconut water instead of regular water for a more tropical flavor and add extra electrolytes to your drink.

More refreshing summer drink you might like

I hope you like this mango agua fresca 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