Mango Water (Aqua Fresca)

This refreshing sweet mango water is the perfect cold drink for the summer. Features 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!

This mango water makes for such an amazing refreshing summer drink. It is a Mexican popular flavored water that simply consists of blending mango with 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 gathering, BBQs or for 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 in the fridge so I can sip on delicious raw mango juice 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 sweet juice, which my kids adore!

Why you'll love this recipe

• Refreshing
• Healthy
• Bright in color
• Can be made ahead
• Great way to use overripe mangos
• No highly processed white sugar
• Can help you drink more water
• Can easily be customized

Aqua fresca vs mango infused water

I love to make fruit infused water, which pretty much consist of adding pieces of fruit to water. It adds color and makes the water more appetizing, but also the fruit diffuses some of its juice to flavor it.

In this case though, it is an aqua 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.

What you'll need

• Ripe mangos: you will need 2 mangos, be sure to use ripe mangos as they will be much sweeter. Your aqua fresca can turn too sour if using under ripe mango, 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).

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.

How to make it

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 water, mango, lime juice and maple syrup. I highly recommend to start with half of the lime and then adjust 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 aqua fresca, 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 cheese cloth 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.

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Watch how to make it

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 easier.
• 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 to dilute your drink by the melting water from ice cubes, then you can make more of this aqua fresca and freeze some ahead of time in 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.

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

• Strawberry acai lemonade refresher
• Vegan horchata
• Pineapple slush
• Virgin strawberry mojito
• Turmeric orange glowing shots
• Oolong peach iced tea
• Dragon fruit pink lemonade
• Chia seed iced tea

I hope you like this mango aqua 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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