5 Ingredient Mango Mousse Cups

Mango mousse is sweet, creamy, and perfectly tangy! It captures the essence of mango in every spoonful! Plus, you can use fresh or frozen mango when making this easy mousse recipe. Just 5 ingredients in the blender, and it comes together in just minutes!

Mango mousse is a creamy, sweet, tropical little dessert that my daughter loves. I used frozen mango in her baby food recipes quite often when she was little, and now, I've got a big girl who still loves mango! 

In our house, we go through dried mango strips, frozen mango cubes, and fresh mangos at record pace. I love how much vitamin A and vitamin C they have, so I let the kids eat them as much as they want. When they're really young but old enough to understand dessert, frozen mango cubes are their first introduction to 'ice cream.' I let it soften on the counter for a few minutes, and then the slushy pieces are like sorbet to them. Then, they graduate to banana ice cream, of course.

We buy the giant 4 pound bags of frozen mango, and keep it in the freezer. It finds its way into smoothies (like a mango banana smoothie or a mango pineapple smoothie), and I love that we can hide frozen spinach in a smoothie because the mango is so sweet.

For a little mango treat to enjoy after the kids are in bed, I made this mango mousse in a blender. I make it right after using the blender to make the kids a smoothie, and then I give them the smoothie to drink to distract them while I gather up all the ingredients to make this. I'm not opposed to sharing a few bites with them, but this is really a treat for me and my husband. I'd rather they eat my baby meatballs with mango glaze instead.

If you have the blender out, you would like my mango lemonade, too!

Mango mousse without gelatin or eggs:

First, I want to talk about how this mousse recipe doesn't contain any gelatin or eggs. In this recipe, we're using the acidity from the citrus and mango to react and set the milk within the sweetened condensed milk. It's a method that is used frequently with no bake lemon desserts. The acid from the lemon reacts with the milk proteins and forms protein chains, which causes a firm set, otherwise known as pudding or mousse! Science is so cool!

I do have a recipe for easy chocolate mousse that uses eggs, and please note that mousse made with eggs sets up slightly firmer and has more of a bubbly texture than this mango mousse. This recipe is more similar to my strawberry mousse, because it's also made in the blender and uses other ingredients for thickening agents besides eggs.

Mango Mousse Recipe Ingredients

• mango: You need half a pound (8 ounces) of frozen mango. This can be fresh or frozen mango; if it's frozen, defrost it at room temperature for about 30 minutes before you use it.
• orange juice: Freshly squeezed or regular orange juice that you drink for breakfast is fine here.
• lime juice
• sweetened condensed milk: Since we're not using the entire can of sweetened condensed milk (not the same as evaporated milk, by the way), try to find the squeeze bottles of condensed milk. Any leftover condensed milk is great in coffee or tea.
• heavy cream: Full-fat heavy cream (or double cream) is best for making this mango mousse.

How to make Mango Mousse

1. Gather your ingredients: mango, citrus juices, condensed milk, and heavy cream. Have ready a bowl to whip the cream in, and have a clean blender ready, too.
   
2. Place the mango, juice of the orange and lime, and the condensed milk in the bottom of a blender. Turn it to high and puree until very smooth.
   
3. Once the mixture is very smooth, turn off the blender.
   
4. Now, it's time to whip the heavy cream in a separate bowl with an electric mixer. You don't need to add any sugar to this mango mousse, because the sweetened condensed milk in the blender is plenty sweet! Plus, the natural sweetness from the mango provides all the sugar we need.
   
5. You want to whip the cream until medium peaks form--not overly soft, floppy peaks, but not quite firm either. If you aim for firm peaks with whipped cream, you might over whip the cream and make butter. Basically, just beat until the peaks start to hold their shape.
   
6. Slowly fold the mango puree into the whipped cream. Use a spatula and use proper folding technique: scrap the spatula around the edges of the bowl and then through the middle. Repeat many, many times until the mixture is homogenous. You don't want streaks of mango that hasn't been incorporated within your mousse, because it will effect the set.
   
7. Once the mixture is combined, divide the mango mousse into 4 small cups. Chill in the fridge for at 4 hours or overnight.

How to serve Mango Mousse Dessert

Decorate with more whipped cream, mango pieces, and maybe a beautiful mint leaf to be really fancy. This recipe makes 2 generous servings or 4 small ones. We like to divide it up and enjoy it after the kids are in bed for two nights. Or, I try to pass off my chia pudding with coconut milk and mango pieces as the 'kids dessert'.

How to store Mango Mousse Cups

Can you freeze mango mousse?

No, I don't recommend freezing this mango mousse, because the texture might change after thawing. If the texture breaks, you can't re-whip the cream once it's already folded in. So, if you want to make it ahead, you may freeze the mango puree part only, but you must fold it into freshly whipped cream before serving. If you want something icy, you would love my frozen lemon mousse for two.

To store any leftovers, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.