Mango Popsicles

Whether you've got fresh mangoes from the grocery store or your neighborhood abuela just handed you a big bag of mangoes from her backyard mango tree, these popsicles are the perfect way to enjoy them. And they're so easy to make! All you need to do is blend, pour, and freeze.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

While store-bought popsicles often have artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, this recipe is all natural, vegan, and refined sugar-free. You'll just need four simple ingredients! Here's what you need to know about each ingredient, along with substitution notes.

mango chunks: I prefer to chop fresh mango for these popsicles, but frozen mango works, too. Just let the mango chunks defrost before you attempt to use them.

You may find different varieties of mango in the grocery store or farmer's market, and the flavors may vary slightly. Some mangoes are a bit tart, even when they're ripe, and others get very sweet. I used Irwin mangoes, which are fairly sweet, but if you have a more tart variety, you may want to increase the agave and reduce the lime juice.

agave: Although mangoes are often quite sweet, adding a bit of agave can lower the popsicles' freezing point and give you a creamier texture. Feel free to adjust the agave to taste, depending on your mangoes' sweetness. You can also use maple syrup instead, although I like the neutral sweetness of agave.

lime juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice adds just a bit of extra tart flavor to the popsicles. You could also use lemon juice. If your mangoes are on the tart side, you may want to reduce the lime juice at first and add more if needed.

vanilla extract: Although it's optional, I like adding real vanilla extract for its sweet, woody flavor.

Choosing and Chopping Mangoes

To choose the best fresh mangoes, look for fruits that are fragrant. Colors may vary depending on the variety, but a ripe mango will always be slightly soft. If it's firm, you'll need to wait for it to ripen. Mangoes that are past their prime may have black spots on the skin or appear wrinkly.

There are a few ways to chop mangoes, but here's how I do it:

Start by turning the mango on its side, then slice the two ends of the mango off, slicing parallel to the pit, as close as you can get to the pit without hitting it.

Cut the flesh inside each of the ends horizontally and vertically without slicing all the way through to the skin, creating square chunks. You can use a spoon to scoop these chunks out. (I do this over a bowl or container so I can also collect the juice).

For the middle piece, cut the skin near the stem, then pull it apart from the flesh. Use your knife to cut the remaining flesh from the pit, then cut the flesh into pieces.

Tips for the Best Mango Popsicles

For the best mango popsicles, the most important step is to choose the best mangoes. See the section above to get tips on selecting ripe fruit.

For a creamy texture that's free of crunchy ice crystals, freeze your popsicles quickly. Set your freezer to its coldest setting, and make use of your quick freeze function, if you have one. Also, don't skip the agave or other sweetener; added sugar helps create a creamy texture, too!

I used silicone popsicle molds for this recipe, but other materials like stainless steel work well, too. Keep in mind that removal methods might vary. With my silicone molds, I like to push the popsicles up from the bottom (these popsicles are soft, so be careful if you use this method). Other types of molds might need to be run under warm water briefly to release the popsicles.

Keep your popsicles in a freezer-safe container or storage bag. In my house, these popsicles go quickly, so I put them all in a single bag. However, if you plan to keep them more than a few days, you'll want to individually wrap each popsicle before putting them into your freezer bag or container to prevent freezer burn. They'll last about 2 to 3 months this way.

Make Them Your Own

Although these popsicles are delicious when you follow the recipe exactly, you can also customize them to your liking. Here are some suggestions:

• Make them creamier with coconut milk: Add 1/2 cup canned coconut milk (or non-dairy yogurt) to the mix to get an even creamier texture. Note that this will make the flavor a little bit milder.

• Add other fruits: passion fruit or pineapple would be a great addition to these popsicles.

• Add seasonings: turmeric and ginger pair well with mango. You could add powdered spices or grate fresh turmeric and ginger.

More Sweet Summer Vegan Treats

If you enjoyed these mango popsicles, you might also want to try these vegan summer dessert recipes:

• Homemade fudgesicles

• Watermelon lime popsicles

• Whole-food, plant-based mint chocolate chip shake

• Passion fruit iced tea

• Vegan Key lime pie

• Vegan blueberry muffins