Ice cream has always been a major weakness of mine – I’ll shamelessly enjoy it in every form it happens to be in at the moment, no matter what.
If the only option is to eat that old, hardened mass stuck in one corner of the cookie dough ice cream container with a five-month buildup of freezer burn, I’ll still dig my spoon right in there with the power of a thousand bulldozers.
If my chocolate peanut butter ice cream melted after a long trip from the grocery store to my home on a particularly hot day while stuck in a big traffic jam, I’ll greedily slurp it up as soon as I drop my grocery tote bags on the kitchen floor.
But I understand I shouldn’t completely sacrifice my culinary creativity during every ice cream experience. Or my personal dignity. Or my diet.
So when I’m desperate for something cool, wholesome, fruity, and refreshing – and I need to satiate that craving now, now, now – I make paleo mango coconut ice cream!
This no-churn, time-saving wonder is quick and easy to make in under 10 minutes directly in your food processor, with no other equipment required.
Stay far, far away, ice cream maker! We don’t need you this time!
In order to achieve such a swift sweet, the recipe relies on a base of frozen cubed mangoes.
The frozen fruit is pureed with the other ingredients, forming a chilled, orange-hued ice cream with a perfectly thick and creamy texture.
If instant satisfaction is the dream you want to chase, you’ll relish every smooth spoonful as soon as you puree everything together.
And you can do so with minimal guilt – this creation is lactose free and vegan! In addition to the fruit, the short and simple ingredient list includes coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt.
Whether it’s for an impromptu get-together after attending a group workout or enjoying a sweltering summer day outside with friends and family, or for your own quick late-night pleasure while home alone, you’ll be relieved to have this recipe on hand!
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No-Churn Paleo Mango Ice Cream
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: About 2 cups (4 1/2-cup servings) 1x
Description
This no-churn paleo mango ice cream is easy to make in the food processor. With frozen fruit and coconut milk, it’s a guilt-free vegan dessert.
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen mango cubes (about 10 ounces)
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with a regular S-blade attachment.
- Pulse for about 10 seconds to break down the mango cubes into very small pieces. Blend at high speed until a completely smooth and thick mixture forms, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the food processor and blend again for 5-10 seconds.
- Serve immediately in bowls.
- To store in the freezer, scrape the ice cream into a freezer-friendly airtight container. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on the surface of the ice cream before sealing the container with a lid. Transfer to the freezer. When ready to serve, allow the ice cream to sit at room temperature for 10-20 minutes to soften before scooping.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Ice Cream
- Method: No-Churn
- Cuisine: Dessert
Keywords: paleo, vegan, mango, coconut, ice, cream
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 – Prep
Measure out the frozen mango cubes – you’ll be dealing with varying sizes of solid cubes and pieces, so they won’t be completely flush with the rim of the measuring cup. It’s fine if they heap slightly over the rim.
If you are prepping fresh mango, you will need two mangoes weighing about 12 to 14 ounces each to yield the amount of fruit you’ll need.
After cubing the fresh mangoes, place the pieces – without them touching each other – on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Transfer to the freezer and let them completely freeze and harden, about 4 hours.
Measure out the 2 cups you need once they are frozen.
If you see that the fat has separated from the rest of the liquid after opening the can of coconut milk, don’t measure anything yet! You need the coconut milk to be a homogenous liquid for this recipe – you don’t want to measure all fat and no liquid, or all liquid and no fat.
Dump out all of the contents of the can into a bowl and vigorously whisk to re-combine everything into a smooth mixture. Now you can measure the cupful that you need, saving the remaining coconut milk in an airtight container in the fridge.
Measure out the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and coarse salt as well.
Step 2 – Puree
Place all of the measured ingredients into your food processor, fitted with a regular S-blade attachment.
Before pureeing, you first need to pulse the ingredients for about 10 seconds. This will help to break down the fruit cubes into very small pieces before pureeing.
Then, blend at high speed for about one minute, or until a completely smooth mixture forms. Because you are using frozen fruit, the mixture will stay cold and thick.
In order to incorporate any ingredients that did not mix properly, scrape down the sides and bottom of the food processor with a spatula and pulse the mixture briefly for about five to 10 seconds.
Step 3 – Serve Immediately
Guess what… you’re done! Yes, I’m being serious!
To enjoy its smooth, melt-in-your-mouth consistency, divide the ice cream among small dessert bowls and serve it immediately. This is when the ice cream is at its best!
You can serve it plain, or top it with a variety of paleo-friendly garnishes. We like using toasted unsweetened coconut flakes or diced mango pieces.
Step 4 – Store
If you prefer to firm up the texture, or if you want to freeze it for future enjoyment, you’ll need to store it properly.
Scrape the ice cream from the food processor into a freezer-friendly airtight container. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top before sealing the container with a lid. These steps will minimize the development of freezer burn.
Transfer the container to the freezer. The ice cream will achieve a firm, yet scoopable, consistency in about one to two hours, or it can be stored for up to one month.
When you’re ready to serve your dessert from its fully frozen state, you may need to allow the ice cream to sit at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes to soften before scooping. It may be too solid to scoop if you don’t allow enough time for it to thaw slightly.
Fire and Ice – Add Some Heat!
A cold and refreshing mango ice cream base pairs well with spicy ingredients – what a mischievous excuse to turn up the heat if you and your taste buds love to play with fire!
Puree a couple slices of jalapeno pepper or a pinch of ground cayenne pepper with the other ingredients in the food processor, and be prepared for a spicy kick that will play so nicely with the creamy texture and fruity flavors.
How do you like to enhance your ice cream experience? What do you think of our quick strategy to make a frozen treat? Leave a comment below.
Made into salsas, sorbets, spreads, and more, mango is a mighty and versatile fruit! You’ll love all of our flavor-packed recipes featuring mango. We suggest making these next:
Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on May 5, 2014. Last updated on August 25, 2023.10
About Nikki Cervone
Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
Scrumptious!! I’m just getting into Paleo recipes, and I love that you can make ice cream from coconut milk. Mango sounds like an excellent companion to the coconut milk base, and I definitely want to make this ice cream right away.
I didn’t think you could get as good a result with frozen mango – I’ll look out for that at the supermarket, as I don’t buy fresh mangoes very often, and when I do they tend to go off quickly. Frozen fruit is a real godsend in the kitchen.
I am also just learning about Paleo recipes after recently being diagnosed with a serious heart condition, i think it could be a good diet for myself. I do like the idea of mango and coconut together as it sounds very refreshing.
Someone recently gave me a recipe for banana and coconut paleo ice cream that doesn’t even require an ice cream maker to produce. I do however own an ice cream maker so will definitely attempt your recipe as it looks gorgeous.
Just wondering whether fresh mangoes would work the same trick as frozen mangoes, what would the safest bet be on this? Quite a mouth-watering dessert right there, being a sweet tooth, a lot of ‘sweet tooth emotions’ are spinning up in my head, this is a definite must try!
This looks so good! I’m definitely going to try to make this. I’ve never made ice cream like this so I’m excited to try this and it’s perfect for summer! Now I just have to figure out where my ice cream maker is hiding haha!
That looks delicious honestly! I may have to go out and purchase an ice cream maker to do this. I love ice cream and mango’s. It looks to be a good combo. My daughter would love it too.
Every year I say I am going to buy myself an ice cream maker. As of today I still haven’t done so. I think I just may be afraid I’ll mess it up. It’s nearly fall now, but it’s high time for an ice cream maker in the house. Hopefully I can get it to turn out right, or come here and find helpful tips.
This sounds delicious. I’m not a huge ice cream fan, but children really are. It is the number one treat that they request (not that they always get it). I’ve just recently started shifting our eating habits towards a Paleo diet, so finding a way to make ice cream is key. I have an ice cream attachment for my KitchenAid mixer, so I will need to pull it out of storage and make room for it in my tiny freezer so I can try some of this. I will check at Costco for fresh mangoes, though. They often have organic ones at a good price if you buy a large amount, which would work for making ice cream and freezing some for later.
This looks enticing! A substitute to usual flavors available in supermarkets. Fortunately, it’s the season of ripe mangoes here in our country so they must be inexpensive this time around. Really a yummy dessert in hot season especially to kids. Certainly a must-try dessert!
Goodness, this looks so good! I absolutely love mangos–they’re my favorite fruit. I’m always searching for frozen desserts on the ‘healthier’ side. Curious, how strong is the flavor of the coconut milk? I’m not too big of a fan of coconut flavored foods. Would almond or regular milk do the trick?
The Paleo mango Ice Cream looks luscious. I always opt for toppings on ice cream and gourmet ice cream flavors. Portia88 is so correct about the inclusion of the coconut milk base. I think that the coconut elevates the creamy flavor.
This looks heavenly!!! Perfect for those summer time ice cream cravings. YUM.
Oh Goodness! I’m always looking for more reason to eat mango. This looks amazing!
This is the first time I have heard of Paleo recipes, so I want to try this as soon as I can. But, I generally stay as far away from frozen fruits and such, and mangoes, like you said, are really expensive. Do you suggest any alternatives to using mangoes in the dish? I wanted to include strawberries, but they do not seem like a good fit to the recipe.
This looks delicious. I love ice cream and mangos, but I’ve never eaten them together before. I am always looking to make my favorite treats healthier, and I think this would do the trick. I tend to use frozen fruits because it’s easier to store and they don’t go bad as fast. I’ll try this with frozen mango first and if it doesn’t work then I’ll try fresh ones.
A mango is really an expensive fruit especially if it’s not yet in season. I love mangoes! But my son loves the purple yam flavor of ice cream. And my daughter likes the chocolate flavor. I like mine as long as it’s sweet fruity taste. We have cravings once in a while. We bought this 3 in 1 flavor kind of ice cream. ha!ha!ha! So, no fighting over with my two kids.
Mmmm! I absolutely love mangoes and so I love finding new ways to prepare them or new recipes to include them in. Like you said it’s hard to find mangoes at all times of the year and I tried this recipe with canned. The only issue I ran across was that the mangoes ended up being very squishy..but still delicious! My dad, children and husband all thank you very much for this recipe 🙂
I think this may be the post that get’s me to purchase everything I need to make some Ice cream. I can remember my grandparents and the old ice cream maker on the porch. We hand cranked, added salt and ice as needed. Thanks for a great memory.
I can definitely get behind this! I like the idea of Paleo recipes, but it can seem really intimidating for some reason. However, this looks really easy and doesn’t use a bunch of ingredients so it seems a lot easier.
You just can’t say no to ice cream. I’ve been it at home for some time now, but it’s usually from those ”instant” mixes you can buy at any supermarket and just add milk, stir and freeze. Of course it’s no where near as good as the real deal. IF only I could find mangos…
Cmok, it’s my weakness as well. I’m not sure what country your in, but if you have a COSCOs nearby, they normally sell frozen mango chunks in large bags. I know this is true in the USA, South Korea, and I believe I saw them in Europe as well.
Mmm, that ice cream sounds delicious! Making your own seems to be far healthier too – it isn’t full of additives. I love the thought of the mango and coconut together and bet it makes a really refreshing dessert.
Not sure if anyone knows about Mangolada’s but this would be a perfect substitute for the sorbet I’m used to using. I think the sweet & cream would make an interesting counter balance to the spicy saltiness & chunks of mango. Mm, can’t wait.
I haven’t made ice cream in a while, and haven’t even taken my ice cream maker out of storage, but I think I’ll dust it off for this recipe. I have never seen frozen mango, so I will have to look and see if I can get it locally. If not, I’ll substitute something comparable. I haven’t cooked or make anything with coconut milk to date, and am looking forward to trying it out, and comparing the end results with the product that I usually make.
This is a fun flavor I must try for myself. I love eating fresh mango but never thought about it for a dairy treat. This is something you probably will not find in a typical grocery store either way. This is something I would expect from a fancy restaurant. It is nice being able to make what you like and eat it too.
I’m not sure about this for an appetizer, it looks like a dessert, but it does look delicious. I’d like to see something more restaurant style.
I am loving the combination of mango and coconut. Usually coconut is paired with pineapple. I like coconut and pineapple on their own, but for some reason I don’t like the two together. This sounds like a good, healthier, option for a dessert. Might swap the honey for agave syrup to make it vegan though, I am not into the whole “paleo” fad.
I don’t think that I’ve ever ate anything with both coconut and mango, but it sounds delicious!
I’m obsessed with ice-cream, cause they’re one of the most healthy treats available.
Too bad that I’m suffering from a cold now, so making this wouldn’t be the smartest idea…
I hope that I get better soon 😉
I thought I was the only one who had an addiction to mango ice cream! My husband hates it, but I live off it in the summer. So refreshing! Needless to say, this is the first recipe I’ve seen that has made me actually want to go out and buy an ice cream maker!
Because I have a mango tree I usually end up with bags of ripened mangos and a lack of creative ideas of food to to prepare with them. I loved the idea of mango ice cream! It comes as a perfect solution during mango season. I prepared the ice cream bowl 24 hours prior as suggested and then decided to get the mangoes ready so I could make the mix the next day. Suggestion, if you have a hard time peeling them, use a vegetable or potato peeler to get rid of the skin. The best flavor comes from the ripest mangos though, as the greener ones are tangy and sappy. The process to making this was not so difficult. Especially since I used the blender as suggested. I did want to add a little bit of mango to the puree mix, but just a hint. The chunky pieces in the cream add an interesting texture to the final result. I have heard of variations of this recipe by sprinkling the served soft served scoops with a little bit of sea salt ( which I guess cuts the sweetness of the honey/mango) and I have also heard of dusting the served ice cream with Chili powder for a hot /cold – chilly spicy experience, but I have yet to try either suggestion. I will probably do that on the next batch I make. For now, I am just happy I have homemade mango ice cream in the fridge waiting for me when I need a little sweetness in my life. The best part of it is that since this is a paleo recipe, the ingredients are very basic and easy to find, except maybe the mangoes for those who must go buy them. It’s worth it though.
Wow, this mango ice cream recipe sounds exquisite. I have dairy sensitivity, so the fact that it is made with coconut milk is an added bonus. I know already that coconut and mango are an unbeatable rich and elegant match for one another. I can hardly wait to try this!
I’ve made ice cream using plastic ziplock bags, one with the ice cream ingredients and two larger bags with ice cubes and ice cubes and salt. This method works well for people who don’t have an ice cream maker. “Scientific American” offers a recipe (as a science experiment) if you want to google it.
Thanks for the delicious post!
In as much as I’m excited to try out this recipe, I’m saddened at the fact that I don’t have an ice cream maker! Nevertheless, because it’s SUPER HOT in my part of the world, I humored myself by browsing through Foodal’s ice cream recipes. I just checked the Mango Tequila Sorbet recipe, and now I found this PALEO MANGO ICE Cream Recipe. I just LOVE MANGOES (of course next to chocolate!), and I’m sure I’m super going to delight in this delicious ice cream. The pictures just makes me want to grab the ice cream NOW! I really could use some cold dessert ASAP.
Well this looks absolutely delicious. I’ve never actually tried making ice-cream – mainly because I’m always watching my weight and therefore try to have a ‘treatless’ kitchen, but I would definitely give this a whirl for a dinner party or summer bbq.
Mango is delicious! It’s one of those fruits that taste great frozen or fresh. I like the idea of using coconut milk to make it vegan (and I suppose you could use agave syrup instead of the honey as well). This would taste good with some young coconut flesh or some flakes of toasted coconut. I’d top it with crushed or slivered almonds as well. If I may ask, what is the purpose of the lemon juice? Does it give it an extra kick? I’m just curious, really.