Mango Kulfi Recipe
Updated: May 5, 2024, By Swasthi
Make this easy no-cook Mango Kulfi just under 5 minutes with condensed milk, cream (or malai) and ripe mango pulp. Flavor it optionally with cardamoms or saffron. Kulfi is the traditional Indian answer to scorching hot summers. From humble beginnings as a simple malai kulfi, this Indian style ice cream now has a flavor tree with new and exciting combinations. You will find many flavors of this Indian Ice Cream and Mango Kulfi is everyone’s favorite during the mango season!
About Mango Kulfi
Mango Kulfi is a frozen summer dessert made with milk, sugar & sweet ripe mangoes or mango pulp. It is popular in the Indian Sub-continent & is also served in Indian restaurants all-round the year. There are many different ways to make it. The basic mango kulfi is made much the same way like the traditional kulfi to which the mango puree is added at the last stage and simmered.
The mixture is poured to the aluminum kulfi molds & frozen until set. You have the most delicious, creamy and addictive summer treat bursting with mango flavors. But traditional kulfi making is a laborious process in which milk needs to be simmered and condensed to get the perfect consistency for freezing.
What if you want the mango kulfi now and you simply don’t have the time for making it the old-fashioned way? Then this quick, no-cook method recipe is the only one you’ll ever need. This easy and fast method uses condensed milk and cream giving you a texture similar to traditional mango kulfi made with milk, malai and khoya (milk solids).
Pulp from ripe and sweet mangoes or slices are blended with saffron for an eye-popping color. Cream is used to impart a creamy texture. To cut-short the simmering of milk and sugar, we use sweetened condensed milk. You can flavor the mango kulfi with cardamom powder if you like.
All the ingredients are blended until smooth and poured to the kulfi molds or a freezer safe tray. It cannot get easier than this! No cooking and no extra steps, and yet the taste of this mango kulfi makes it hard to stop with one!
I have not used milk here as I ended up with icy kulfi a lot of times due to the milk. If using alphonso mangoes you may substitute some of the cream with milk. Since alphonso mangoes are full of pulp and less juices, using milk works.
Ingredients
Mangoes: Use ripe mangoes that are completely sweet. Do not use sour mangoes as dairy and sour ingredients, especially fruits can cause acidity and stomach problems. In the absence of fresh mangoes, you can use canned sweet mango pulp.
Cream: You can use any cream with a fat content of minimum 25%. You can also use homemade malai, cream from boiled milk. Blend it separately first with condensed milk until smooth (do not overdo) and then add the mangoes.
Flavor: You can omit the flavoring ingredients like saffron or cardamoms if your mangoes are flavorsome.
Molds: I do not own kulfi molds, so I use steel cups. You may also use Popsicle molds or even disposable cups or steel bowls. A small freezer metal tray/pan also works. You just need to slice the kulfi after it is set.
For more summer desserts, you can chek
Kesar Pista Kulfi
Falooda
Mango Ice Cream
Mango Lassi
Easy Mango Smoothie
Mango Milkshake
Photo Guide
How to make Mango Kulfi (Stepwise Photos)
Preparation
1. Optionally soak a pinch of saffron in 2 tbsps of hot water. You may also replace it with any natural organic food color if you want. Add 1½ cups peeled & chopped mango cubes or 1 cup mango pulp to a blender. (make sure you don’t use sour mangoes or pulp)
2. Pour 1 cup heavy whipping cream. If you don’t have whipping cream you can use regular fresh cream which has at least 25% fats.
3. Add ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder and the soaked saffron.
4. Pour half tin (7 oz) sweetened condensed milk. You can adjust the quantity more or less to suit your taste.
5. Blend to a smooth puree.
6. Add 2 tbsps chopped pistachios, reserving a little for garnish. Give a good mix.
Freezing
7. Pour the mixture to the kulfi molds or Popsicle moulds. I have used steel cups. You can also pour to a small freezer safe tray lined with a parchment paper.
8. Cover them with a foil and pierce a Ice cream stick gently. Refrigerate until set.
9. Remove the foil and rub the glass in between your palms or dip the base of the cups/tray in a bowl of water. Gently pull out. If using a tray, revert on a tray, slice to portions and serve immediately.
Garnish mango kulfi with finely chopped pistachios.
Pro Tips
If your mangoes are too fibrous, puree the mangoes first and strain out the fiber. Add it back to the blender and blend with the rest. No one will like the fiber while enjoying the creamy mango kulfi.
You may substitute half of the cream with full fat milk if your mangoes are pulpy and not juicy. Use pasteurized milk or pre-boiled and cooled milk. Avoid using raw milk as the mango kulfi mixture can easily split.
If you want to make this without condensed milk, you have to make the basic plain kulfi mixture using my basic kulfi recipe. Cool it completely and then stir in the mango puree. Note that my recipe uses cornstarch which prevents the milk also from splitting after adding the mango puree. If you do not want to use corn starch, substitute it with custard powder.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Mango Kulfi Recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 1½ cups ripe mango (chopped or 1 cup pulp with no citric acid added)
- ½ tin (7 oz) sweetened condensed milk (milkmaid, ½ of 397g tin)
- 1 cup whipping cream (chilled or homemade malai, refer notes)
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 Pinch saffron (kesar, optional, for color)
- 2 tablespoons pistachios (chopped finely)
Instructions
How to make Mango Kulfi
- If using saffron soak in 2 tablespoons hot water and keep aside. Wash and peel mango. Chop to cubes and add to a blender jar.
- Add chilled cream, saffron, condensed milk and cardamom powder to the jar.
- Blend on a medium speed until smooth. Stir in the chopped pistachios, reserving some for garnish.
- Transfer to kulfi moulds or steel cups or Popsicle moulds. Cover, insert sticks in the center and freeze them overnight or until set.
- Rub the moulds in between your palms or dip them in a bowl of water. You can also keep the base under running water.
- Gently loosen and remove mango kulfi. Garnish with crushed pista. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use sweet ripe and pulpy mangoes. Sour mangoes when consumed with dairy can cause acidity & tummy ache.
- If using canned mango pulp, it is best to use something that do not have citric acid added to it. It should be sweet and not sour. If your mangoes are too fibrous, blend them first and strain the puree to avoid fiber in your mango kulfi
- To use homemade malai, blend it first with condensed milk until smooth. Then add the rest of the ingredients. (Malai is homemade milk cream that rises to the surface after boiling and cooling milk)
- Use pasteurized milk or pre-boiled and cooled milk. Do not use raw milk as it can split.
- To make mango kulfi without condensed milk and cream, use my plain kulfi recipe. Make the kulfi mixture and cool it completely, pour the chilled mango puree into it & stir well.
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
This recipe was first published in May 2017.
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
Thank you for the amazing recipes. What can I substitute for condensed milk? I can’t have condensed milk and even whipping cream. Please suggest.
Pooja, try soaking cashews or almond flour in hot water for 2 hours. Puree to a smooth consistency with sugar & little water. Cook that with water until thick yet runny. Cool down and blend with mangoes. I have a similar recipe on this shahi tukda to make rabdi. Use water in place of milk. Hope this helps.
hi, can I use frozen mangos from the grocery store instead of fresh. Would it alter the recipe, eg. frozen mangos instead of the fresh mangos?
Hi, Do you mean frozen mango pulp? It works if it has no citric acid. Sometimes the mixture can split if it has citric acid.
I don’t know where Dayle is located. I find frozen mangoes from Walmart in Canada are sour, fibrous and generally not worth the money. If fresh is not an option,canned is next best thing….sold at Walmart.
I want to make this desert ahead of time, will I be able to freeze it and serve it from frozen?
Yes you can
Easy and quick! Thanks. Only suggestion is the video ☝?has so much disturbing “slides” we can’t read ingredients! See for yourself! Thanks
Hi Mirza,
The video is also available in the recipe card at the end of the post. That won’t distract you. I will add a jump to video soon.
Thanks for response, Swasthi. Have a blessed day!
Mirza, You too have a great day!
🙂
I made your mango kulfi with homemade frozen mango puree which I froze earlier this year during the mango season. It came out so good. Thank you
Glad to know Kalpana. Thanks for trying
Hello,
I came across your blog while looking for a Cold mango dessert I ate in a local Indian restaurant. It had no milk products in it. Can you suggest me a substitute for cream and condensed milk in this recipe. I am excited to try this. Thank you
Hello Fen,
Most Indian mango desserts use milk products. I am just wondering if it a mango sorbet. For this recipe you can use coconut cream and sugar but it won’t taste the same. I can’t give you the exact quantities since I haven’t tried. But just use more or less as needed. It should turn out good.
Hello! What is the difference between “cream” and “whipping cream”? These terms differ from country to country, and I need a little help!
Thank you! I want to make this. It looks delicious!
Hi Amy
Yes you are right. The term differs. I have updated the post with a note. Any other cream with at least 25% fat works here. Hope this helps
Hi,
Can we add salted pistachio to the mixture ?
Hi Shalini,
Just rinse them in water. Then remove the skin and then blend. Salt will just go away. If you add directly it may not taste good.
Yummy..
I have a question. How much condensed milk do I have to use?
Hi Priya
I used half tin of condensed milk. It comes up to half cup plus 2.5 tbsps. You can also add more or less depending on the sweetness of mangoes.
Looks yummy… Can I try using mango pulp from the store?
Thank you. Yes you can try
Hi…
I would like to try this recipe from Mango pulp from the store. How much do I have to use?
Thank you
Hi Priya,
You can use about 1 cup puree. It should be about 250 grams.
Thank you so much for the quick response ma’am.
I made this yesterday and it was awesome…
Thank you so much.
Welcome Priya
Most amazing mango kulfi, that I have ever had. My family could not believe that its not what we get in the market. Its very creamy, rich, delicious and had the right flavour. I used 200 ml of cream instead of 250 ml and still it was quite creamy. I did not add any sugar as the sugar in milkmaid is just enough. I used alphonso mango as I did not want to compromise on the quality of mangoes.
Hi Shalini
Thanks for the comment. Glad to know the kulfi turned out good.
🙂