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Learn how to make vegan mango sago at home with just 5 ingredients. This Hong Kong-inspired dessert combines sweet, ripe mangoes with creamy coconut milk and tiny tapioca pearls to create a fresh and fruity treat that is perfect for summer!
Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite summer desserts! Imagine sweet, ripe mangoes combined with fresh coconut milk to create a fruity and tropical sauce. Add in tender and slightly chewy pearls for texture, and you’ve got a dessert that will transport you straight to the tropics, vacation vibes guaranteed!
Vân and I have made this tapioca pudding (aka sago) 3 times last month, and we already bought a couple more mangoes to make it again next weekend. I’ll let you guess how good it tastes!
Traditionally, is mango sago vegan? Not always! It may include sweet condensed milk, honey, or cream, so if you spot it on the menu of a restaurant, make sure to ask them about the ingredients first. OR, better yet, skip the restaurant and make it at home! My version is entirely plant-based and relies on a few simple ingredients!
⭐️ Here’s Why It’s So Good
Extra fruity. Insanely creamy.
Who said desserts have to be complicated to be satisfying? This one proves otherwise. It doesn’t try to be fancy, only calls for a few ingredients… and yet it tastes absolutely delicious.
The marriage of sweet mango and nutty coconut never disappoints, and those tiny tapioca pearls? They bring a fun, jelly-like texture that will keep you going back for spoonful after spoonful!
Super easy to make. Really!
If you know how to use a blender and can cook pasta or rice, you are all set. You passed the test, and you’ve been granted access to the world of sago!
The base of this recipe couldn’t be simpler: just blend ripe mango chunks with coconut milk, a bit of sugar, and a few drops of vanilla extract. Then, cook the tapioca pearls, drain them, and stir everything together. That’s it, dessert is ready!
📘 What Is It
Mango sago, sometimes called mango tapioca pudding, is a dessert that originated in Hong Kong and is said to have been invented by the restaurant Lei Garden in the 80s.
This dish is like a sweet, refreshing soup and often includes mango, coconut milk, condensed milk, sugar, and sago. The original version also included pomelo, but I have left it out of this recipe to keep things simple.
🥭 Meet the Ingredients
Below are a few notes on each ingredient. As always, you can find the measurements in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Mango
Mangoes make the base of this recipe, bringing natural sweetness and fruitiness. If you are using fresh mangoes, ensure that they are fully ripe to get the best taste and texture.
For one batch, you will need about 23 ounces (650g) of chopped mango, roughly the amount you would get from two medium-sized fresh mangoes.
Frozen vs. fresh: I have tried this recipe with both, and to be honest, the difference is minimal, if noticeable at all! So use whatever you can find!
Coconut milk
Then, to add creaminess and richness, mangoes are blended with full-fat coconut milk. The ratio between the two can vary a lot depending on the recipe. Here, I use about 3 times more mangoes than coconut milk, as we like our sago extra fruity and packed with mango flavor.
With that being said, if you prefer a milder mango flavor, feel free to play with that ratio by using a bit less mango and more coconut milk.
Sugar
Just to add a bit more sweetness!
Substitute: Basically, any sugar will work here. You can use maple syrup or coconut sugar for a refined sugar-free option. Also, if you do not have a sweet tooth, you can omit the sugar altogether!
Vanilla
Although vanilla extract is optional, I do believe it adds that little extra something. Use high-quality store-bought vanilla extract or homemade vanilla extract here.
Tapioca pearls
Now let’s talk about what makes sago truly special: tapioca pearls!
Don’t let the different tapioca pearl options confuse you! For this recipe, you will need small tapioca pearls, sometimes labelled as sago pearls. The large ones, also known as boba, are perfect for bubble tea, but they don’t belong in this dessert.
When it comes to how many tapioca pearls to use, I ran a few tests, playing with the ratio of pearls to blended mango. 1/3 cup felt a bit too light, and there wasn’t much added texture. On the other hand, over 1 cup made it too chewy/dense for our liking. In the end, I settled on 2/3 cup of pearls, which is, in my opinion, the sweet spot, adding just the right amount of texture.
🥣 How to Make It
- Blend the mango. Add the diced mango, coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla extract to a blender. Blend on high speed for 10-15 seconds or until completely smooth. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Cook the tapioca pearls. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the tapioca pearls and let them simmer for 20 minutes.
How to know when the pearls are cooked?
The tapioca pearls are cooked once they are translucent, tender, and slightly chewy.
To check if your pearls are cooked, take a few out of the pot of boiling water using a spoon or a fine sieve. Transfer them to a small bowl filled with cold water. Let them sit for a few seconds and give them a taste. They should be completely tender. If they are still a bit hard on the inside, cook them a few more minutes.
- Drain them. Once the tapioca pearls are cooked, drain them using a fine-mesh strainer. Be careful, do not use a regular strainer, otherwise the pearls may pass through!
- Rinse them. Next, rinse the pearls 2-3 times under cold water to cool them down and stop the cooking process. Drain them well one more time.
- Assemble. Transfer the cooked tapioca pearls to the bowl containing the mango purée and stir to combine. At this point, you can taste and adjust the sweetness to your liking.
- Refrigerate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before enjoying!
🥥 How to Serve It
There is no right or wrong way to serve this sago. You can simply spoon it into small dessert bowls. Or, you can make it fancier by serving it in your prettiest ramekins and topping it with fresh mango chunks, coconut flakes, and a few mint leaves for a pop of color!
📔 Pro Tips
Add the pearls once the water is boiling.
Make sure that the water is at a rolling boil before adding the tapioca pearls. Otherwise, they will sink to the bottom and stick. A steady boil keeps them moving and prevents clumping.
Cook the pearls in a large amount of water.
It’s essential to cook the tapioca pearls in a large amount of water, at least 6 cups. If you use too little, the water will quickly become starchy, and the pearls will stick to the bottom of your pot.
Don’t forget to rinse them under cold water.
Once your pearls are cooked, rinse them a few times under cold water to remove some of the starch and stop the cooking process. This also prevents the pearls from clumping.
🍫 Tweak It!
Incorporate mango chunks.
Dice half of a mango into 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) chunks and toss them into the sago for more texture and extra mango flavor!
Make it zesty.
Finely zest an organic lime and add 2-3 teaspoons of the zest to the sago for a citrusy flavor.
Add coconut jelly.
More into coconut? Mix in about 1 cup of nata de coco for tender and chewy bites of coconut!
❄️ Storing
- To store: You can store this mango sago in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. After that, the pearls will start to lose their softness.
- To freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dessert as it would alter the texture of the tapioca pearls.
💬 FAQ
Yes, you can use either fresh or frozen mango. For frozen mango, allow it to thaw on the counter for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
You have probably stopped cooking them too early. They should be completely translucent.
Clumping usually happens for two main reasons. Either the pearls were cooked in too little water, or they weren’t rinsed properly under cold water afterward.
This might be due to the type of coconut milk you used. Full-fat coconut milk tends to be thicker than light coconut milk. To fix it, try using a richer coconut milk next time or simply add more mango to thicken the texture.
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Vegan Mango Sago
Ingredients
- 23 ounces (650 g) mango diced
- 7 ounces (200 ml) full-fat coconut milk (about half of a 13.5 oz can of coconut milk)
- 2 tbsp (24 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup tapioca pearls
Instructions
- Blend the mango. Add the diced mango, coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla extract to a blender. Blend on high speed for 10-15 seconds or until completely smooth. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Cook the tapioca pearls. Bring about 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, add the tapioca pearls and let them simmer for 20 minutes. Check doneness after 17-18 minutes: the pearls should be translucent, tender, and slightly chewy.
- Drain them. Once the tapioca pearls are cooked, drain them using a fine-mesh strainer. Be careful, do not use a regular strainer, otherwise the pearls may pass through!
- Rinse them. Next, rinse the pearls 2-3 times under cold water to cool them down and stop the cooking process. Drain them well one more time.
- Assemble. Transfer the cooked tapioca pearls to the bowl containing the mango purée and stir to combine. At this point, you can taste and adjust the sweetness to your liking.
- Refrigerate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before enjoying!
- You can store this mango sago in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. After that, the pearls will start to lose their softness.
Notes
Add the pearls once the water is boiling.
Make sure that the water is at a rolling boil before adding the tapioca pearls. Otherwise, they will sink to the bottom and stick. A steady boil keeps them moving and prevents clumping.Cook the pearls in a large amount of water.
It’s essential to cook the tapioca pearls in a large amount of water, at least 5 cups. If you use too little, the water will quickly become starchy, and the pearls will stick to the bottom of your pot.Don’t forget to rinse them under cold water.
Once your pearls are cooked, rinse them a few times under cold water to remove some of the starch and stop the cooking process. This also prevents the pearls from clumping.Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
Leave a Comment
Loved how simple this was. Came out perfect and tasted so delicious
Thanks Lizzy!
I love fruit desserts. This looks delicious!
It’s peach season here. Would it work with peaches?
Also, an easy cheat would be to use mango pulp from the Indian grocery store.
Although I haven’t tried, I think if you use the same amount of peaches, it should work really well!