Chilling With Mangoes, Cheering for Pollinators
Plant based mango mousse is a quick and flavorful no-cook dessert recipe.
In this summer of staggering heat, I’m excited to share a brand new no-cook dessert recipe I just developed that makes the most of summer fruit. This plant-based mango mousse comes together in minutes.
It’s fluffy, cool, light, sweet, and requires very few ingredients. It’s also practically free, thanks to the little guys — bees, birds, bugs, all the pollinators who’ve gifted South Florida with a mango season so amazing and abundant, it made the front page of the New York Times.
Aquafaba, another mousse-making ingredient, is also practically free. It’s the liquid in a can of chickpeas, something we used to discard until, hallelujah, we discovered it’s a genius plant-based egg substitute. Use the aquafaba in the mousse, use the chickpeas to make hummus, scatter in salads, enjoy as you wish. There’s no waste, no allergens, no gluten, no kidding.
Coconut-sweetened condensed milk is the third magical ingredient. I am late to the dance when it comes to this product, but wow, do I love it. Here it’s creamy and sweet but the coconut flavor graciously gives way to let the mango magic shine forth. Go for organic when possible, like Let’s Do Organic. DIY-ers, you can also try this homemade recipe from Everyday Latina.
I have not yet tried making this recipe with other fruit. Anything seasonal, pulpy, juicy and sweet would be terrific. Peaches come to mind, but alas, the summer heat that makes bees happy and mangoes prolific has not been so kind to peaches.
We owe so much of our food — over a third to pollinators. They play a vital role in our ecosystem. No bees, no food. The least we could do to thank them is to give bees and other pollinators an environment where they can thrive and go about their bee business, so we can thrive, too. Three ways we can help:
Sign this petition to ban a deadly pesticide.
Save honey for the bees. The honey they make is meant to feed their young and keep bees healthy.
This mango mousse is quick, easy, plant-based and sweet as honey, but the honey stays with the bees, and the bees and other pollinators give us mangoes instead. Fair trade.
Magic Mango Mousse
1/2 cup aquafaba
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sweetened condensed coconut milk
2 cups mango (about 2 fresh mangoes, or use frozen)
1 teaspoon rum or vanilla
1 teaspoon lime juice
a little extra diced mango for garnish, if desired
Whip aquafaba and cream of tartar in a standing mixer or Vitamix. I mean whip the dickens out of it, until the aquafaba stands in stiff peaks like meringue. This may take up to 10 minutes.
Spoon the whipped aquafaba into a separate bowl and pop in the fridge to keep it cool and light.
Now whip together the mango, sweetened condensed coconut milk, rum and lime juice for a minute or two, just until smooth.
Gently fold the aquafaba into the mango mixture and voila, you have magic mango mousse. Spoon into dessert cups and let chill for at least an hour.
Best enjoyed within 3 days.
Looking for a printable version of this recipe? Grab it here.
More no-cook vegan sweet treats
Mango freeze — mango and coconut come together again
One — okay, one and a half — ingredient vegan ice cream
Too many fabulous vegan ice cream recipes to count, thanks to VegNews and Hannah Kaminsky
Chocolate peanut butter popsicles from our friends at GFF
Raw avocado cacao mousse from Chef Nina Curtis
Reese’s peanut butter cups get a plant-based upgrade thanks to fabulous Fran Costigan.
Want more sweet ways to be vegan? Sign up for Vegan Means Business: Embracing Plant Power, hosted by Les Dames d’Escoffier Washington DC Chapter.
This August 9 virtual presentation brings together a panel of plant-based pros:
Chef Nina Curtis, who curated the White House plant-based state dinner menu for India’s Prime Minister
my friend and vegan pastry queen Fran Costigan
marketing maven and my sister DC Dame Aviva Goldfarb
Kathy Gold, vegan chef and esteemed LDEI 1st Vice President,
and um, me
Learn how joining the plant-based party can benefit your brand, your body and is doable and delicious, too.
Wednesday, August 9
5-6:30pm ET
free for Dames with code VEGANDAMES
open to the public - $25 tickets through Eventbrite
Proceeds support Les Dames d'Escoffier DC's Regional Chapter's fundraising for grants, mentoring, scholarships, education programs and operations to support women to succeed in culinary-related industries.
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