This Vegan Cultured Mango Gelato is amazing. It’s so tasty & healthy, and best of all, it’s full of good bacteria that are good for your gut health!
During the hot summer, the food that we usually want to eat is something cold, creamy, sweet & tangy. In a simple word, we crave ice cream all summer long!
As we tend to eat something cold and sweet, why not make it healthy too?
That’s right. Instead of just making regular ice cream, I decided to make Vegan Cultured Mango Gelato for all of us.
It’s hard to believe that I can eat a lot of gelato without feeling bad afterward, yes!
Why do I choose to make Vegan Cultured Mango Gelato
First of all, I’m Thai and I love mangoes. I eat all kinds of mangoes, from green mangoes with sweet dipping- sauce, plain semi- sweet green mangoes, to mangoes with sweet sticky rice– you name it!
Second of all, most Thai desserts are made without dairy, and we use coconut milk in almost every dessert. Yes, I’m a big fan of coconut!
Third of all, I like to travel, and Italy is one of my most favorite countries in the world. When we traveled there, we had the most amazing soft-gelato that was made from fruits without dairy. I still remember my disbelief that the gelato I just had was vegan.
Finally, I eat mostly cultured/fermented foods, and when it comes to desserts, I also want it to be something that’s good for my gut health.
I think these are enough reasons for me to make my own Vegan Cultured Mango Gelato.
How do I culture the mangoes for making this Vegan Cultured Mango Gelato?
It’s simple, I use rejuvelac for culturing most of my foods including this gelato. Don’t worry if you don’t know what rejuvelac is. I have posted a video on how to make it before, you can simply check it out and make it before you start making this gelato.
Do I need an ice cream maker to make this Vegan Cultured Mango Gelato?
The answer is yes, and no. If you have it, you should definitely use it. I personally don’t have one and I make it work just fine.
What’s the difference between gelato and ice cream you may wonder?
To be honest, I don’t really know. However, I hear that ice cream uses more fat to make it.
This recipe is not too heavy in fat, so I call it Vegan Cultured Mango Gelato instead of ice cream. It’s so simple to make, and you can certainly alter the taste according to your preference, really.
If you want it to be more heavy in fat, just add more coconut cream in it. Want it to be sweeter? you can add more sweetener. If you want it’s soft, don’t freeze it for too long, and do the opposite if you want it to be firmer.
Ready to make your own Vegan Cultured Mango Gelato? Let me show you how!
Ingredients and equipment for making Vegan Cultured Mango Gelato:
- 3 cups (720 ml) of ripe mango chunks ( it takes about 3 medium size mangoes)
- 6 TBSP (90 ml) rejuvelac. Note: don’t worry if you don’t know rejuvelac and don’t have it on hand. It’s very easy to make, here is the link on how to make it.
- 1 can of full-fat commercial coconut milk, or 1 pint (470 ml) of homemade coconut milk.
- 2 TBSP (30 ml) of sweetener. (optional) I use brown coconut sugar, but you can use any kind of sweetener you want
- A blender and a food processor. Note: if you only have a food processor, you are fine to use one. However, if you only have a blender, it might be very hard for the final step.
Instructions:
Culturing mangoes:
- Wash, peel and cut the mangoes into small chunks and put them in a glass container.
- Add rejuvelac, mix, add sugar and mix well again.
- Cover the jar loosely with a lid and let it ferment at room temperature for up to 48 hours. Note: it takes anywhere from 24-48 hours depending on the temperature of the room. If you see a lot of active bubbles, it means your mangoes are cultured.
- When it’s ready, you can see a lot of active bubbles in it—it’s now ready to be used. for making Vegan Cultured Mango Gelato.
Making Vegan Cultured Mango Gelato:
- In a blender, add the cultured mangoes, coconut milk and blend until smooth. Note: you can use a food processor instead if you don’t have a blender.
- Pour the mixture in a shallow container, cover and put it in a freezer for it to solidify. Note: this might take a few hours, so plan your time accordingly. You don’t want it to freeze for too long as it will turn to be too hard for the next step.
- When the mixture is solidified, you can see that it looks like ice crystals. Cut it into small chunks and put them in a food processor. Process until smooth, you might need to scrape down and loosen it up during the process.
- When it’s smooth, put it in a container and freeze it until it reaches the consistency you like. You can serve it right out the food processor too–if you prefer, but freezing it to harden it up first is better. Note: from my experience, it’s best to let the gelato soften a little bit before serving. Doing so, if you don’t finish all the gelato afterserving and need to refreeze it–it will create more ice crystals to the gelato and the texture is not as smooth. So using a few of the containers that are the size is perfect to finish it in one sitting is best.
- When you are ready to eat, bring it out and let it soften for 10-15 minutes makes it easier to scoop.
- Enjoy it with some cultured mangoes is a great idea, enjoy.
cut the mangoes into small chunks
add rejuvelac to the mangoes
add sweetener (optional)
cultured mangoes
blend it with coconut milk
put the mixture in a shallow container as it easier to freeze
cut the frozen mixture into small chunks
process it in a food processor
soft gelato
leave it at room temperature about 10-15 minutes before serving
softer gelato is also easier to scoop
enjoy
Have you made Vegan Cultured Mango Gelato, please share it with me, I’d loveto hear about it!
