For years I've toyed with the idea of getting an ice cream maker. Part of me wants to experiment and make all kinds of ice cream flavors and the other part of me is hesitant. Hesitant because I would be eating SO MUCH ice cream. So after all this time, I still don't have an ice cream maker. But honestly, I don't think I'm missing out too much because there are ways to make ice cream without the machine. With summer in full swing, I decided to give the "no-churn" method a try with the bountiful fruit in season. Got fresh mangos on hand? Use it to whip up some of this delicious mango, coconut, and lemongrass soft serve!
Mango, Coconut, and Lemongrass Soft Serve
Ingredients
- 14 ounces coconut cream
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 4 cups mango peeled, cut into medium-size chunks
- ¼ cup honey
- toasted coconut flakes
Instructions
- Heat 14 ounces coconut cream with 1 stalk lemongrass in a medium saucepot over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 1 hour. Cool completely and chill in the fridge overnight.
- Peel and cut the mango into medium-size chunks. Lay on a baking sheet and freeze overnight.
- Remove the lemongrass from the coconut cream. Blend or puree the mango chunks with the coconut cream and ¼ cup honey until smooth and airy, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a container and freeze for 1 hour.
- Top the mango coconut lemongrass soft serve with toasted coconut.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Okay so I know I was talking about ice cream but this recipe actually makes more of a soft-serve than ice cream. What's the difference? Soft serve is well, softer. Seems obvious but I just wanted to put it out there since the texture of this mango coconut lemongrass soft serve is different from regular ice cream.
For this recipe, I used Ataulfo mangos for their buttery, rich, tender texture, and incredibly sweet flavor. The most common mango you find in the market is typically the Tommy Atkins mango which is much more fibrous than the Ataulfo variation.
I also used coconut cream which has much more fat and cream than regular coconut milk. If you can only find coconut milk, use the full-fat version.
To make this mango coconut lemongrass soft serve, it's important that the ingredients are cold. Infuse the coconut cream with the lemongrass and chill in the fridge overnight. Peel and cut the mango into chunks and freeze overnight. If you forget to chill the ingredients and puree them at room temperature, the soft serve will need more time in the freezer to set.
Puree the mango with the coconut cream and honey in a blender or food processor until smooth and airy. The incorporating of air is another reason why this is called a soft serve and not ice cream. If you want a pretty design, save a little bit of the coconut cream and swirl it in right before freezing. You can also reserve some of the mango chunks and stir it into the soft serve for bites of fresh fruit.
Top the mango coconut lemongrass soft serve with toasted coconut right before serving for that finishing touch. This is the soft serve I want when I'm sitting at the beach. It's tropical, it's full of mango and coconut, and it's just really good!
For more mango inspiration check out this raspberry mango poptart recipe!
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