No-Bake Icebox Mango Pie (Filipino Mango Royale)

If you love mangoes, and you love mango desserts, Mango Royale, aka Mango Float, is an absolute must-try; right after mango and sticky rice, of course! It's a frozen Filipino dessert that takes advantage of peak-of-the-season mangoes, and uses only 5 ingredients. There's no baking involved, and it's so easy it's essentially fool-proof!

What is Mango Royale?

Mango royale, also known as mango float, is a classic Filipino mango dessert made with layers of sweet whipped cream, Manila mangoes, and graham crackers. It's then frozen and served slightly thawed. It's a version of another popular Filipino dessert called crema de fruta, which is similarly layered, but uses fruit cocktail instead of mangoes, and sponge cake or ladyfingers instead of graham crackers.

I first became aware of mango royale listening to a Good Food podcast episode featuring Isa Fabro, a Filipino-American chef who is well-known for her sell-out mango royale popups in Los Angeles. But instead of making it in a cake pan or a casserole dish, as is more commonly done, she makes hers in a pie plate, which I think is brilliant. This recipe is based on one she has shared publicly, with a few of my own modifications.

Ingredients You'll Need

You really need only 5 ingredients; the lime is optional but I like the acidity and brightness that it adds. Because it is so simple, the quality of your mangoes is of utmost importance. More on that below.

• Graham cracker crumbs. You can buy the crumbs, or grind up whole crackers.
• Butter, unsalted (though salted is fine, too)
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Heavy whipping cream
• Manila mangoes
• Lime juice (optional)

How to Make Mango Royale

Here's a bird's eye view of the process, but be sure to check out the full video tutorial in the recipe card below to ensure success!

1. Melt and brown the butter until very dark and nutty
2. Pour into the graham cracker crumbs and mix
3. Press about ⅔ of the crumbs into a pie plate which has been sprayed with nonstick spray, and chill.
4. Score mango cheeks into cubes and scoop into a bowl.

5. Squish the mangoes with a gloved hand until it looks like half-chunks, half-purée.
6. If the mango tastes like it could use a little extra acidity to brighten up the flavour, add some lime juice.
7. Combine the condensed milk and whipping cream.
8. Whip on medium to medium-low speed until firm.

9. Spread half of the cream onto the chilled crust.
10. Spread half of the mango on top of the cream.
11. Sprinkle on half of the remaining crumbs (or however much you like; I like only a little bit of crumbs here.)
12. Repeat the layers one more time.

13. Once completed, freeze the pie for at least 8 hours.
14. Before serving, thaw for about 1 hour at room temp or overnight in the fridge.

Pro Tip: Slow-Whip the Cream

Chef Fabro stresses that the cream should be whipped slowly for more stability. You can whisk it by hand if you're looking for an arm workout, or if using an electric mixer, use medium or medium low speed. Using high speed creates a lot of air bubbles which makes the cream less stable. Think about the aerosol whipped cream, it's whipped instantly and is the flimsiest whipped cream ever...yeah, we want the opposite of that!

Choosing the Best Mangoes

This pie is so simple, so your mangoes have to be very good. Remember: your pie is only as good as your mangoes! You want them ripe, sweet, juicy, and erring on the side of overripe. If they're wrinkly with black spots on them, even better. This is partly because once the mangoes are frozen, their flavour and sweetness will be dulled slightly.

What type of mangoes should you use? You should use Manila mangoes of course, which in North America are in season around April. If that's not available to you, you can use Ataulfo mangoes which are very similar, and in N. America these are sometimes both labeled as “Manila” mangoes. Ataulfo are also known as champagne mangoes. If neither is available, go with whatever is sweet, fragrant and juicy, but not fibrous.

What are Manila Mangoes?

Manila mangoes are teardrop-shaped, bright yellow mangoes that are native to the Philippines. When ripe they should be very sweet with very little acidity (which is why I like to add a little lime juice to the pie) and are not at all fibrous. The seeds are also wonderfully thin, so they're a good bang for your buck! Ataulfo mangoes (aka champagne mangoes) are descendants of Manila mangoes and are very similar so can also be used.

How to tell if Manila mangoes are ripe

If you want to eat Manila mangoes fresh, wait a few days after they have turned completely yellow. If there's still any green on the skin, they are not ready to eat and will be sour. They should also feel soft when gently squeezed.

If you want to make Mango Royale, however, wait longer until the skin starts to get wrinkly. As mentioned, for a frozen dessert you want them overripe for maximum flavour, fragrance, and sweetness.

How to Store Mango Royale

Mango royale is a frozen dessert, so obviously you need to keep it frozen. The only problem is, what if you thaw it to serve, and then have leftovers? Can you refreeze the thawed dessert?

Freezing and thawing most foods multiple times is never a good idea. In the case of creamy things such as this, the multiple freeze-thaw cycles cause the texture to become more icy and less creamy. So if you're not going to eat the whole pie at once, here's my suggestion:

1. Freeze the whole pie initially as per the recipe.
2. The first time you serve the pie, and after it has thawed just enough for you to cut into it (about 30 minutes at room temperature), cut the entire pie into slices. Do not let it thaw any more than necessary, so check it early.
3. Put the pieces that you will save for later into a container with a lid and put them straight back into the freezer. Try not to let the pieces touch each other so they will not stick together; you can also put pieces of parchment in between them.
4. With the pieces that you will be eating today, now that they are cut, they will take only a few more minutes to get to that ideal semi-thawed serving temperature.

With this method, you will have pieces of mango royale cut and ready to serve anytime, and while the whole pie can take an hour to thaw at room temp before it reaches a good serving temperature, each small piece will only take 10-15 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other No-Bake Mango Desserts for Mango Lovers

If you've got more mangoes after making mango royale, here are a few other desserts you should try.

• Mango and sticky rice. If you only made one dessert form my site, this famous Thai dish should be it.
• Mango Coconut Jelly Cubes. This was my first viral recipe, and for good reason! See what the hype was all about!
• Hong Kong Mango Pancake. If you love the combination of mangoes and cream, try this dim sum classic. Your mango also has to be very good for this.
• Mango Pudding. Soft, silky, luscious mango pudding is a dream. Light and not too sweet, perfect for a sweet ending to a big meal.

Before you start, be sure to watch the video tutorial to ensure success! I always include little tips and tricks not mentioned in the blog post. The video is in the recipe card below, but you can also watch it on YouTube!

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