Mango Sago

Mango sago is a popular Asian dessert that’s perfect on a hot summer day. This creamy, fruity, cold tapioca pudding dessert is easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients.

Plus, homemade mango sago is made with real fruit — it’s better, healthier, and cheaper than buying it at a dessert shop!

What is Mango Sago?

Mango sago is a popular dessert pudding found all over Asia — in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Guangdong, and Taiwan. But, with many local Asian dessert shops popping up everywhere, it’s becoming more common in North America too. It’s made with a few simple ingredients including sago (which are mini white tapioca pearls), ripe mangoes, coconut milk, and sweetened condensed milk. It is also common to add some pomelo pulp.

Why You'll Love Mango Sago

• The experience of enjoying mango sago. Mango sago is sweet, fruity, creamy, and served cold. On a warm day, mango sago is a delicious relief. You can drink mango sago out of a cup with a straw or enjoy it in a bowl with a spoon. Either way, it’s a stellar and uplifting dessert experience.
• Fresh mango and sago. Mango sago doesn’t contain artificial flavors or sweeteners. Instead, it’s made with fresh mangos, which bring all-natural fiber, sugar, and flavor. When cooked, the sago becomes transparent and jelly-like. Together, these two make the perfect pair.
• It’s easy to make and cheaper than buying it. Buying mango sago at your local bubble tea store is an option, but it’s more affordable to make it yourself.
• It's easy to make at home. Making mango sago at home is a lot easier than you think. It takes some time to cook the mini tapioca pearls but really that takes just a few minutes of actual prep.
• It's healthier than store-bought. Making homemade bubble tea is so much healthier than store-bought, especially when we are talking about the fruity milk teas. With this homemade recipe, we are using real fruit, unlike the store-bought drinks which use fruit syrup to achieve that flavor.
• It's cheaper than store-bought. Bubble tea these days are expensive! It is much cheaper to make your own than to pay someone to mix a couple ingredients together.

Ingredient Notes

To make this refreshing Mango Sago Tapioca Pudding, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

• mini white tapioca pearls - For this recipe, you will need mini tapioca pearls (also known as sago). Sago pearls are made from palm tree starches, unlike traditional tapioca pearls which are made from cassava starch. They differ in texture, taste, and size, but you can use traditional boba in this recipe in a pinch.
• yellow mangoes - Use ripe mangos for the best sweetness. I used ripe Ataulfo mangos.
• coconut milk - You can use either full fate or light coconut milk. But note that the coconut milk you use in the mango sago will impact its flavor and consistency. Full fat coconut milk will give it a silkier, richer, thicker feeling, while light coconut milk will make a thinner, less rich mango sago.
• sweetened condensed milk 
• mint leaves - optional, for garnish.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a blender, and a medium cooking pot.

How to Make the Best Mango Sago

First, cook the tapioca pearls.

1. Boil. In a medium saucepan, add 6 cups of water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Add tapioca pearls and turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent from sticking to the bottom of the pan. The pearls will turn translucent, but at this point, you might still see a tiny white dot in each pearl.
2. Let sit. Turn off the heat and let the pearls rest in the hot water until all the tapioca pearls become completely transparent, about 15-20 minutes.
3. Drain. Rinse the pearls under running water to cool off and drain in a fine mesh sieve or colander. Set aside.

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Prepare the mango sago.

1. Prepare the mango. Slice each mango in half away from the pit and use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh. Set aside ¼ cup flesh (about half a mango) and dice into cubes to use as a topping.
2. Blend ingredients. Add mango, coconut milk, and condensed milk in a blender. If you like your sago cold, add 3-4 ice cubes in the blender. Blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

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How to Serve Mango Sago

Divide the mango mixture into bowls, stir in tapioca pearls, and top with cubed mango. You can also add some pomelo pulp on top.

More Refreshing Dessert Recipes

• Mango Frozen Yogurt
• Three Ways to Make Bubble Tea
• No Bake Blackberry Cheesecake
• Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
• Green Smoothie Bowl
• Blueberry Milkshake

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