Impress all your family and friends with this delightful summer dessert that is as scrumptious as it is visually appealing. Whole milk, heavy cream, nuts, and cardamom powder are common ingredients in this Pakistani and Indian version of ice cream as well as most South Asian desserts. Some personal favorites are easy milk barfi, carrot halwa, gulab jamun recipe, and pumpkin halwa.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Make ahead dessert -Make your mango kulfi ahead of time and store it in the freezer for up to a month. This makes it a convenient dessert to make and store for a future event. Easy recipe - Five simple ingredients and 5 minutes of active prep make this the easiest dessert you’ll ever make. The perfect summer dessert - As a frozen dessert, mango kulfi is a great way to beat the heat during summer. A crowd-pleaser - Kulfi on ice cream sticks make for the perfect summer treats, for kids and adults alike. Its vibrant color and delicious taste make it a popular dessert at any gathering. No ice cream maker necessary - A large rectangular container and a spoon to mix with are all you need to make this delicious Recipe! No need to own an ice cream machine for this easy no-cook recipe.
Ingredient notes
Mangoes - Indian and Pakistani mangoes are so sweet and have such an intense aroma that it’s difficult to match them with any other variety. This is why I use canned Kesar or Alphonso puree for this recipe. Using the already-sweetened puree also eliminates an extra ingredient (sugar) from my list. Heavy cream - Mango Kulfi recipes vary, with some suggesting full-fat milk, full-fat milk powder, and evaporated milk. I like to use heavy whipping cream as it gives the dessert a rich and creamy texture. Condensed milk - Condensed Milk is the most important ingredient in this delicious mango kulfi as it eliminates the need to cook the milk mixture on low heat for hours. Pistachios - I always use shelled, salted pistachios for my desserts. A little salt in a dessert helps balance the flavor of the other rich ingredients. Cardamom - For best results, use fresh cardamom or whole cardamom seeds to make your own ground cardamom if you can. If you use store-bought cardamom powder, the aroma won’t be very strong.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
Use fresh mangoes - If you opt for fresh mango chunks, use very ripe mangoes and add some mango essence to the recipe. Try different flavors - Add some rose water, saffron, or paan flavoring. These are all delicious and popular flavors of kulfi. Try the traditional recipe - Making this recipe using the traditional method requires a long time. Still, if you want to try it, combine whole milk, milk solids, sugar, nuts, and cardamom powder and cook everything on low heat. Cook and stir until you have a thick, dense texture (often a 6-8 hours process). For more details, check out this recipe by CookwithManali. Add bread crumbs - Traditional mango kulfi has a grainy texture. If you want to emulate this, you can make crumbs from a slice of plain white bread and add them to the kulfi. Serve the Kulfi differently - If you don’t have authentic Kulfi molds, you can use popsicle molds, small paper cups, or even shot glasses. I also sometimes set my mango kulfi in a slab and cut it into cubes; top it with some falooda, and a drizzle of rose syrup for a delightful variation.
Step-by-step instructions
Expert Tips
For more Pakistani recipes like this, check out 20 popular Pakistani recipes. If you decide to try this recipe, Please don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture then tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
