This homemade mango liqueur is a deliciously fruity drink made with just mango, vodka and sugar. Perfect on its own, on ice or in cocktails.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Homemade Liqueurs
Over the years, I’ve made many, many alcoholic infusions, using vodka or gin as the base. If you’ve been following me a while, you’ll know this, of course. A handful of them have generated many social media posts from my readers and YouTube viewers, which means they must be good!
We’ve made the Italian Limoncello, Rhubarb Gin, Raspberry Gin and the old British classic, Sloe Gin, just to name a few. They all follow the same formula of adding fruit/vegetable to alcohol, with sugar added. Then on top of that, depending on the drink (and my mood when making it), I may add additional flavourings like a vanilla pod, herbs, lemon and lime slices, and even dried chillies.
So it’s no rocket science. Let’s take a look at today’s homemade mango liqueur.
Homemade Mango Liqueur Recipe
Our mango vodka, as you can also call it, is very easy to make at home. All you need is:
- vodka
- ripe mango
- sugar
Keeping it simple, that’s all you need. If you are feeling adventurous, I give you the option of adding a couple of chipotle chillies or 1 ancho chilli. The former will add a smoky heat to our homemade mango liqueur, while the latter will add a sweet, raisin like flavour.
All we do is:
- mix all the ingredients together in a large, sterile jar
- leave to sit in a fairly cool and dark place for a minimum of 4 weeks
- strain into sterilised bottles and enjoy
All homemade liqueurs make great gifts, whatever the occasion.
The Vodka
As with all my drink infusions, I advise you to get a fairly good quality vodka, the sort you’d be happy with to drink on its own.
This is especially true for our homemade mango liqueur because mango has a fairly subtle flavour. That means it won’t have the character to drown out any roughness in a cheap vodka.
You don’t have to spend a fortune, just shop around and read the reviews before buying.
The Mangoes
Your mangoes will also determine the colour of your final drink. The more yellow they are, the deeper the colour you’ll get. I’m using Mexican mangoes, Ataúlfo, which, like their Indian and Pakistani counterparts, have a deep yellow colour, practically bordering on orange.
They are also very sweet, which means I can use less sugar, than if I were using mangoes I would usually get in our supermarkets.
The Sugar
We’ll be using white sugar, and whether that’s caster or granulated, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to give you a fairly wide range in the amount of sugar for this mango vodka. We’ll start with the lower amount (200g/1 cup), and we’ll add more halfway through, if you want it sweeter.
How much sugar you use will depend on your taste as well as your mangoes.
Added Flavouring
Homemade Mango Liqueur, as it is, with nothing else added, may be a little on the tame side for those of you who’ve tried my other vodka infusions, like Krupnik and Strawberry and Rhubarb Vodka. This is because, as mentioned earlier, mango has a rather quiet disposition.
So that’s why I like dropping a dried chilli or two when making it. I think the smoky heat that chipotles give are a perfect complement, as is the fruity-raisin flavour of the ancho.
But you can please yourself here. Drop 3 basil leaves or a tiny sprig of rosemary for a herbal kick. Remember, both of these are powerful herbs, so a little will go a long way.
How to Serve Mango Liqueur
I love it as it is, ice cold. It’s so subtle in its aroma and flavour that I find this the best way. So for this reason, I place mine in the freezer.
However, to ensure that your mango liqueur doesn’t freeze, the final alcohol level has to be above 30% abv (60 proof). So start with a high strength vodka, like 40% or even 37% will do.
Head on over to the Limoncello post to read up about freezing and abv. And watch the short video on my YouTube channel to see how the whole process is done.
This homemade mango liqueur is also good on ice, and make a great ingredient in cocktails. Look out for my Mango Margarita soon!
Straining our Mango Vodka
To strain your homemade mango liqueur, you need a:
- sieve
- muslin
- funnel
Fold your muslin into 2 layers. The more layers you have, the clearer your mango vodka. You can see this in my images. In the larger bottle, the drink is more yellow, as I didn’t even bother with any muslin, I just used a very fine sieve. It makes for a prettier drink, which will need to be shaken before pouring, as the mango “bits” will settle.
Sterilising Jars and Bottles
- Turn the oven on to a cool 130˚C/250˚F/Gas Mark ½.
- Wash the jars, bottles and lids in hot soapy water.
- Place the jars, bottles and lids upside down in the oven and leave them to dry, with the door closed for 15 minutes.
- Turn the oven off and leave the jars, bottles and lids in there, bringing them out only when you are ready to fill. Be careful, as they’ll be hot.
Let’s go get our aprons on. Any questions, just drop me a line.
♥ If you like the recipe, drop me a comment and if you’re feeling like a star, that 5-star rating! Thank you! ♥
And if you make the recipe, share it on any platform and tag me @azlinbloor.
Lin xx
More Infusions on LinsFood
Homemade Mango Liqueur
Equipment
- 1.5 litre (6 cups) large glass jar
- tall spoon
- Knife and chopping board
- strainer
- funnel
- muslin
- small bottles for the finished products (about 250 ml x 5 or 6)
Ingredients
- 5 very ripe mangoes
- 1 litre good quality vodka (37.5% – 50% abv) the stronger your vodka, the stronger the final drink
- 200 – 400 g white sugar
Optional Flavouring (only one chilli or one herb, or one of each)
- 2 chipotle chillies
- 1 ancho chilli
- 3 fresh basil leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary
Instructions
- Peel and roughly chop up the mangoes, reserving the juices.
- Place the mangoes, the vodka and 200g (1 cup) of the sugar into a large, sterilised jar. If you are adding anything else, now's the time to do that too. Give everything a good stir.
- Cover and place in a dark place for 4 weeks. I place mine in a kitchen cupboard. In the first week, stir it every other day, or as often as you remember to!After that, give it a stir once or twice a week.
- To drink, strain through a fine mesh sieve or, if you like a crystal clear mango liqueur, strain though a double layer of muslin or cheese cloth into a sterilised bottle.
Can I use mango flesh that I’ve puréed myself? I have some frozen.
Hi Lynn, you don’t want to purée the mango. I assume they’re chopped up before being frozen? That’s perfect. Frozen fruit is great for infusing as they’re softer and allows for better osmosis.
My mangoes are so sweet, I can’t imagine adding sugar. My husband is pre-diabetic so we really watch sugar. I agree with you on the hot pepper! I’ve made mango kombucha many times and the addition of hot peppers or lot of ginger make it much better.
Hi Kathy, that mango kombucha sounds amazing!
I do like my homemade liqueurs on the sweet side, as I am partial to sweet spirits.
You can definitely omit the sugar, or, as some readers have done with my other infusions, use stevia, if necessary.
And so pleased you agree about the pepper!
Great recipe! I will try this out using indian mangoes. I plan to add the peel for the health benefits of mangiferin. Have you tested how long is the shelf life of mango- infused vodka? Do the final products have to be refrigerated?
Thank you so much!
Hi Gillian, I’m pleased to hear that you like this.
The final product is very stable and doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Once made, it will keep for a couple of years, quite happily, because of the alcohol and sugar.
how do I peint the recipe. I guess you don’t have to long in even tho I joined because I love lequeurs
Hi Jacqueline, you’ll find the print button on the recipe card, as well as right at the top of the page. And no you don’t have to log in.
Thanks a bunch for sharing this amazing recipe, so refreshing and perfect! Highly recommended!
A pleasure.
What are the recipe quantities for using 40% vol vodka for this? Thanks
Hi Sophia, in this recipe, unlike the limoncello, I’ve not specified the as I strength of the vodka. I’m assuming that everyone will go for an average abv like 40%. So follow the recipe as it is, depending on how much you’re making.
ps: I’ll edit the recipe and article and mention that.
I’ve never made anything like this – would have never guessed it’s so easy to make with just a few ingredients!
Amazing how easy it is!