Mango bars with lime glaze

Summery Mango Bars! A jammy layer of recent mango sandwiched between a coconut biscuit base and crumbly topping, completed with a lime glaze. Stellar flavour mixture that screams of summer time! That mango layer is every little thing – juicy and beneficiant.

The annual mango recipe!

I supposed to kick off this publish by cheerfully introducing it as a part of my yearly custom of sharing a mango recipe every summer time.

Nonetheless, a fast look via my previous creations made me notice that calling it an “annual custom” may be a stretch. There have been the 2023 Mango Muffins and the 2022 Yum Cha Mango Pancakes, however the one earlier than that was all the way in which again in 2019—a Prawn, Avocado, and Mango Salad.

Let’s chalk up the three-year hole to the pandemic and formally get again on observe.

Presenting the summer time of 2025 mango recipe: MANGO BARS!!! ☀️☀️

Inform me about these Mango Bars

Mango + coconut + lime is a traditional summer time flavour mixture and right here it’s in a slice type made for consuming together with your fingers. The coconut is within the base and crumbly topping which is made type the identical combination, there’s an assertive, unmissable layer of mango which walks the right line between juicy with out being watery, jammy with out being gluey.

Then as a result of I couldn’t resist including lime flavour, I made a decision on a whim to complete it off with a limey glaze.

For those who can’t shovel the entire thing in your mouth in a single go, it may be a bit messy to eat. However that’s a part of the enjoyable!!

Components for Mango Bars

Right here’s what you have to make the mango bars.

Mango filling

You will have two, large, ripe mangoes for this recipe. And sure, it may be made with canned mango!

Mangoes – Use any selection you want. And it goes with out saying the sweeter and riper they’re, the higher!

Canned mango – Use mangoes in unsweetened juice if you happen to can, so it’s much less candy. Drain effectively in a colander then use per the recipe, chopping if wanted to make the slices thinner. I do want the feel of the filling made with slices quite than diced, however dicing does work too. Reduce them into ~6mm / 1/4″ cubes.
Cornflour / cornstarch – This helps the juices thicken a contact right into a syrup, quite than the watery juices working into and soaking the bottom. We solely use 1 1/2 teaspoons (don’t go overboard else it makes the mango layer unpleasantly gluey).
Sugar – I do know it sounds insane so as to add sugar into candy ripe mangoes, however hear me out! Simply 2 tablespoons helps the juices grow to be syrupy (mixed with the cornflour) which suspends within the mango layer, quite than watery juices working into the bottom. Found after a number of makes an attempt of creating a sugar-free filling and never being thrilled with the mango layer!

Coconut base and crumb

That is based mostly on the stunning crumb and base in my Raspberry Bars, with the addition of coconut which I actually wished as a result of – coconut! Mango! Fab! I initially omitted the oats however then put it again in as a result of I believe it provides good texture to the bottom quite than simply being a thick plain shortbread-style slab. It was nonetheless good, however I believed was just a bit too sandy for the thick layer of juicy mango. So, sure to the oats!

Flour – Simply common plain / all-purpose flour. Self elevating flour is just not really useful right here, it has an excessive amount of baking powder in it for this recipe, the bottom and crumb will puff up an excessive amount of.
Desiccated coconut – Or finely shredded coconut. Simply not coconut flakes, they’re too giant. Additionally, please use unsweetened.
Oats – Common plain rolled oats aka conventional oats. Not metal reduce, not fast cooking, and never flavoured ones.
Unsalted butter – Melted. If utilizing salted, simply skip the salt.
Sugar – Simply half a cup (100g) of white sugar. Not too candy! I exploit white sugar so the bottom is whiter – recent summery colors in opposition to the orange mango – however brown sugar works too. The crust will simply be a pale brown and the floor will get a bit of extra color.
Egg – Makes the combination bind collectively. No have to deliver to room temperature on this recipe. Use a big egg (50-55g/2oz), bought in cartons labelled as “giant eggs” or 600-660g for a dozen. Extra on eggs for baking right here.
Salt – Normal baking ingredient nowadays, to deliver out the flavours within the different elements.

The right way to make my Mango Bars

In all honesty, chopping the mangoes takes probably the most time right here. However that’s a pleasurable activity since you get to snack on all of the offcuts as you go, and the chef will get to suck the seed!

1. HOW I CUT MANGO

I discovered the mango layer texture is nicer utilizing slices quite than dicing (become mush). So use the cheeks first then the offcuts from across the seed provided that wanted to make up the complete 2 1/2 cups we want.

Cheeks first – Stand the mango upright on the broader aspect (ie the aspect that was hooked up to the tree). Reduce the cheek of the mango off all sides of the seed, aiming to depart as little flesh as potential on the seed.
Scoop out – Then utilizing a big spoon or scooper (the sharper the sting, the simpler it’s), scoop the flesh out of the pores and skin. Scrape out any extra flesh left on the pores and skin and eat it – chef’s deal with! 🙂

Slicing – slice the cheeks into 3 – 4 mm / simply shy of o.2″ thick slices. Too skinny = breakage when tossed, too thick = slippery and tougher to chop/eat. (Talking from expertise right here).
Measure – Measure out 2 1/2 cups (400g) mango slices right into a bowl. The slices will flop and fold right into a measuring cup so it’s fairly correct. Don’t fret about some breakage. Then put aside. Don’t toss with sugar but. The mango will sweat and get too watery.

2. Base & crumb (similar combination)

We’re utilizing the identical combination for the bottom and crumbly topping. The combination is a bit of wetter when it’s first blended and pressed into the bottom. By the point you get to sprinkling it over the mango, it has dried out a bit to make it simpler to crumble throughout the floor.

Combine – Soften the butter in a heatproof bowl within the microwave. Combine the sugar in first, then the egg. Then add every little thing else in a single go (flour, baking powder, oats, coconut, salt) and blend till you’ll be able to not see flour.
Combined and able to use!

Press – Measure out 1 3/4 cups of the combination into measuring cups. (The remaining combination is used for the topping). Press into the bottom utilizing your fingers, stage it as greatest you’ll be able to. Press firmly to stage the floor however no have to press tremendous firmly (ie not like your favorite torture-but-highly-effective Chinese language masseuse working in your again).
Mango tossing – Now we are able to put together the mango layer! Sprinkle the sugar and cornflour throughout the floor of the mango and use your fingers to softly toss to disperse.

Mangoes layer – Pour all of the mangoes onto the bottom and unfold out evenly.
Crumbly topping – Crumble the remaining topping throughout the floor. Bigger crumbles = extra excessive affect crunchy patches on floor and extra mango publicity however barely tougher to chop neatly (I am going for this, pictured). Smaller crumbles = simpler to chop (extra sensible, higher for impressing).

Bake for half-hour in a 180°C/350°F oven (160°C fan compelled) till the floor is gentle golden.
Cool for two hours on the counter earlier than drizzling with glaze, if utilizing. (Pace issues up – half-hour on counter, half-hour in fridge).

3. lime drizzle glaze

The trick with glazes is to make them simply skinny sufficient to allow them to be drizzled throughout the floor they usually unfold barely, however thick sufficient to set so you’ll be able to nonetheless see it. If the glaze is simply too skinny, it spreads and sinks into the cake/bars and so on and disappears = disappointing. 😭

Mixing – Put the icing sugar, lime zest, juice and vanilla in a bowl. Then combine with a small whisk till throughly mixed.
Consistency – Purpose: honey consistency, not maple syrup which is simply too skinny. Glazes can go from too thick to too skinny with simply the tiniest quantity of additional liquid. So in case your glaze wants thinning, solely use 1/4 teaspoon at a time and blend it in completely earlier than including extra.

Drizzle randomly throughout the floor of the mango bars in any sample you need.
Set and reduce – Depart for 10 minutes to let the floor of the glaze set earlier than chopping into 12 squares (regular, pictured) or 9 squares (grasping, all the time inspired).

I take it again – Lime Glaze is just not non-obligatory

I believe I’ve written in a couple of locations that the lime glaze is non-obligatory.

I’d wish to retract that / caveat it. It is non-obligatory – no I can’t drive you to make it – but it surely’s extremely, extremely really useful. Not solely does it add a ending pizzaz to those Mango Bars, as all glazes do to all deserts, however the little pop of lime flavour performs so properly with the mango and coconut. I attempted placing the lime flavour into the mango filling but it surely simply received misplaced.

Embrace the mess

And lastly – be forewarned – it’d get a bit of messy to eat if you happen to take small nibbles. Crumble bars all the time are, however this one a bit of greater than typical due to that generously juicy mango layer.

Resolution is to both eat it in a single or two large bites (my new style testing workforce, my builders, opted for this) or embrace the mess (I opted for this).

Both means, it’s so satisfying! – Nagi x

Mango Bars FAQ

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The annual mango recipe!

Inform me about these Mango Bars