As the "king of fruits," mangoes are the perfect sweet and fragrant fruit to infuse in alcohol. After just 15 minutes of prep time and 2 days of aging, you have a divine liqueur and besides the usual drink ideas, mango liqueur makes a lovely addition to desserts of all kinds. What about sneaking a tablespoon or two into my tasty mango custard? Or add it to a mango ice cream?
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I have fun exploring the world of homemade liqueurs, transforming fruit or nuts into the true essence of themselves. I often start with Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg's essential cook’s resource, “The Flavor Bible,” to explore magical flavor matches. When I saw star anise on their mango affinity list, I decided that it would be my main flavor pairing. And star anise takes well to toasting, so I recommend that quick step.
The difference between liquor and liqueurs is that liqueur is a sweetened and flavored spirit (also a liquor), while liquor serves as a simpler base note. I decided to go with light or golden rum to add some flavor to the liqueur since rum was highlighted in “The Flavor Bible” for being an especially good match with mangoes.
Why Make a Homemade Liqueur?
- It's cheaper than buying mango liqueur
- Make your own liqueur: a fun, easy project that only takes a few days
- Play with your favorite flavors
- Choose the alcohol you like for the infusion
- It tastes better!
Ingredients
Essentially all you need for a fruit liqueur is some sort of alcohol, fruit, and simple syrup to sweeten it up. After that, have fun experimenting.
Mangoes: Any ripe mango will do.
Spices: If you want to the pure essence of mango without any distractions use vodka as the agIng medium, with no spices added. But I do think star anise makes a good match with mangoes. And with my next batch of mango liqueur, I want to try dark rum and cardamom.
Alcohol: For the first couple of tests I went light or white rum. In shooting for the pure essence of mango, I used vodka and with no spicing, not even a lime peel. It was just lovely!
How to Make a Liqueur
Sterilize all your equipment. I just run everything through my dishwasher and that step is done.
Peel and cube the mango.
Toast the star anise, if using.
Prepare the limes peels and pop everything in a lidded container.
When the alcohol is fully infused with mango flavor, strain the mixture.
Sweeten with simple syrup to taste and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Take time to remove the white pith from the underside of the lime peel. Here is an example of a peel only half done so you can see what you are shooting for:
Sunshine in a glass! Your homemade mango liqueur will brighten any spot in the day. This easy little DIY project is perfect for when you need a little something to do. And the cocktails you can make!
- Don't be afraid to taste your infusion every day. Depending on the spices you've added, you may decide that a one-day steep with star anise gives your mango liqueur the flavor you are looking for.
- Experiment with the steeping time. Some people allow their infusion to sit for a month before straining. I have found that two days is long enough to have a fully flavored cordial. On Serious Eats post DIY vs. Buy, the author, Marcia Simmons, thinks many recipes for fruit liqueurs recommend steeping the fruit far too long. She suggests that stone fruit, berries, and melons, should infuse for just 3 to 6 days. But you do you!
- Sweeten your liqueur after aging. There is some concern about bacterial growth if you add sugar at the beginning. Also, it is hard to decide how much sugar to add before you have fully infused the fruit.
- Get a good quality star anise. The Swagat brand, while great for curries, did not make a great liqueur. I can vouch for the Penzeys and Frontier Co-op brands.
- If you are new to liqueur making and you don't want to commit to almost a full bottle of liquor, feel free to make a half batch for your first attempt at this recipe.
- For pure mango flavor, steep in vodka, and you could even skip the spices. The mango infusion is very good all on its own.
Serving and Drink Ideas
Depending on your mood, you can enjoy this delicious drink in an old-fashioned glass over ice. The flavors of mango go well with your favorite appetizers.
For a refreshing and simple 3-ingredient cocktail using your homemade mango liqueur, I like to mix:
- 2 ounces of liqueur
- 1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice
- 1 1/2 ounces club soda, seltzer, sparkling water, or maybe even some tonic.
Keeping Fruit Liqueurs
If it stays around long enough your liqueur will keep well in a lidded container in a dark cupboard for up to 6 months. If it loses its flavor or there is an unpleasant odor, it is time to discard it.
I hope you are inspired to try your hand at this liqueur and have fun playing with your perfect concoction. You might also use this it in your favorite margarita, mojito, or daiquiri. I'd love to hear about what you come up with.
Happy infusing!
~ Alonna
Here some other cocktail hour ideas
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Please rate by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card and/or let me know in the comments below. Thank you! ~Alonna
Recipe Card 📖
Easy Homemade Mango Liqueur
Ingrediants
- 2 to 3 ripe mangoes ~ About 3 cups of chunks; see Notes below
- 1 lime ~ Optional, 4 lime peels, preferrably organic
- 2 whole star anise ~ Optional
- 1 bottle rum ~ White or light rum, or vodka; see Notes below
Simple Syrup
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
A Simple 3-ingredient Mango Liqueur Cocktail
- 2 ounces mango liqueur ~ Buy if you don't have homemade
- 1 1/2 ounces club soda ~ Or seltzer, sparkling water
- 1 teaspoon lime juice ~ Or lemon, to taste
Instructions
Mix Ingredients Together
- Sterilize the jars and cooking utensils you will be using and gather your ingredients.
- Peel the mangoes and cut into large chunks. Add to the jar.
- To prep your lime peels, if your citrus is not organic, boil the limes in hot water for 3 minutes. Then wash them with mild soap and wipe dry to remove any remaining preservatives from the surface. If using organic limes, skip this step. Make 2 to 3 strips of lime peel (around about a half of a lime). Peel off the very top skin leaving the pith behind. If you need to, using a sharp knife, safely and gently remove as much of the white peel, or pith, as you can. Add to the jar.
- In a small pan over medium-high heat, toast the star anise (see Notes above on brands of star anise) for a minute or two until fragrant. Add to the jar and pour the rum to cover all the ingredients by 1/2 an inch.
Infusing
- Allow the mixture to infuse in a dark place at room temperature for 2 days. Taste and see if the mango and star anise flavors are strong enough, keeping in mind that it has not been sweetened yet! If the star anise flavor is strong enough but not the mango, with a very clean spoon, fish out the star anise and allow the infusion to rest another day. Taste daily until you think your liqueur is ready.
- Strain the liquor through cheesecloth into a decanter or covered jar.
Sweeten with Simple Syrup
- Make a 1:1 sugar to water solution using white (granulated) sugar. In a small pan over high heat, mix together 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. Stir to dissolve the sugar; remove from the heat, and allow it to cool. Simple syrup can be made with superfine sugar without heat, stirring continuously until the sugar is dissolved.
- Starting with 3 tablespoons of simple syrup, sweeten the liqueur to your taste.
- Serve! Store at room temperature in a dark place for up to six months.
A Simple 3-ingredient Mango Liqueur Cocktail
- Mix everything together and serve over ice. Taste and adjust the lime/lemon juice and amount of club soda. If you need sweetness add more simple syrup or maple syrup.
Notes
- Light or white rum suggestion if you don't have a favorite:
- Havana Club, Appleton white rum, Flor de Caña
- For pure mango flavor, steep in vodka, and skip the spices. The mango infusion is very good all on its own.
- Get a good quality star anise. The Swagat brand, while great for curries, did not make a great liqueur. I can vouch for the Penzeys and Frontier Co-op brands.
- If you are experimenting or afraid to make a commitment to almost a whole bottle of rum, make a 1/2 batch mango liqueur.
Paul says
The 3 mangoes will be enough for a 750 ml bottle of rum/vodka?
I have some diabetic (no sugar, artificial sweeteners) type simple syrup. Is this OK to mix with the liqueur, or should I only mix as I imbibe?
Alonna says
Hi Paul,
Yes, I have found that 3 mangoes are enough, but you could certainly add another one if you want to be sure.
I am curious about what your concern is about using your artificial sweetener in place of the usual simple syrup? I am cautious about giving you advice on this because I am not sure what sugar substitute you are using, or its keeping properties. After some searching, I see that people are making simple syrup with stevia or other sweeteners and storing them in the fridge to use as needed. This might be the safest way to go. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Ian Carter says
Do you think, adding some dessicated coconut or such, possibly at the sweetening stage, be a nice addition?
Alonna says
Hi Ian, I like your idea of adding coconut but I haven't tried it so not sure what the end result would be. If I was going to make straight homemade coconut liqueur I would use the Serious Eats recipe for DIY coconut rum (https://www.seriouseats.com/diy-coconut-rum-homemade-captain-morgans-recipe). They use fresh coconut. This might give you some good ideas and of course, mangoes and coconut are a good flavor pairing. I'd love to hear about what you come up with!
Roger says
Any thoughts on using ginger in place of anise?
Alonna says
I love this idea. And yes, ginger goes well with mango. What about making fresh ginger coins? Just be sure to give the ginger a good wash, then peel. I'd love to hear how it goes!