Fresh mango chunks topped with fluffy whipped cream, then wrapped with thin, moist and elastic crepes. mango pancakes are a dessert to die for.
During my holidays in China I always enjoy visiting a popular dessert chain called Honeymoon Dessert/满记甜品, a brand originated in Hong Kong selling both Chinese traditional and Asian fusion desserts. I love its signature dish Mango Pancakes/芒果班戟 so much I tried to replicate it in my own kitchen.
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What are mango pancakes
Although known as mango pancakes, this dessert doesn’t appear to be what its name suggests. They are actually whipped cream and fresh mango chunks wrapped in thin crepes (more like french crepes than an American pancake).
Mango pancakes are not typically Chinese and their place of origin remains a mystery. According to my research, they are very popular in Hong Kong bakeries and dessert shops. Whereas in Australia, mango pancakes come in a roll shape (like Spring Rolls) and are commonly served in Chinese restaurants (especially Dim Sum restaurants).
If you love fresh fruit and appreciate a light dessert, mango pancakes are a perfect choice. You’ll adore their three layers of delight: moist, elastic pancakes; light, fluffy cream; and soft, sweet mango. And they’re surprisingly simple to make!
Ingredients
To make Hong Kong style mango pancakes, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Ripe mangoes
- Double cream (or whipping cream), plus vanilla extract and icing sugar for flavor
- Ingredients for the pancakes: all-purpose flour, cornstarch (or custard powder), powdered sugar (aka icing sugar), milk, eggs, melted butter.
🌟 NOTE: For photographing this recipe, I used custard powder (Bird’s Custard), instead of cornstarch, as it yields a more appealing yellow color.
How to make them
Step 1: cook the pancakes
The pancakes should be very thin, smooth, moist, and slightly elastic. I’ve learned a few tips through multiple recipe testings:
- Prepare the batter by mixing all the ingredients for the pancakes. It should have a smooth, runny consistency.
- Pour the batter through a sieve to remove any lumps.
- Keep your skillet/frying pan (ideally non-stick) at the right temperature: low enough to allow the batter to swirl into a nice round shape, yet high enough to cook the pancakes quickly without drying them out. You might find it a bit tricky making the first 1 or 2 pancakes. I’m sure you will soon figure out the best level of heat for your cookware.
Step 2: whip the cream
Add vanilla extract and a small amount of powdered sugar to the cream, then whip it until stiff peaks form. If you don’t have a sweet tooth, like me, you can omit the sugar, as the sweetness from the pancakes and the mango may be enough.
Step 3: slice the mangoes
Choose ripe mangoes then cut their flesh into chunks. For a better presentation, I suggest using one large piece of mango for each pancake. When you cut the pancake through, a nice neat look will appear on each side.
Step 4: shape the dessert
Lay one pancake on a surface. Put a big spoonful of whipped cream in the middle, then place a piece of mango on top. Wrap the cream and mango from four sides, forming a pillow-like shape.
When wrapping, use minimum pressure on the pancakes. Otherwise you might tear them or push the cream to the side then end up with a very flat shape.
Variations
Apart from mango pancakes, durian pancakes/榴莲班戟 are also very popular. Since durian is not commonly available outside Asia, I picked other fruits as fillings.
Strawberry and kiwi are my favorite options. They both have sweet, soft flesh and they look stunning when cut through. Banana, melon and ripe peach also work for this recipe.
How to color the pancakes
I experimented with several ways to color the pancakes to match different fruits.
- Yellow: To match the yellow/orange color of mango, I replace cornstarch with custard powder (Bird’s Custard) which gives the batter a yellower look.
- Pink: For strawberries, I add a little juice from beetroot to achieve a pink color.
- Green: Matcha powder (finely ground powder of green tea, commonly used in Japanese cuisine) is added for a green appearance to match kiwi fruit.
FAQs
A: Absolutely. Store the batter in the fridge. Make sure to bring it back to room temperature and stir it well before cooking.
A: It’s perfectly fine to store them overnight in the fridge and their texture won’t change.
Other dessert recipes
Looking for more classic Chinese treats? Have a look at these popular ones:
📋 Recipe card
Hong Kong style mango pancake (芒果班戟)
Ingredients
For the pancakes
- 240 ml milk - 1 cup
- 50 g all-purpose flour - ⅓ cup, see note 1
- 30 g cornstarch - or custard powder, ¼ cup, see note 2
- 25 g powdered sugar - ¼ cup
- 3 medium eggs - lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoon butter - melted
For the filling
- 300 ml double cream - or whipping cream, 1¼ cups
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon powdered sugar
- 2 large mangoes - peeled and cut into chunks
Instructions
Prepare the batter
- Pour milk into a mixing bowl. Sift flour, cornstarch (or custard powder) and powdered sugar into the bowl. Mix with a balloon whisk until well combined.
- Add lightly beaten eggs and melted butter. Mix well.
- Through a sieve, pour the mixture into a bowl/measuring cup (ideally with a pouring spout).
Cook the pancakes
- Heat up a non-stick skillet/frying pan over low heat.
- Pour a small amount of batter onto the pan, then swirl quickly to form a very thin disk.
- When small air pockets appear under the pancake, remove the pancake and place it on a plate to cool (no need to cook the other side).
- Repeat the procedure until you finish the batter mixture (see note 3).
Whip the cream
- While waiting for the pancakes to cool, whip the cream, vanilla extract and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the pancakes
- Lay one pancake on a flat surface (shiny, smooth side facing down).
- Spoon some whipped cream onto the middle of the pancake. Place one piece of mango on top.
- Wrap the filling from four sides of the pancake to form a pillow-like shape. Place it on a serving plate with the folded side facing down.
Store & serve
- You may serve the pancakes straight away. However, I suggest that you refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes before serving. This way the cream will be firmer thus the pancakes will look better when cut through.
NOTES
NUTRITION
NUTRITION DISCLOSURE: Nutritional information on this website is provided as a courtesy to readers. It should be considered estimates. Please use your own brand nutritional values or your preferred nutrition calculator to double check against our estimates.
Ever since trying the mango pancakes at Mango Mango, I’ve been going regularly. They’re lightly sweet, creamy, and so delicious. This morning I woke up with a craving for those pancakes and then remember the box of mangos my dad dropped off last week. Perfect day to try my hand at making them at home, and it couldn’t be easier. The crepes are soft and a little chewy and it comes together beautifully. The prep is really where your time goes – whipping the cream, making the crepes, slicing the mango. Then you make your little assembly station and I churned out 30 within 20 mins (the recipe very easily doubles). My friends LOVED the treats I dropped off and I fulfilled a craving. I diced the mango rather than keeping it in a large chunk (which is how you usually have it) for convenience sake, and although it wasn’t as beautiful, it was still great.
That’s wonderful to hear!
So easy to follow and were delicious!
Thank you!
You’re welcome Diana! Glad you liked them!
Hey there! I was wondering how many days it lasts, or should only be eaten within a few days?
can I make in advanced and place them in the freezer?
Hi Esme! You can store it in the fridge for 2-3 days. I assume it’s ok to freeze it but I’m not 100% sure as I haven’t tried that way myself.
Thanks a lot, let’s see if that’s as easy as you make it seems for someone as unskilled in the cuisine as myself 😉
Mango pancake was definitely among the most surprising and memorable things we miss from our visit in HK few years ago. We haven’t find it anywhere in Europe 🙁
My pleasure Bart! Hope you’ll enjoy making and eating it!
Thank you Wei for sharing. I have been using your recipes & will definitely try the mango crepe now that it is in season.
Do keep us informed if you are organizing food tours to China. Would love to join in
My pleasure! Thank you for your interest in my culinary tour. If you wish, you may fill the Enquiry Form to be added to the waiting list. I will inform you once the new program becomes available.
Great recipe, custard b prefer works a treat! Thank you!
My pleasure to share!
Thank you for creating this mango crepe recipe. I followed the recipe exactly using custard powder, and it turned out amazing.
My parents and I both love it. During this time, it’s hard to come across a place with the mango crepe and I was able to make 6 big crepes with fresh ripe mango and whipped cream!
You’re welcome Alicia! So happy to know you’ve enjoyed it!
Hello , I want to ask you did you make one batter for all the crepes? In other words did you use custard powder in all of them of just the yellow one?
If I want to do chocolate flavor I substitute the custard powder with cocoa powder right?
You can use either corn starch or custard powder for the basic batter. Then add other ingredients to change the colour. In your case, you should not replace custard powder with cocoa powder. Instead, add some to the basic batter.
Is there anything you can use besides the corn starch? I have a corn allergy!!
You may substitute cornstarch with potato starch or tapioca starch.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I made these beautiful ‘mango pillows’ today and they were gone in no time. Very close in taste and texture to what we have had—on numerous occasions—at Honeymoon Dessert’s outlets in Hong Kong and Mainland China.
You are welcome Beans! I miss Honeymoon Dessert in China and hope to go back soon!
THANK YOU Wei! You saved me LOTS of money! My family of six (with extended cousins of 20) LOVE these! We usually get them for $3.50/each and we generally eat more than two per person! This is the PERFECT recipe and so easy and quick to make! I have also been searching for a crepe recipe with this perfect consistency…soft but firm and malleable! Now I can throw all my other crepes recipe away and keep just this one! So, you basically help me killed two birds with one stone! 🙂
I have only one question. Can the crepe/pancake batter be kept over night or does it needs to be cooked/used the same day? My kids love crepes for breakfast but I don’t want to wake up to early to make crepes. 🙂
Thanks again!
You are welcome Khanhly! So happy to know you and your family enjoyed my recipe. Yes, you can keep the batter overnight in the fridge. Just remember to stir it well before cooking as the starch tends to sink to the bottom over time.