Summery Mango Bars! A jammy layer of fresh mango sandwiched between a coconut biscuit base and crumbly topping, finished with a lime glaze. Stellar flavour combination that screams of summer! That mango layer is everything – juicy and generous.
The annual mango recipe!
I intended to kick off this post by cheerfully introducing it as part of my yearly tradition of sharing a mango recipe each summer.
However, a quick look through my past creations made me realize that calling it an “annual tradition” might be a stretch. There were the 2023 Mango Muffins and the 2022 Yum Cha Mango Pancakes, but the one before that was all the way back in 2019—a Prawn, Avocado, and Mango Salad.
Let’s chalk up the three-year gap to the pandemic and officially get back on track.
Presenting the summer of 2025 mango recipe: MANGO BARS!!! ☀️☀️
Tell me about these Mango Bars
Mango + coconut + lime is a classic summer flavour combination and here it’s in a slice form made for eating with your hands. The coconut is in the base and crumbly topping which is made form the same mixture, there’s an assertive, unmissable layer of mango which walks the perfect line between juicy without being watery, jammy without being gluey.
Then because I couldn’t resist adding lime flavour, I decided on a whim to finish it off with a limey glaze.
If you can’t shovel the whole thing in your mouth in one go, it might be a bit messy to eat. But that’s part of the fun!!
Ingredients for Mango Bars
Here’s what you need to make the mango bars.
Mango filling
You will need two, big, ripe mangoes for this recipe. And yes, it can be made with canned mango!
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Mangoes – Use any variety you like. And it goes without saying the sweeter and riper they are, the better!
Canned mango – Use mangoes in unsweetened juice if you can, so it’s less sweet. Drain well in a colander then use per the recipe, cutting if needed to make the slices thinner. I do prefer the texture of the filling made with slices rather than diced, but dicing does work too. Cut them into ~6mm / 1/4″ cubes.
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Cornflour / cornstarch – This helps the juices thicken a touch into a syrup, rather than the watery juices running into and soaking the base. We only use 1 1/2 teaspoons (don’t go overboard else it makes the mango layer unpleasantly gluey).
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Sugar – I know it sounds insane to add sugar into sweet ripe mangoes, but hear me out! Just 2 tablespoons helps the juices become syrupy (combined with the cornflour) which suspends in the mango layer, rather than watery juices running into the base. Discovered after multiple attempts of making a sugar-free filling and not being thrilled with the mango layer!
Coconut base and crumb
This is based on the lovely crumb and base in my Raspberry Bars, with the addition of coconut which I really wanted because – coconut! Mango! Fab! I originally omitted the oats but then put it back in because I think it adds good texture to the base rather than just being a thick plain shortbread-style slab. It was still nice, but I thought was just a little too sandy for the thick layer of juicy mango. So, yes to the oats!
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Flour – Just regular plain / all-purpose flour. Self raising flour is not recommended here, it has too much baking powder in it for this recipe, the base and crumb will puff up too much.
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Desiccated coconut – Or finely shredded coconut. Just not coconut flakes, they are too large. Also, please use unsweetened.
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Oats – Regular plain rolled oats aka traditional oats. Not steel cut, not quick cooking, and not flavoured ones.
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Unsalted butter – Melted. If using salted, just skip the salt.
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Sugar – Just half a cup (100g) of white sugar. Not too sweet!
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Egg – Makes the mixture bind together. No need to bring to room temperature in this recipe. Use a large egg (50-55g/2oz), sold in cartons labelled as “large eggs” or 600-660g for a dozen. More on eggs for baking here.
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Salt – Standard baking ingredient these days, to bring out the flavours in the other ingredients.
How to make my Mango Bars
In all honesty, cutting the mangoes takes the most time here. But that’s a pleasurable task because you get to snack on all the offcuts as you go, and the chef gets to suck the seed!
1. HOW I CUT MANGO
I found the mango layer texture is nicer using slices rather than dicing (turned into mush). So use the cheeks first then the offcuts from around the seed only if needed to make up the full 2 1/2 cups we need.
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Cheeks first – Stand the mango upright on the wider side (ie the side that was attached to the tree). Cut the cheek of the mango off each side of the seed, aiming to leave as little flesh as possible on the seed.
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Scoop out – Then using a large spoon or scooper (the sharper the edge, the easier it is), scoop the flesh out of the skin. Scrape out any excess flesh left on the skin and eat it – chef’s treat! 🙂
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Slicing – slice the cheeks into 3 – 4 mm / just shy of o.2″ thick slices. Too thin = breakage when tossed, too thick = slippery and harder to cut/eat. (Speaking from experience here).
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Measure – Measure out 2 1/2 cups (400g) mango slices into a bowl. The slices will flop and fold into a measuring cup so it’s pretty accurate. Don’t fret about some breakage. Then set aside. Do not toss with sugar yet. The mango will sweat and get too watery.
2. Base & crumb (same mixture)
We are using the same mixture for the base and crumbly topping. The mixture is a little wetter when it’s first mixed and pressed into the base. By the time you get to sprinkling it over the mango, it has dried out a bit to make it easier to crumble across the surface.
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Mix – Melt the butter in a heatproof bowl in the microwave. Mix the sugar in first, then the egg. Then add everything else in one go (flour, baking powder, oats, coconut, salt) and mix until you can no longer see flour.
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Mixed and ready to use!
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Press – Measure out 1 3/4 cups of the mixture into measuring cups. (The remaining mixture is used for the topping). Press into the base using your hands, level it as best you can. Press firmly to level the surface but no need to press super firmly (ie not like your favourite torture-but-highly-effective Chinese masseuse working on your back).
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Mango tossing – Now we can prepare the mango layer! Sprinkle the sugar and cornflour across the surface of the mango and use your hands to gently toss to disperse.
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Mangoes layer – Pour all the mangoes onto the base and spread out evenly.
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Crumbly topping – Crumble the remaining topping across the surface. Larger crumbles = more high impact crunchy patches on surface and more mango exposure but slightly harder to cut neatly (I go for this, pictured). Smaller crumbles = easier to cut (more practical, better for impressing).
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Bake for 30 minutes in a 180°C/350°F oven (160°C fan forced) until the surface is light golden.
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Cool for 2 hours on the counter before drizzling with glaze, if using. (Speed things up – 30 minutes on counter, 30 minutes in fridge).
3. lime drizzle glaze
The trick with glazes is to make them just thin enough so they can be drizzled across the surface and they spread slightly, but thick enough to set so you can still see it. If the glaze is too thin, it spreads and sinks into the cake/bars etc and disappears = disappointing. 😭
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Mixing – Put the icing sugar, lime zest, juice and vanilla in a bowl. Then mix with a small whisk until throughly combined.
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Consistency – Goal: honey consistency, not maple syrup which is too thin. Glazes can go from too thick to too thin with just the tiniest amount of extra liquid. So if your glaze needs thinning, only use 1/4 teaspoon at a time and mix it in thoroughly before adding more.
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Drizzle randomly across the surface of the mango bars in any pattern you want.
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Set and cut – Leave for 10 minutes to let the surface of the glaze set before cutting into 12 squares (normal, pictured) or 9 squares (greedy, always encouraged).
I take it back – Lime Glaze is not optional
I think I have written in a few places that the lime glaze is optional.
I’d like to retract that / caveat it. It is optional – no I can’t force you to make it – but it’s highly, highly recommended. Not only does it add a finishing pizzaz to these Mango Bars, as all glazes do to all deserts, but the little pop of lime flavour plays so nicely with the mango and coconut. I tried putting the lime flavour into the mango filling but it just got lost.
Embrace the mess
And lastly – be forewarned – it might get a little messy to eat if you take small nibbles. Crumble bars always are, but this one a little more than usual because of that generously juicy mango layer.
Solution is to either eat it in one or two big bites (my new taste testing team, my builders, opted for this) or embrace the mess (I opted for this).
Either way, it’s so enjoyable! – Nagi x
Mango Bars FAQ
Err, yes, Surprising number! When I set my sights on mango bars part of the reason was because I though it’d be pretty straight forward, having done various crumble bar recipes in the past (raspberry jam, fresh strawberries, apple, to name a few).
Challenge here was balancing the juiciness of mangoes (re: soaking base and texture of the mango layer), wanting a generous amount of mangoes so you can really taste it (too little and it just disappears once baked), and the right base thickness and texture so it stays crisp even with a lot of juice soaking in from the mangoes, but not so thick that it throws out the base v mango layer ratio.
I also had to play around with achieving the right texture for the mango layer. “Every other” recipe I saw called for the mango to be chopped. I wasn’t a fan of the texture after baking (a bit too gluey-mushy especially with cornflour added). I tried playing around with the cornflour amount but that didn’t solve it.
Slicing the mango rather than dicing it turned out to be my preference. It also made the mango layer more assertive and really in-your-face which is what I wanted!
I have not made this specific recipe using gluten free flour but the mixture is based on the one used for Raspberry Jam Bars which readers have successfully made using GF flour. So confident it will work!
Me neither. I grew up eating Japanese / French desserts which typically use 1/3 to 1/2 the amount of sugar used in comparable American desserts, and I’d say around 2/3 to 3/4 the sweetness of Australian / UK desserts.
This recipe has 1/2 cup sugar (100g) plus 2 tablespoons in the mango filling which really is not that sweet compared to typical desserts. The glaze adds a touch of extra sweetness but the tang from lime cuts through it, and you can always forgo the drizzle if you want (perhaps dust with icing sugar / powdered sugar instead to make it pretty).
Yes! Peaches and nectarines would be a direct substitute for this recipe. For fresh or frozen berries, I recommend using the Fresh Strawberry Bars recipe which is made using fresh strawberries. If using jam, use the Raspberry Jam Bars recipe.
Yes you can! Please drain well. I’d also recommend using mangoes canned in unsweetened juice rather than syrup which can be quite sweet.
Unfortunately not. It gets too soggy and mushy when thawed.
5 days in the fridge, though after 2 days the base does soften from the mango juices. It isn’t unpleasant and certainly didn’t stop me from hoovering them day (yes, part of my job is to sample the left overs each day to assess how well it keeps. I know, I know, break out the violins, my life is sooo hard 😂).
Watch how to make it
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Coconut mango bars with lime glaze
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Cooling: 2 hours
Bars, Dessert, Slice, Sweet Baking
Western
Servings12 squares (or 9 larger ones)
Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
Coconut crumble base & topping:
Lime glaze (optional – but not really!)
Prevent screen from sleeping
Instructions
Summary:
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Melt butter, mix in sugar, then egg, then everything else. Press 1 3/4 cups into 20cm/8″ lined pan. Toss mango filling ingredients, spread on base, crumble over remaining mixture. Bake 30 min. Cool, drizzle with glaze.
Base & crumbs mixture:
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Melt butter – Cut the butter into ~1.25cm/1/2″ chunks and melt in a microwave-proof bowl, or use a saucepan and stove. (Note 6)
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Mix – Add the sugar to the butter and mix with a wooden spoon. Add egg and mix until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix until you no longer see flour.
Assembling:
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Base – Measure out 1 3/4 cups (packed) of the mixture (the rest gets used for the topping). Spread into the pan and use your hands to evenly press it into the base.
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Mango filling (do this just before use) – Put the mango in a bowl. Sprinkle over the sugar and cornflour. Use your hands to gently toss until evenly coated.
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Assemble – Spread the mango evenly across the base. Crumble the remaining mixture across the surface, leaving spots of mango exposed.
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Bake for 30 minutes until the surface is light golden.
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Cool – Remove from the oven and fully cool in the pan (~ 2 hours) before lifting out using the excess paper onto a cutting board. (Speed things up: 30 min counter, 30 minute fridge).
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Lime glaze – Mix the ingredients in a medium bowl, using extra lime juice 1/4 tsp at a time if needed until it’s a honey consistency. Drizzle randomly across the surface. Leave for 10 minutes to let the glaze surface crust.
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Serve – Cut into 12 squares (sensible) or 9 (greedy). Devour!
Recipe Notes:
2. Oats – regular rolled oats / traditional coats. Not steel cut or quick cook.
3. Mangos:
- Measuring – The slippery slices will flop into the measuring cup quite easily. Don’t worry if some break. Be sure to use offcuts from around the seed!
- Variety – Use any you like, my favourites are (in order): Honey Gold, R2E2, Kensington Prides, Keitt. Calypso brings up the rear – common, pretty, cheap, least mangoey.
- Don’t toss mango with sugar until just before using else it will draw excess juice out of the mango. Follow recipe steps in the order they are written.
4. Sugar note – A bit of sugar with the cornflour in the mango layer makes it bake up a little “jammy” rather than turning into watery mush which was a problem in early versions I tried.
5. 🇦🇺 Icing sugar for Australians – Be sure to get SOFT icing sugar (packet will say as such) not pure icing sugar which is used for icing that sets hard like royal icing.
6. Butter melting – I cover the bowl with a couple of paper towels, do 30s on high, then 10 sec increments until mostly melted. Then finish melting by mixing. My days of cleaning microwave butter explosions are over!
Store in the fridge for 5 days though from day 2 and beyond, though base is pretty good for 2 days then does lose crispness. Still darn delish though! Not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition per bar, assuming 12 bars and the glaze is used.
Life of Dozer
True love – giving up the mango seed:
Also – too much? Or – art? 🤔😂
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