Sharing our bounty is something we do in Hawaii. At any given time a friend, family, or co-worker will either ask you if you want some of their harvest or simply drop off a bag and leave it on your porch. Mango, lychee, dragon fruit, tangerines, papaya, guava, and mountain fruit are just some of the fruit we have been gifted.
For this reason, when I lived on the mainland, I couldn’t bring myself to buy mangoes at the grocery store. We never paid for them before so it was hard to fork over $5 for a piece of fruit.
As July 22nd is National Mango Day (yes, they have a specific day to celebrate this tropical fruit), it seems as good a time as any to share this recipe.
Mangoes in Hawaii
Traditionally, mango season in Hawaii is May through October. However, with climate change we’ve seen things shift. Some even say that there are two mango seasons in Hawaii. Regardless of when it occurs, if we have any extra mangoes on hand, it’s the perfect excuse to make my aunty’s mango bread.
There are many varieties of mango in Hawaii but the two most common are Haden and Pirie. We most often eat Haden mangoes which are large (some can be over a pound) and are a beautiful red-orange when ripe.
Making mango bread
Like banana bread, mango bread is a way to use up excess fruit. Mango bread is a moist quick bread and you won’t get the right consistency if you use firm or under ripe fruit. Many recipes use chopped mango. My aunty’s recipe used mashed mango. I use what I like to call “mostly mashed” mango so you get the necessary moisture from the mashed mango but still have chunks of mango throughout the loaf.
Chopped walnuts provide much needed texture and raisins add more fruit pop to the bread. A hidden ingredient that enhances the mango bread overall is the juice and zest of a lemon – the flavor is not highly pronounced but it would be missed if it wasn’t there.
Serving and storage
Mango bread can be served slightly warm or at room temperature. If it’s been a few days then it can be toasted in a toaster oven or in a dry pan (top it with a pat of butter for a bit of luxe).
Mango bread is very moist and should be kept in the refrigerator if you live in a warm, humid climate (like Hawaii) or it will go moldy quickly. As this recipe makes two loaves, you can also freeze one loaf to eat at a later time. It should keep in the freezer for a few months.
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Mango Bread
- Total Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
Description
This recipe is a great way to use up excess, overripe mangoes. It makes two loaves of delicious, moist mango bread – perfect for breakfast or with your afternoon cup of tea.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts*
1¼ cups sugar
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups mostly mashed mango**
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons demerara sugar, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 9″ x 5″ loaf pans with cooking spray then line each pan with parchment paper, allowing a 1″ overhang on the long edges to create a cradle to lift the finished mango breads. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Gently fold in the raisins and walnuts. Set aside.
In another mixing bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, mango, and lemon juice.
Create a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined, do not over mix.
Divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans and let stand for 20 minutes.
Bake for 1 hour, rotating halfway through, until the center of the loaves no longer jiggle and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Optional step: 10 minutes into baking, sprinkle the tops of the loaves with demerara sugar for a light crunchy topping.
Let cool on a baking rack for 15 minutes then remove from the pans. Allow to cool completely on the baking rack.
Notes
*Substitute with macadamia nuts for a special treat.
**You want most of the mango mashed for its moisture but keep some chunks of fruit.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Inactive Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Quick breads
- Cuisine: Hawaiian-American
Nutrition
- Calories: 206.65
- Sugar: 13.49 g.
- Sodium: 147.17 mg.
- Fat: 10.55 g.
- Saturated Fat: 1.49 g.
- Carbohydrates: 27.07 g.
- Fiber: 1.33 g.
- Protein: 2.55 g.
- Cholesterol: 13.64 mg.
Keywords: mango, walnut, raisin
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