Mango is refreshingly sweet and a delicious tropical fruit. It has a high nutritional value and provides essential nutrients to humans. Therefore, mangoes are pretty common in our favorite food dishes.
But what if your favorite recipe calls for mangoes and there’s no mango in your kitchen for any reason. And, if you are allergic to mangoes, you may wonder what fruits are mango alternatives?
Here, we are going to tell you all the best substitutes for mango that you can use in your recipes. And, if you want to know about all those substitutions, stick to this article.
Best Substitute for Mango
Mangoes were initially native to India. However nowadays, mangoes are popular all over the world. As, different countries cultivate and export several varieties of mangoes.
The color of the outer skin of mangoes may be bright yellow or orangey-green with juicy flesh. They also have a small, usually inedible pit inside.
Their skin is rich in nutrients and also edible. But mostly, people dislike it because of its bitter taste and rough texture.
Mangoes are rich in fibers, sugars, vitamins, and trace minerals. Besides this, mangoes also have anti-aging properties in them because of their high vitamin C content.
Mangoes are quite common either raw or cooked, in our diet. Raw mango chunks are popular in desserts, smoothies, shakes, or baked goods. However, people also love mango condiments, chutneys, salsa, and many other side dishes.
Usually, mangoes are available round the year in the super markets. But, if you ran out of mangoes and still want to enjoy your favorite recipe, then you can also use mango substitutes.
So, if you want to know all those mango replacements, then read this article till the end.
Pineapple
Pineapple is a tropical fruit that is popular for its refreshing and delectable taste. Its edible juicy flesh is just amazing and luscious.
The overall flavor and taste of pineapples totally depend on their ripening extent. As, less ripe pineapples are tangier and less sweet in taste. However, when ripe, pineapples have an incredibly sweeter and fruity flavor.
And, because of its juicy flesh and sweeter taste, pineapple is the best substitute for mango. Moreover, pineapples are less flavorful like mangoes when they are unripe or underripe.
Pineapples are healthy and rich in nutrients like mangoes. Nutrients like vitamins, sugars, fibers, and minerals are present in abundant quantities in pineapples.
Like mangoes, pineapples are quite common in desserts, sweet treats, fruit salads, and other food dishes. Therefore, pineapple is a fruit that is the best replacement for mango.
You can serve pineapple in a number of different ways. For instance, pineapple juice, pineapple chunks, crushed pineapples, pineapple spears, and pineapple slices are some popular ways of serving pineapple.
Best Substitute For
You can use pineapple instead of mango in fruit salads, desserts, smoothies, jams, and shakes. However, use fresh pineapples to achieve a taste similar to mangoes.
Peach
Peach is another best alternative to mango fruit. It has refreshingly juicy flesh with fuzzy skin and having non edible central pit. Their bright orange flesh resembles mangoes.
Peaches are harder in texture and less sweet in taste when unripe. While when ripe, they become more juicy and sweeter, just like mangoes.
Usually, there are two distinct varieties of peaches that are available. And so, what variety would be a good substitution for mango? Let’s see.
Yellow peaches are sweet yet little acidic or tangy to eat. However, the white variety is little acidic and sweeter in taste.
Therefore, in my opinion, white peaches replace mangoes fully than yellow ones. But you can choose any variety that suits your taste preferences.
However, both peach varieties are rich in nutrients like mangoes. Peaches meet the daily requirement for minerals like calcium, iron, and potassium. In addition, they are a good source of vitamins, fibers, and sugars.
Best substitute for
Peach is the best mango substitute in jams, sweets, smoothies, sauces, salsa, and even in chutneys. In addition, it also replaces mango in baked goods.
Apricot
Apricots are much similar to peaches as these are closely related in many ways. Like peaches, they are bright orange in color and also a stone fruit. However, apricots are smaller in size than peaches.
And, when we talk about the taste of apricots, it is juicy and sweet when ripe. However, its taste is little acidic or tart for some people. But overall, they are sweet and delicious to eat.
So, one can also use apricots instead of mangoes in several food recipes. And, in pureed form, apricots are much similar to mangoes. Therefore, they will replace mangoes fully in taste and texture.
Like mangoes, apricots are highly nutritious and healthy. These are rich in fibers and sugars, and also low in calories. Therefore, these are the best option for diet conscious people.
Apricots go well in those recipes that require high temperatures for their proper cooking. And, the reason for this fact is that heat enhances both flavor and texture of apricots.
Best Substitute For
Apricots are the best substitution for mangoes in baked items, shakes, and desserts. Furthermore, you can also use apricot as a topping for cheesecakes. Besides this, you can also use them in savory food dishes.
Nectarine
Nectarines are nothing but genetic variants or cultivars of common peaches. They differ in appearance, as the skin of nectarines lacks fuzzy hairs as peaches. However, their kernels and stones are similar.
There are several varieties of nectarines that are stone-free with juicy ripe flesh. And, their flesh color may vary from red and yellow.
Nectarines have a similar sweet taste to peaches but with a slight firmer texture. So, you can eat nectarines, either raw or cooked.
As, these are smooth fuzz-free, you can directly eat them as is after washing. However, like other stone fruits, nectarines also go great in baked goods, jams, and chutneys.
Interestingly, you can also use nectarines instead of mango. And, they replace mango fully in all those recipes that call for mangoes either raw or cooked.
Similar to mangoes, they are also a good source of vitamin C and A. Besides this, nectarines also provide you with essential minerals.
Best Substitute For
You can replace mangoes with nectarines in recipes like salsa, sweet condiments, chutneys, jams or jellies. In addition, nectarines are the best mango substitute in baked items.
Persimmon
Persimmon is an exotic fruit with glossy or leathery outer skin. Their silky and juicy flesh tastes divine.
The peak season of persimmons is late fall and early winter months. And, their flavor depends on their extent of ripening. As, ripe persimmons are deliciously sweet and dessert-like. However, unripe persimmons are unpleasant to eat.
Usually, people love to eat persimmons raw, cooked, or even dried. They are quite popular in sweet dishes like desserts. However, you can also use underripe persimmons in savory food dishes.
In fact, ripe persimmons are also the best replacement for mangoes. Due to their mushy and sweeter flesh, persimmons go great in your favorite recipes.
Moreover, they are full of nutrients like mangoes. They contain vitamins, minerals, sugars, and fibers in high quantities. Moreover, these are the best substitute for mango for diet conscious people.
Best Substitute For
Persimmons go great in sweet as well as savory food recipes. However, most commonly, these are quite popular in desserts and smoothies.
Kiwi
Kiwi is an exotic and refreshing fruit with a brown fuzzy outer skin. Its flesh color is a bright green that looks amazing.
Kiwi tastes much sweeter when fully ripe. And, people love to eat its juicy flesh, raw or fresh. However, underripe kiwis are not much sweeter but tangier to taste.
Kiwis are quite common in fruit salads, smoothies, desserts, and cocktails. Undoubtedly, kiwi is a great addition to your routine recipes.
Due to their sweet taste, kiwi is also a good substitution for mangoes. So, you can use kiwi in those recipes that call for ripe mangoes.
Kiwi is highly nutritious like mangoes. As, kiwis have a high content of vitamin C and A in them. In addition, these are a good source of potassium, folate, and other essential nutrients. Also, kiwis are low in calories.
Best Substitute For
Kiwi can replace mangoes in fruit salads, smoothies, and desserts. In addition, you can also use kiwi as a fruit topping of cheesecakes instead of mangoes.
Plums
Typically, plums are dark-colored and oval-shaped fruits. Their outer skin color may vary from light brown to very dark color. And, plums are easily available in the summer months.
When they are ripe, plums are much sweeter and refreshing to eat. However, their outer thin skin may tend to be tart. But unripe plums are less sweet and tangier with a firmer texture.
People love to eat fresh or raw plums as these are deliciously divine. However, several cooked dishes also involve plums like jams, condiments, and jellies.
Interestingly, plums are also the best alternative to mangoes in several recipes. Their natural sweetness replaces mangoes fully. Therefore, use plums instead of mangoes in your favorite dish next time.
Different countries cultivate different plum varieties. So, you can use any of them according to your taste preferences. However, all these varieties are healthy choice for your diet.
Best Substitute For
Plums are the great mango alternatives in desserts, jams, and jellies. Besides this, dry plums are also popular for their culinary uses.
Banana
When ripe, bananas are also good for mango replacement in sweet recipes. They are sweetish to taste with a creamy soft texture. And, their outer skin is bright yellow in color with light brown spots on it.
As, the sugar content of bananas is high, therefore, you can only use it in sweet recipes. And, like mangoes, they give a smooth yet creamy texture to the recipe. In addition, bananas are quite nutritious and easy to digest.
Best Substitute For
Due to their extra sweetness, bananas go great in smoothies, desserts, and baked goods instead of mangoes. However, they are not good to use in savory recipes.
Other Mango Substitutes
Besides all the above-mentioned substitutes, you can also use other fruits that are quite similar to mangoes. So, let’s discuss what other fruits are mango alternatives?
Passion fruit, cantaloupe, cashew apple, dragon fruit, and even guava can be the best alternatives for mangoes. So, you can choose any of the given substitutes according to your taste and health preferences.
Conclusion
Mango is a tropical fruit with a refreshing sweet and royal taste. No fruit can perfectly substitute mango. However, we can replace it with other closely related fruits that are much similar to mangoes in taste and texture.
The most common alternative fruits for mango are pineapple, peach, apricot, nectarine, kiwi, persimmon, and banana. So, if you have no more mangoes in your kitchen, use any of them in your recipe, and it will go well definitely. So, enjoy them.