Hong Kong mango pancake, also known as mango crepe, is a popular dessert at Hong Kong bakeries, cafes, and dessert shops. It's a crepe stuffed with lightly sweetened whipped cream and sweet, ripe mango. Mango pancake is also a popular dessert at dim sum restaurants.
Mango pancake/crepe (máng guǒ bān jǐ - 芒果班戟) is one of our favorite desserts to make, especially in the summer when the mangoes are in season. The crepe is thin, tender, but slightly chewy from the cornstarch and stuffed with fluffy, lightly sweetened whipped cream and sweet, juicy mango. And they look like cute little pillows!
This dim sum dessert is super easy to make and requires no fancy ingredients. Just some basic ingredients and good mangoes.
If you're looking for more easy dessert recipes, you may also like our mango coconut sago (one of our absolute favorites), matcha crème brûlée, nama chocolate, and our matcha nama chocolate.
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What is mango pancake?
Hong Kong mango pancakes are thin crepes stuffed with lightly sweetened, fluffy whipped cream and fresh mango. Hence why they are also known as mango crepes.
Mango pancake is a popular dessert found in Hong Kong bakeries, cafes, and dessert shops. You'd also find these mango pancakes at dim sum restaurants, particularly during the summer when mangoes are in season.
Ingredients
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!
- Flour - All-purpose flour will be perfect for making the crepes, but if you only have cake flour or bread flour, you can use that too. Do note that the texture may be different.
- Cornstarch - We found that cornstarch adds a nice, slightly bouncy texture to the crepe. Without the cornstarch the crepes were a little limper and had less texture.
- Sugar - For sweetening the crepes and the whipped cream filling. Regular granulated sugar is perfect.
- Milk - For making the crepe batter. Any percent milk works fine.
- Egg - We used large whole eggs for the recipe. Highly recommend that the eggs are well beaten before adding to the rest of the batter.
- Unsalted butter - In small amounts, you can substitute for salted butter. But if you're multiplying the mango pancake recipe, do use unsalted butter. If you prefer, you can also use ghee instead.
- Mango - Use ripe mangoes! This is the centerpiece of this dessert, so the ripeness will determine how good your mango pancakes will be. We love using honey mangoes, also known as champagne and ataulfo mangoes.
- Heavy cream - For making whipped cream.
- Vanilla (optional) - Although it's optional, we highly recommend using it in both the crepe batter and the whipped cream. Vanilla just makes everything so much better!
Dairy free substitutes
For my fellow dairy/lactose intolerant friends, you can still enjoy these Hong Kong mango pancakes! You can substitute the milk and butter in the crepe batter with your preferred non-dairy substitute, like coconut milk and coconut oil.
As for the the whipped cream filling, you can use non-dairy whipped cream alternatives like coconut whipped cream. If you can't find that, you can also use Savoy's coconut cream. Just chill it overnight or for at least 2 to 4 hours, then use only the solid cream to make your coconut whipped cream.
How to make mango pancake
Make the batter:
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and sugar. Add the milk and vanilla and whisk until the batter is smooth and no more lumps of dry ingredients are visible. Add the beaten eggs and whisk gently until the crepe batter is evenly combined.
🌟 Pro tip: We ask that you whisk up the eggs before adding to the crepe batter because then the batter won't have to be mixed as much. The more you mix the batter, the more bubbles there will be. Those bubbles don't always disappear, which can give your crepes bubbles and create holes.
2. Optional but highly recommended: Use a fine mesh strainer, strain the crepe batter into a container with a spout, like a liquid measuring cup. Straining the batter will remove any stubborn clumps and egg bits.
3. Stir in the melted butter.
🌟 Pro tip: Try to have all the ingredients at room temperature to prevent the butter from solidifying and clumping up. Also, if you are straining the batter, do so before adding the butter. This is so the butter doesn't get strained out, if it does solidify up a little.
Make the crepe/pancakes:
Prepare a plate lined with parchment paper, a ⅓ cup measuring cup, and rubber spatula.
1. Place a 12 inch nonstick pan over medium low heat. Once the pan is hot, give the crepe batter a stir and pour the batter into a ⅓ cup measuring cup.
2. Pour the ⅓ cup of batter into the middle of the pan and immediately swirl and shake the pan to evenly coat the entire bottom of the pan.
3. Let the crepe cook until you see bubbles on the bottom side of the crepe, about 20 to 30 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to scrape along the entire edges of the crepe to separate it from the pan. Move the pan from off the heat if needed to prevent the crepe from getting color.
4. Then, transfer the crepe to the plate lined with parchment paper by flipping the pan upside down over the plate. The crepe should just peel off. If needed, straighten the crepe to prevent it from becoming wrinkly. Do be careful! The crepe will be very HOT!
📝 Note: The first crepes tend to not turn out the best, just like pancakes. But that's okay! Use it as a test crepe to adjust your heat and for practice. The first crepe will taste just as good as the rest!
5. Repeat with the remaining batter and you can stack the crepe on top of each other. Once all the crepes are cooked, let the crepes cool completely at room temperature or in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes. This will also give time for the crepes to reabsorb the butter.
Prepare the filling:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla. Using a hand mixer, whip everything together until stiff peak. Place the whipped cream in the fridge until needed.
🌟 Pro tip: I recommend mixing on low speed until the cream thickens before increasing to higher speed. Or you can cover the bowl and mix on high speed so that the cream doesn't splatter.
2. Peel the mango, then cut the mango as close to the seed as possible to get two halves. Cut each half into 3 even pieces, as best as you can.
Assemble the hong kong mango pancakes:
1. Carefully, peel a sheet of crepe off the stack of crepes and place it smooth side down on a cutting board.
2. Place a large dollop of whipped cream at the center of the pancake and place a piece of mango on the whipped cream. Then, top the mango off with a little more whipped cream.
3. Bring the bottom side of the crepe over the filling. Then, fold the left and right edges of the crepe to the middle. Tuck and fold the crepe up, towards the top edge of the crepe to make a pillow shaped rectangle.
4. Repeat with the remaining crepes and fillings. Chill the mango pancakes in the fridge for 15 to 30 minute to help firm up the whipped cream, or enjoy them right away!
Recommended equipments
These mango pancakes are pretty easy to make, but having these equipments can make the process a lot easier.
- 12 inch nonstick pan - We highly recommend using a nonstick pan so that the crepe comes off super easily. We've tried with seasoned stainless steel pans and it worked, however, the crepe did not release until it was brown. We prefer the crepe without colors for better presentation.
- 12 inch is the measurement of the pan from rim to rim. This produces a crepe that's about 10 inches in diameter because the bottom of the pan is usually 2 inches smaller.
- 10 inch crepe pan - Alternatively, you can use a 10 inch crepe pan instead of a regular 12 inch nonstick pan.
- Dry measuring cup - I love using our dry measuring cups as ladles. You can portion and pour the batter all in one!
- Rubber spatula - It's great for separating the crepe from the pan and won't damage your pan.
Recipe tips
- Beat the eggs ahead of time so that the batter doesn't get over mixed. This will also prevent the batter from getting a lot of bubbles and create holes in the crepe.
- Control your heat. This is important for all cooking, but especially when making crepes. We recommend starting at medium low and adjust as needed. Your pan has to be hot enough that the batter makes a light sizzling sound, but cool enough that the batter has time to spread before setting.
- Keep the heavy cream chilled. Chilled heavy cream whips up the best, and after the whipped cream has been whipped, keep it refrigerated to keep it stiff.
- Let the crepe cool in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes so that they cool completely and also reabsorb the butter.
Try other kinds of pancakes
Although this is called mango pancake, you can substitute the mango for other fruits like strawberries or kiwi. You can even add a little bit of food coloring so that the crepe's color correlates with the fruit.
FAQ
We love using honey mangoes for our mango desserts, including this HK style mango pancake. They are also known as champagne mango and ataulfo mango.
If your crepe is thick, it could be because you used too much batter or because your batter was too thick.
It's preferable to have no colors on the crepe, but it's okay if the crepes have some brown on one side.
We highly recommend a 12 inch nonstick pan. You can also use a well seasoned 10 inch crepe pan.
Yes! You can use a 10 inch nonstick pan to make 8 inch crepes. Just reduce the amount of batter used to ¼ cup instead.
If you’ve made this recipe or any recipes from our blog, please tag us on Instagram using #twoplaidaprons! You can also tag us in your Instagram stories using @two_plaid_aprons. We would love to see your creations! It absolutely makes our day! 🥰
📖 Recipe
Hong Kong Mango Pancake
Ingredients
For the crepe/pancake:
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour fluffed, spooned, and leveled
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk or your preferred dairy-free milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional but recommended)
- 3 large eggs well beaten
- 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the filling:
- 1 ripe mango peeled
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream more or less depending on your preference (you can also use dairy free whipping cream)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar more or less to your preference
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the crepe/pancakes:
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and sugar. Add the milk and vanilla and whisk until the batter is smooth and no more lumps are visible. Add the beaten eggs and gently whisk until everything is well combined.
- Optional but recommended:To ensure that the crepes are lump free, we recommend straining the batter through a fine mesh strainer, and into a container with spout for easier pouring.
- Once strained, add the butter into the batter and stir to combine. Prepare a ⅓ cup measuring cup for portioning and a plate lined with parchment paper.*You can also use anything that's about ⅓ cup (79 milliliters) to help with portioning the batter.*
- Place a 12 inch nonstick pan on medium low heat. Once the pan is hot, give the crepe batter a stir and portion out a ⅓ cup of batter using the prepared measuring cup.*You can also use a 10 inch well seasoned crepe pan.*
- Pour the batter into the center of the pan, then immediately swirl and shake the pan to even out the batter and coat the entire bottom of the pan.
- Let the crepe cook on medium low heat until you can see bubbles forming under the entire crepe. Using a rubber spatula, scape around the entire edge of the crepe to help separate it from the pan.
- Flip the pan upside down, on top of the prepared plate with parchment paper, to completely release the crepe from the pan. Straighten out the crepe to keep it wrinkle free. Repeat with remaining batter and you can stack the crepes on top of each other.*Do be careful as the crepes will be very HOT right off the pan!*
- Let the crepes cool completely at room temperature or in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes.
Prepare the filling:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla. Using a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it reaches stiff peak. Keep the whipped cream in the fridge until needed.
- Cut both sides of the mango, as close to the seed as possible. Then, cut each half into 3 equal pieces.
Assembling the mango pancakes:
- Gently peel a sheet of crepe from the stack of crepes and place it smooth side down on a cutting board. Place a large dollop of whipped cream at the center of the crepe and place a piece of mango on the whipped cream. Then, add a little more whipped cream on top of the mango.
- Fold the bottom side of the crepe over the filling. Then, fold the left and right side of the crepes to the center. Tuck and fold the crepe up, towards the top edge to make a pillow shaped rectangle. Repeat with the remaining crepes and fillings.*Refer to the post for step by step photo reference of this process.*
- Enjoy the mango pancakes immediately and cut in half for presentation if you wish.Optionally, but highly recommended, chill the mango pancakes in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes to help the whipped cream firm up so that the pancakes can hold their shapes better.
Notes
- Mango pancakes are best enjoyed within the day of making for best texture and flavor.
- Try to keep all the ingredients room temperature if possible. This will prevent the butter from completely clumping up.
- The first crepe (just like pancakes) will usually look bad. Use it as a reference to adjust the heat and for practice. But it'll still be delish, so you can still use it too!
- Find the sweet spot on your stovetop. Every stovetop is different, so you may need to adjust the heat to make the perfect crepes. But generally speaking, medium low heat is a good reference.
- Adjust the sweetness of the whipped cream to your preference. Depending on how sweet your mangoes are and how sweet you like your whipped cream, feel free to adjust the amount of sugar used to your preference.
- Substitute the milk, butter, and heavy cream for your preferred non-dairy products. The mango pancakes will taste a little different but will still be delish. Do note that if you're using a non-dairy milk for the batter, make sure it's similar thickness as dairy milk, or you may need to thin it out with some water.
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