Mango Kulfi Recipe (With Custard Powder)

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A homemade mango kulfi recipe that everyone will love! It is super creamy, rich, dense, loaded with mango flavor and so much better than store-bought! Try it and soon it will become your go-to summer treat.

3 Mango Kulfi on ice cubes full of plate & napkin under it

❤️ You’ll Love This Mango Kulfi

It is creamy with perfect texture, meaning you won’t find ice crystals at all in this kulfi.
It is full of mango flavors. I have not added any other flavoring because I wanted the mango flavor to shine and rule.
A perfect dessert for summer & mango season. A mango lover’s dream come true!
This mango kulfi is made with ready-made mango pulp, so you can make and enjoy any time of the year.
You’ll need 6 ingredients only (plus, garnishing).
Mango kulfi mixture takes under an hour to get ready and let the freezer do rest.
It is made with the traditional method. It’s a little time consuming but totally worth it.

🧾 Ingredient Notes

Here is the pic of the ingredients that require to make delicious mango kulfi recipe. All of them are easily available in Indian grocery stores, but I have mentioned substitutions below just in case.

mango kulfi ingredients in individual bowls

Milk: I highly recommend using full-fat whole milk. Low or reduced-fat milk won’t give a creamy and rich texture.

Custard powder: It is easily available in American grocery stores. But in Indian stores, you will find the flavored verities. Here I have used mango-flavored custard powder. You can use plain or flavored, doesn’t matter.

Khoya: It is available in the frozen section of Indian grocery stores. In the absence of it, you can use milk powder.

Mango pulp: I have used canned alphonso mango pulp that I bought from the Indian store. You can use fresh pureed mango. Personally, I do not like the flavor of mangoes (Champagne) available here in the USA when compared to Indian verities like Alphonso, Kesar. So I prefer to use canned.

Sugar: My canned mango pulp if already sweetened. If using fresh mango pulp then you need to add more sugar to sweeten the pulp while grinding.

Pistachios: I have used that only as a garnishing. But if you like to bite into the kulfi then add into the kulfi mixture before freezing.

Flavoring: I have kept my mango kulfi plain, dominant mango flavored. But for the variation, you can add a pinch of cardamom powder (add at the end to retain flavor and aroma) or saffron (add while simmering the milk).

👩‍🍳 How To Make Mango Kulfi? (Stepwise)

1) Take milk into a heavy bottom saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Let it come to a simmer.

2) Meantime, make a milk+custard powder mixture. Take ¼ cup of milk in a small bowl, add custard powder.

3) Stir to make a lump-free mixture. Keep it aside till needed.

4) Back to the milk. While it is simmering, do stir the milk very frequently. Make sure that milk is not sticking to the sides and bottom of the pan. Stay nearby, do not leave simmering milk unattended even for a few seconds, it may overflow.
Simmer till it becomes almost half of its original volume. It takes around 25-30 minutes.

collage of steps of making custard mixture and simmering milk

5) Now add sugar.

6) Stir the custard powder mixture and add it to the milk.

7) Also, add khoya.

8) Mix and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes or till the milk thickens really well like custard consistency. It sticks to the spatula (see the pic).

collage of steps of adding sugar, custard mixture, khoya and simmering

9) Remove it from the gas heat and let it cool down to room temperature. While cooling, it may set the film on top of the mango kulfi mixture. Use a whisk and beat it to break the lumps. Now add heavy cream.

10) Add mango pulp.

11) Mix really well.

12) Pour into the kulfi molds. Cover with foil, make a hole, and place the popsicle sticks inside. Freeze it overnight or till frozen.

To unmold, dip the kulfi mold into the glass of room temperature water and it will slide out easily. Make sure that water does not go into the kulfi. Garnish with chopped pistachios and serve.

collage of steps of adding cream, mango pulp and pouring into molds

Check out other kulfi recipes
Malai kulfi // Kulfi (instant, no-cook)

💭 Expert Tips For BEST Mango Kulfi

It is important to stir the milk (scrape the sides and bottom of the pan) while milk is simmering. It prevents scorching and burning the milk. If milk does burn, it will ruin the taste.
You cannot leave the simmering milk unattended. Milk has the nature of overflowing while it is boiling. So stay there and keep stirring.
After adding the custard powder mixture, keep an eye on it. The kulfi mixture will thicken really fast.
Always let the kulfi mixture cool down completely, then add mango pulp. So it retains the fresh mango flavor. Never add to warm or hot mixture.

FAQs

What can I use instead of kulfi molds?

You can use popsicle molds or small plastic cups. Or you can use kullad (clay glasses).

Can I use frozen mango cubes?

Yes, you can use fresh or frozen mangoes. Adjust the sugar amount as per the sweetness of the mangoes.

Is kulfi the same as ice cream?

NO. Both are different. Many refer to kulfi as Indian ice cream, that is completely wrong take. Taste and texture are completely different. Kulfi is dense, very creamy, and has a bite. While ice cream is soft, airy and melts in the mouth.

Check out more mango recipes

— Mango ice cream
— Mango falooda
— Mango popsicles
— Eggless mango cake
— Eggless mango mousse
— Mango pudding
— Aamras

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