Mango Bread like you find at the farmers markets and roadside stands in Hawaii. But made at home. Moist and delicious, loaded with mango, amazing with a fresh cup of Hawaiian coffee and a good book.
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Mango bread has taken the place of banana bread in our house, hearts and stomachs ever since we had in it Maui a couple years ago and again in Kauai this past summer.
I love this mango bread at room temperature but slightly heated with a little slathering of butter or cream cheese is super tasty too.
What is Hawaiian Mango bread?
When we went to Maui a few years ago we sampled banana, mango, lilikoi and guava quick breads all throughout our trip. Maui is known most for its famous banana bread that you pick up on the way to Hana to snack on while your drive through the 600 turns of the infamous Hana highway.
Mango bread is a sweet cake like bread just like banana bread but loaded with mangoes.
You can also find it at various farmers markets on the island and we found the best mango bread at the outdoor market near Leoda's pie shop on the way to Lahaina. My kids couldn't get enough of it, neither could I. Leoda's pies are amazing too by the way. A MUST stop on Maui.
Maui mango bread inspiration:
When we got back from Maui I looked for mango bread recipes online and the ones I found never quite ended up the same as the ones we had on vacation. I tried making substitutions with banana bread recipes, but still, not the same. I made a plan to look for more Hawaiian cookbooks on our next Hawaii trip. I try to hunt down vintage cookbooks every trip to Hawaii. Usually from thrift stores. Kauai has an amazing book store and I made a point to visit it when we went this year.
Located in Hanapepe, the Talk Story bookstore has the claim to fame of the western-most independent book store in the United States. They had everything from new to very old, children's to adult fiction, popular and hard to find. Lots of Hawaiian guide books as well as a huge section of Hawaiian cookbooks. I was in cookbook heaven.
I decided on three, since suitcase room was dwindling due to many other purchases already made that trip. Two of the cookbooks I found had mango bread recipes in them and I couldn't wait to try them at home.
Mango bread ingredients:
- Mango puree - from fresh or frozen that has been thawed
- All purpose flour
- sea salt - I go with milder sea salt here instead of Kosher salt
- baking soda
- Ground cinnamon - just a little bit, it enhances the flavor of the mango
- Avocado oil - I love using a neutral oil in quick breads and it works so great here to keep the texture moist
- large eggs
- granulated white sugar
- vanilla extract
- Rum - optional but a dark or gold rum also compliments the mango flavor really well
See recipe card for exact amounts
How to make mango bread:
- If using fresh mangoes, blend as well as you can. No need to strain. If using frozen mango, thaw to room temperature then puree.
- This is a two bowl recipe - no need for a stand or hand held mixer.
- Prepare your loaf pans with either butter and flour, cake release or parchment paper with some excess hanging over the long edges of the pan.
- Whisk together dry ingredients in own bowl.
- Mix together the mango puree, sugars, eggs, oil, vanilla and optional rum in a larger mixing bowl.
- Add the flour mixture to the mango mixture
- Divide between pans and bake.
- You can also make this recipe into muffins. Several readers have done so with great success.
Best pans to use for loaf cakes:
Aluminum. Always and forever. It helps bake the breads or cakes more evenly. Glass, ceramic and darker pans will brown the edges faster than the middles and no one wants a loaf bread or cake with burnt bottoms and raw middles. Here are some I own and use all the time.
Top Tips:
- This post was initially sponsored by Chosen Foods and I used their avocado oil. Do you have to use avocado oil? Nope. I love baking with it since it is a nice neutral flavored oil. You can use melted coconut oil in place or another neutral oil such as sunflower. I haven't made this with olive oil, I tend to use that more for vinaigrettes than baking. I don't use canola oil or soy oil at all.
- What if I don't have loaf pans or only one loaf pan? Make muffins! I have made this recipe into one loaf, and a dozen or so muffins before or all muffins. I get anywhere from 2 dozen to 28 muffins, depends on how full I fill the muffin tins. I always use paper muffin/cupcake liners too. Even with cooking spray, muffins tend to stick in my pans and they are a pain to clean.
- To make as muffins, make the batter as the recipe states, fill each muffin tin ⅔ full ( I use a #12 scoop - ⅓ cup size) and bake for 16-18 minutes. Cool in pan for 5, remove to wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- This bread freezes well. Wrap in plastic wrap then foil then in a resealable bag to keep super fresh, and to keep out other freezer smells. I didn't wrap up a banana bread very well once, had it in the freezer next to a bag of shrimp. Shrimpy smelling banana bread wasn't the most appetizing ha ha
- I have made this recipe with both fresh mango and frozen. For the frozen I thawed it then drained off the excess liquid. You want the puree to be like thick applesauce, not watery at all.
More Mango dessert recipes:
More quick bread recipes:
Hawaiian Mango Bread Recipe:
Hawaiian Mango Bread
Ingredients
- *Ingredients listed in cups for spoon and measure method, ounces and grams for weighing method* Weighing in grams is the most accurate.
- 3 cups All purpose flour, 13.5 oz or 390 grams
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cups mango puree, see notes
- 2 cups sugar, 14 ounces or 400 grams
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoon Chosen Foods Avocado oil, 9 ounces or 255 g*
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon rum, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 Deg F (180 C) and grease and flour two loaf pans ( 9x5”) OR use parchment paper that hangs over a few inches on both longer edges.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sea salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl mix together the mango puree, sugar, avocado oil, eggs, vanilla and rum if using it. Mix until well combined.
- Add in the flour mixture and stir until moistened and only a few flour streaks remain. Do not over mix.
- Divide batter between pans. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick placed into the center comes out clean and only has a few crumbs on it.
- Cool in pan 10-15 minutes then remove to a wire cooling rack and cool completely. Wrap in foil then in an airtight container. Will keep well 3-4 days at room temperature or up to 3 months frozen.
Notes
SkinnyMe says
This is the absolute best bread I have ever tasted! It was gone in less than an hour. Now I'm making four batches for my family. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Shanna says
It is amazing how fast it disappears! I am so glad you loved it!
Vicki Naehu says
Do you know who the original author of the recipe is/was? I have some beautiful Hayden mangoes from my friends tree. The ones that drop/fall to ground are picked up daily, looked over for splits (they get thrown away), and those that are good, get cut up and saved for bread or cake. I couldn't find my aunties famous recipe, so I decided to search, I knew the ingredients, just couldn't remember the ratios. Mahalo for posting this recipe. I'm off to conquer my craving for mango bread.
Aloha No, Aunty Vicki Naehu, Waianae, Oahu
Shanna says
Aloha!! I used "Best-Tested Recipes of Hawaii" cookbook that I had found at Talk Story Book Store. Author is Margaret Kepka Stone. Copyright of the book is 1984. This recipe really tastes just like the mango bread from roadside stands in Hawaii. Let me know how you like it!!
Kelly Lee says
Aloha!
I am a Floridian who has an amazing mango tree that produces an abundance of fruit. Searching for a moist, tasty mango bread led me to this recipe. It is by far the best bread recipe to do the juicy, mouth watering mangos from my tree justice.
My question is about the mixing of the flour with the wet mixture. You say to not mix too much but I find that if I don't, it clumps and can leave an occasional flour blob. Is there a secret or tested method to mixing that won't yield those unsightly blobs? Most consumers of the bread just tell me to mix better and throw that part out. I'd rather not have them though.
Thank you for the recipe and for your response.
Shanna says
Definitely mix to get rid of the flour blobs but don't mix too much more than that. It will over develop the gluten and make for dense, tough bread. I hope you like the recipe!!
Kim says
Holy cow! Was looking for something to do with an extra ripe mango when I found this. Had the bread you were talking about at Leoda's in 2015. So good, went back next day to get whole loaf to take across the street to Olawalu beach (sshh, my favourite beach on Maui) So missing tbe island's but this recipe will help! Thanks for sharing it!
Shanna says
Oluwalu is the best beach!! Hope you love the recipe!
Pat says
I and my family love this bread. It has the right amount of sweetness, it is moist and fluffy. Came out right on first try. Also a forgiving recipe. Thank you
Shanna says
Thank you so much! I love hearing this.
Sue says
I am in mango bread heaven. I have been looking for a real authentic Hawaiian mango bread recipe and came across your website. The moment I saw the photos I knew this was the real thing that we eat in Hawaii every time we go. After I read your story I knew I had finally found it. Just made it for the first time this evening. It is amazing and transported me back to the beach the waves and the smell of the ocean (and yes, Oluwalu). Thank you so much for posting this authentic recipe. It is a keeper! Mahalo!
Shanna says
I am so happy you loved it! Oluwalu is amazing! Aloha!
Stuart says
I live in Hawaii and have been trying to replicate the mango bread I got at a local craft fair for AGES. My backyard mango tree has been providing lately so I figured I'd give this one a shot, and you got it. This is the one. Subbed coconut oil for the avocado oil, and didn't have a second loaf pan so the rest of the batter went into mini bundt tins (baked for 16 minutes at 350F). Everyone in the family is going nuts for this recipe. Goes beautifully with coffee.
Shanna says
Coconut oil works great too! I am so glad you love it. I need to make it again soon. I have made one loaf and with the extra batter made muffins instead of a second loaf. Works so great that way as well. You are so lucky to have a mango tree too, I wish I could have one in Vegas. Aloha!
Christina Smith says
Question re: optional Tim. If I'm using rum extract, would it be the same amount?
Christina Smith says
Optional RUM- darn autocorrect!
Shanna says
Yes it would!
AJ says
Thank you for this recipe. During the lockdown last year,, I was thinking of my trip to Hawaii and was craving exactly this. I have made this recipe many times since last summer and it came out perfectly each time.
This recipe makes one 12×4.5 bread and exactly 12 small muffins. Everyone in my family loves it.
Mahalo
Shanna says
Thank you so much for your kind comment. This is why I make these recipes, to help people miss their Hawaiian vacations just a little less with having tropical treat recipes to make at home. I have a newer mango muffin recipe if you want to try that as well. Tropical Cinnamon Mango Muffins.
Pamela says
Love this bread! I went to make it a second but the recipe now says baking soda...I’m not sure that’s right. It made a huge mess all over my oven and I need to go get more mango to try it again. I think I used baking powder last time and I looked just like your photo...not so much this time, so...just in case the recipes wrong I wanted to let you know!!
Pamela says
That was supposed to say “making it a second time”...
Shanna says
Hi
I believe the recipe has always been baking soda not powder. I haven't changed the recipe. I don't think. Did you print it out and it says baking powder? I looked at my recipe doc saved from when I made it and it has baking soda, the recipe hasn't been updated since the date created is still from when I first made the recipe. No updates. And the book I adapted it from also states baking soda. I can try making it again soon with making one with soda and one with powder and see if there is a difference.
Valerie says
Yum, this looks wonderful! The measurements confuse me though! You say "2 cups of sugar (14 ounces...)". Does that mean the flour should be 3x7 ounces? I'm a nervous baker, and want to be sure I do this right! Thanks for sharing!
Shanna says
Choose one of the measuring methods that works best for you. I like things as accurate as possible with baking so I stick with using grams and a food scale. For the sugar it would be 2 cups which equals 14 ounces or 200 grams depending on how you weigh. The flour is 3 cups which is just under 14 ounces OR 390 grams. Sugar in ounces is different than flour in ounces due to volume. It is best to stick with grams. Flour in ounces is around 4.5 per cup. Sugar is around 7 ounces per cup. I use 130 grams per cup of flour, some flours are 120-140 per cup. All my recipes are tested with 130 grams per cup. I hope this helps. Please reach out if you have any other questions.
Rena says
Has anyone tried coconut or macadamia nuts in the recipe OR on top? An idea I had
Shanna says
Hi Rena! I have before and both are great options!
Ellie says
My family and I just returned from Maui. While there my son and I tasted the most delicious Mango bread from Waico Kitchen. It left a huge impression on us. I searched for a recipe and your photo looks so similar to the one we tasted. I just made it. Currently baking 1 loaf, 1 mini loaf and 10 muffins! Can’t wait to try it. We will think about Maui and keep the island in our prayers during this time as we enjoy it. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Shanna says
I hope you enjoy! I am devastated by the images coming out of Maui and hearing about all the devastation and deaths. Truly horrific and absolutely heartbreaking. Maui is such a special place for me and my family as well.
Noelani Campbell says
I make mango bread twice a year in bulk when mangoes are plentiful here in Kona. This is my go to fool proof recipe that is moist yet light, rich (because of Hawaii mangoes!) and delicious without being sugary sweet. Use the neutral oil, it does make a difference. And yes Aunty Vicki, go get those Haydens! Mahalo nui loa iā’oe!
Shanna says
So glad you love the recipe!
Greta, UK says
Amazing recipe. My son is obsessed with mango and absolutely devours this - isn't even embarrassed to take a home-made bread into school!
Thank you so much.
Shanna says
I think this might just be the best compliment ever! Thank you so much!