The 4-Ingredient No-Bake Dessert I've Been Making for Years

When I was a child in the Philippines, my mother made mango float all of the time in the summer. She made the dessert from the mangoes that my father harvested from our farm.

Mango float is a no-bake, four-ingredient dessert made popular by The Philippines, whose national fruit is the mango. The chilled dessert consists of sweet, ripe mango stacked between layers of whipped cream and held together by crisp graham crackers. This results in a splendid cake-like dessert that’s ideal for summer.

Mom called it “refrigerator cake” or “icebox cake.” My task was to count the mangoes and the cookies that would go into the cake. The hardest part about making mango float is waiting for it to firm up in the refrigerator. 

Choosing the Right Mangoes

While most any ripe mangoes will work, the Ataulfo variety is best for this recipe. It is available in Asian markets or large supermarkets from May to July, sometimes year-round. Groceries also label this variety as champagne or honey mangoes.

Easy Substitutions

If fresh mangoes are not available, use thawed and drained frozen mangoes instead. Canned mangoes are a good substitute, but are in heavy syrup, so they will add extra sweetness.

Sometimes my mom would use broas (ladyfingers) or slices of butter pound cake instead of graham crackers to hold the cream and fruit together. You can, too. Biscoff cookies are also a nice choice.

No-Bake Desserts

• Banoffee Pie
• Copycat Choco Tacos
• No-Cook Banana Pudding
• 5-Ingredient Lime Cracker Pie
• Strawberries and Cream Semifreddo

Prepare the cream filling:

Pour the heavy whipping cream into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a mixer, beat the cream at medium speed until soft peaks start to form, 3 to 4 minutes.

Gradually add the sugar, while continuing to beat, until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Set aside in a cool place on the counter.

Prepare the mangoes:

Using a sharp fruit knife, slice open the mangoes by cutting from the top and center alongside the pit on either side. Discard the pit. You should have 2 cheeks for each fruit.

Cut across the flesh of the mango cheeks horizontally and vertically to form 1-inch square cubes. Invert the mango cheeks with your hands, pushing the flesh out, so the cubes stand out. Slice off the square pieces with a knife and catch them into a bowl.

Assemble the dessert:

Arrange about 7 whole graham crackers in a single layer in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish, side by side. If needed, break some of the graham crackers in half to fill the empty spaces on the sides.

Using an offset spatula, spread about 1 1/2 cups of the whipped cream on top of the graham crackers. Spread about 1 cup cubed mangoes evenly over the top of the whipped cream.

Repeat the layers three times, finishing with a sprinkling of mango.

Chill and serve:

Cover the entire pan with plastic wrap then cover the pan with foil on top of the plastic wrap.

Refrigerate to firm up, at least 6 hours or up to overnight.

Keep the mango float refrigerated at all times until ready to slice and serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator immediately after serving. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, tightly covered. Or store in the freezer for up to 3 weeks, thawing in the fridge before serving.

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