This mango lassi tastes like home to me. I grew up drinking an obnoxious amount of mango lassi in India, and nothing beats the real thing—creamy, ice-cold, and bursting with the sweetness of fresh mangoes. This version stays true to tradition: no weird thickeners, no shortcuts—just mango, yogurt, and milk blended into the smoothest, dreamiest summer drink. One sip, and you’ll understand why mango lassi is iconic.
This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you’re in a rush, please use the “Jump to Recipe” above!
The creamiest mango lassi with just 3 ingredients!
Growing up in India, mango season was a big deal. The moment summer arrived, we’d get burlap sacks full of mangoes in our house — Banganapalli, Alphonso, Kesar — each with its own devoted fanbase in my family. Everyone had their way of eating mangoes: sliced and sprinkled with salt, blended into thick shakes, or just straight from the skin, juice dripping down your hands.
To me, mango lassi was the ultimate treat. Cooling, creamy, without being heavy. Now, no matter where I am, blending up a mango lassi instantly brings me back to those sweltering afternoons, sitting at the kitchen table, drinking lassi straight from the blender while my mom laughed and told me to pour it into a glass like a civilized person.
This version keeps things simple and pure—just ripe mango, creamy yogurt, and milk, blended until silky smooth. No fancy tricks, no unnecessary sugar (unless you need it). Just the real deal, like I grew up with.
🥭 Ingredients and notes
This mango lassi recipe uses exactly three things—mango / mango pulp, yogurt, and milk.
Shruthi’s Top Tip
Pop your glasses in the freezer for 5 minutes before pouring. The lassi stays colder longer and tastes even more refreshing.
- Slice the mango into three sections (two cheeks and the middle seed), then scoop the flesh out with a spoon. Use a thin knife to trim the pulp from the seed.
- If your mango is fibrous, blend it alone first, then add the yogurt and milk. This ensures that the mango puree does not contain stringy bits.
- Ice can water down the lassi, so instead, use frozen mango chunks or chill all your ingredients ahead of time.
- Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder or blend in a handful of soaked cashews for an extra-satisfying drink.
- If storing in the fridge, the yogurt will thicken over time. Just blend in a splash of milk before serving to loosen it up.
Variations & Substitutions
- The mango is the star here, so choose soft, fragrant, and sweet mangoes like Ataulfo (honey) or Alphonso mangoes. If they’re underripe, the lassi won’t be as naturally sweet.
- If you don’t have fresh mangoes, just use 1 ½ cups of unsweetened canned mango pulp. If using sweetened mango pulp, reduce or skip added sugar.
- Traditional lassi uses full-fat plain yogurt, but Greek yogurt can make it thicker and tangier.
- I used whole milk, but you can swap it for sweetened condensed milk. Take note: It will be a lot sweeter, so start with ¼ cup and taste before adding more.
- Other sweeteners you can add are honey, maple syrup, agave, or a simple syrup.
- For toppings, I like adding a pinch of ground cardamom to enhance the flavor, while saffron strands or rose water adds an elegant touch. And if you’re feeling indulgent, a dollop of whipped cream never hurts!
Make vegan mango lassi
Substitute yogurt for almond yogurt or coconut yogurt. Swap whole milk for dairy-free milk like oat, coconut, or almond milk for the best vegan lassi!
How to make lassi (with mango or mango pulp)
Step 1:
If you’re using mangoes, slice them into small chunks and then pop them into the freezer for about 30 minutes. This will help chill the drink.
Step 2:
Add chopped mangoes or mango pulp, yogurt, and milk to the blender and blend like a smoothie. Add ice cubes or more milk to adjust to your desired consistency.
Step 3:
Serve chilled! Optional garnishes include saffron, pistachios, and rose water!
🍴 How to serve mango yogurt lassi
I love enjoying this as an afternoon snack on a hot summer day or as a refreshing dessert after a meal. Pair it with samosas, pav bhaji, or chana masala for a perfectly satisfying and flavorful treat.
🍴Storage and reheating suggestions
Mango lassi will stay fresh in the fridge for a day or two, but I generally recommend that you make it fresh as needed (literally takes a couple of whirls of the blender!).
🍴 More mango recipes
If you like this recipe, check out my other mango recipes:
Mango Avocado Salad
Easy Mango Salsa Dip
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mango Lassi
Equipment
- Blender (I use a Vitamix – but even a simple Nutribullet would do)
Ingredients
- 2 mangoes, substitute with 1.5 cups of mango pulp
- ½ cup yogurt, unsweetened
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Optional: If you're using mangoes, slice them into small chunks and then pop them into the freezer for about 30 minutes. This will help chill the drink.
- Add chopped mangoes or mango pulp, yogurt, and milk into the blender and blend like a smoothie – add ice cubes or more milk to adjust to your desired consistency.
- Serve chilled! Optional garnishes include saffron, pistachios, and rose water!
Notes
- To chop up the mangoes, slice them into thirds, and then scoop out each of the sides and then use a thin knife to get the pulp around the hard seed
- To make this vegan, use almond yogurt and almond milk instead
- Garnish with saffron, pistachios, almonds, rose water, or cardamom powder
- This recipe doesn’t include added sugar, but you can adjust this based on the inherent sweetness of mangoes – you can also adjust the thickness of the lassi by adding a few ice cubes while you’re blending or increasing the amount of milk!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Note: This recipe was originally published on June 23, 2020. It was updated on May 30, 2021 with new pictures. Recipe remains same.
Obsessed! New favourite drink that I’ll make all the time!!
Loved it! This recipe is very simple, easy, and foolproof, especially for people who don’t cook very much (or at all?). Really liked the tips. I think I knew how to slice a mango theoretically, but I’d never actually tried it so the guidance was reassuring :). Skim milk really helped with consistency, and I added a little brown sugar because my mango was already pretty sweet. Thank you!