Creamy Mango Coconut Sago

Difficulty Easy

Refreshing and light, creamy and sweet, Coconut Sago with Mango is your summer dream come true.

What is Mango Coconut Sago?

In places all over the world, summertime means the same thing: swelteringly-hot, sticky masses of people desperately trying to stay cool. In Asia, specifically, summer weather can be brutally hot and humid.

Enter Mango Coconut Sago, an Asian-inspired dessert that’s perfect for those intensely hot summer days.

Light and refreshing. Loaded with fresh fruit. Not too sweet and not too heavy.

My version is very simple and made with just 4 ingredients! So refreshing!

two cups of coconut sago with mango topping on marble cutting board

What is Sago?

Sago or Tapioca Pearls are plant-based, starchy little balls made from cassava roots. When cooked, they turn clear or translucent. They have a slightly chewy, gelatinous consistency similar to chia seeds.

Sago is commonly added to Asian drinks and desserts. The texture is bouncy and chewy. The flavor is neutral. The perfect addition to pudding, fruit puree, cold drinks, tea, etc.!

In this case, creamy coconut milk and sweet mango combine for the ultimate light + refreshing dessert. Similar to boba, sago is deliciously addictive.

Sago is also dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan. Making Coconut Sago an easy crowd-pleasing recipe that everyone can enjoy.

Ingredients:

This simple dessert requires only 4 ingredients:

  • Sago. Look for it at the Asian market. There’s all kinds of sizes and varieties available. Sago will sometimes be labeled “Tapioca Pearls” and they will be white and very small.
  • Coconut Milk. Canned, full-fat coconut milk is best.
  • Sugar. Can be subbed with Agave, maple syrup, or honey.
  • Mango. I prefer Ataulfo mangoes which are smaller, sweeter, and less fibrous than Tommy Atkins mangoes.

Instructions:

  1. Cook Sago: Bring water to boil. Add Tapioca Pearls and simmer until clear and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. The balls should be mostly clear but it’s ok if some centers are white here and there.
  2. Drain and rinse Sago: with cold water, stirring constantly, until pearls are cool to the touch.
  3. Add Sago to coconut milk: Mix coconut milk and sugar in a large (at least 4-cup) measuring cup. Transfer sago to liquid. It will look soupy.
  4. Serve and enjoy. Transfer to cups or small bowls. Top with chopped, fresh mango. Serve immediately!
two cups of coconut sago with mango topping on marble cutting board
4. Top with fresh mango and enjoy!

PRO Tips:

  • Add Sago to BOILING water. Since sago contains a lot of starch, it can easily become glue-y and soggy when cooked incorrectly. Add to boiling water (with big bubbles breaking the surface) — it will instantly seal the tiny sago balls and prevent soggy, gummy, overcooked tapioca pearls.
  • Cook sago until clear and translucent. The sago are done when they are soft and mostly clear. It’s ok if there’s a few white centers here and there.

FAQ

What else can I add to Coconut Sago?

Sago with coconut milk works as a fantastic base to many other flavors. My recipe calls for fresh, sweet mango. But make it your own and change it up with seasonal fruit.

Other suggestions:

  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries
  • Passionfruit
  • Pomelo
  • Fruit puree (mango puree, strawberry puree, passionfruit puree)
  • Taro
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk (a drizzle is very good!)
Can I make this ahead of time?

Coconut Mango Sago can be prepped ahead of time. Simply store the cooked sago, coconut milk mixture, and mango separately. When ready to serve, run Sago under cold water in a fine-mesh sieve to “loosen” and separate the balls. Add to coconut milk mixture, top with mango, and serve!

I do not recommend storing the sago and coconut milk together. At most, it can keep in the fridge for 2 hours before it gets too bloated. The sago keeps absorbing the liquid and will become quite soggy.

close up of coconut sago in glass cup with mango topping

Other Asian-inspired desserts you may enjoy:

glass cup of coconut sago with mango topping on marble cutting board and mangoes in background

Creamy Mango Coconut Sago

The Subversive Table
Refreshing and light, creamy and sweet, Coconut Sago with Mango is your summer dream come true.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4
Calories

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup tapioca pearls (small or fine)
  • 1 400 ml/ 13.5 oz can coconut milk (canned) full fat, not from a box
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2-3 mangoes peeled and diced into 1-inch chunks

Instructions
 

  • Bring at least 8 cups/2 quarts of water to boil in a large stock pot. Add tapioca pearls (sago) to the boiling water. Make sure the water is at a roiling boil to instantly seal the starchy balls and prevent overcooking them!
    stainless steel stock pot filled with boiling tapioca pearls
  • Lower heat to medium and cook until the balls are cooked through and clear, about 10-12 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape the bottom and corner of the pan to prevent sticking.
  • Drain sago into a LARGE fine mesh strainer. Using a spoon, stir the tapioca pearls so that the excess liquid is drained. Rinse with cold water, stirring constantly, until the sago is cool to the touch. Drain as much excess liquid as possible.
    drained and rinsed tapioca pearls in fine mesh sieve
  • In a large (at least 4-cup) measuring cup or bowl, add coconut milk and sugar. Mix with a spoon until sugar dissolves.
  • Transfer drained, rinsed, cool tapioca pearls to the liquid and mix well. It will look soupy.
    measuring cup filled with coconut sago
  • Transfer Coconut Sago into individual cups or bowls, making sure to fill it 3/4 full to accommodate the addition of fruit. Top with a generous spoonful (or two) of the fresh mango. Serve with additional mangoes, if you like.
    three cups of coconut sago with mango on cutting board with bowl of mangoes in front

Notes

* I DO NOT recommend storing the sago with the coconut milk longer than 2 hours!  The resulting sago will be soggy and unappealing.
*To make ahead:  Store sago separately in an air-tight container.  To serve, rinse the sago in a fine mesh sleeve under cold water until separated and loosened.  Combine drained, rinsed tapioca pearls with coconut milk + sugar.  Stir gently to combine. Pour into individual cups/bowls.  Top with diced mango and enjoy immediately!
Keyword Coconut, Mango, Sago
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
15 minutes, All Recipes, Asian, Dessert, Game Day Food, Potluck

3 Comments

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  3. Thanks for sharing this easy recipe Lis! We tried it the other night and we really liked how the coconut soup doesn’t require cooking – using white sugar makes it dissolve easily into the coconut milk = one less pot to use. We doubled the recipe and it wasn’t too sweet; we did one modification of using cooked taro chunks instead of mango and it still turned out great! We ended up serving it chilled, so it def had a more pudding-like consistency, but I also had it with evaporated milk cus I like mine more soupy. Great and easy recipe! Thanks!

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