Mango Crumb Bars

Introducing a fabulous mango dessert…Mango Crumb Bars! These buttery, crumbly bars are filled with fresh mangos, then baked to perfection. The sweet tropical flavors combined with buttery pastry is just too good for words.

These mango bars are kinda like a mango cookie or a mango pie, making them such a great sweet treat and dessert. Or have them as an afternoon snack or even breakfast! Because WHY NOT. 🫢

A Delicious Mango Dessert

I am a huge mango fan, and an even bigger fan of all mango desserts. Besides having a distinct flavor and scent, the ripened fruit itself is sweet as candy – making them the perfect candidate for the yummiest dessert.

Mango Crumb Bars is one of my favorite mango desserts. No only are they yummy, they are deceivingly easy to make. A few simple tips and tricks will give you everything you need to bake your heart out and never look back.

Mangoes are also in season right now and I’ve been trying to incorporate it everywhere while they are at their peak and taste the best.

These mango bars are sticky and yummy sweet treats loaded with the flavors of summery mangoes, sandwiched between buttery beautiful crumbles. Yum!

Nothing like sinking your teeth into a juicy piece of sweet mango surrounded by a buttery, crumbly, shortbread-like pastry to go along with it. Kinda like a mango pie or mango cookie.

My love for mangoes has led to a boat load of mango recipes on this blog. Everything from the traditional Thai Mango Sweet Sticky Rice dessert to Fish Tacos with Mango Peach Salsa. And now this.

If you’re a mango fan, don’t miss all the yummy mango recipes because I think you’re gonna fall in love each of them. 🧡

Ingredients

• Mangoes – Use ripe, juicy, sweet mangoes for best results! Unripe mangoes are sour and just don’t taste very good in this. Cut mangoes into small chunks so that it can be cooked easily and softened when baked in the oven. A ripened mango will typically be orange/yellow-ish in color, and it smells sweet and mango-y (if you know what I mean 🙂 ). I typically use ~2 mangoes for this recipe, or 3 if they are smaller.
• Flour – feel free to substitute for a gluten free flour alternative
• Baking powder – this is the leavening agent that makes the mango crumb bars rise while baking
• Salt – just a dash of it helps open up the flavors!
• Butter – the secret ingredient that keeps the pastries moist and crumbly. Use cold unsalted butter and cut it into small cubes
• Brown sugar – this has a caramel-like flavor to add flavor depth
• Egg – only one needed; binds mixture together for a moist and crumbly bar
• Vanilla extract – the additional hint of vanilla flavor brings the mango crumb bars to a whole new level
• Granulated sugar – to add to the mango filling – adjust amount used based on the sweetness level of the mangoes used. If mangoes are already generously sweet, you may not need much sugar, or any at all
• Corn starch – to thicken the mango filling and makes it less runny.

How to make Mango Bars with Crumbles

Step 1: Make Mango Mixture

Cut the mangoes into small chunks, and mix with sugar and cornstarch in a mixing bowl.

If you are using less sweet mangoes, add more sugar to the mixture.

Set aside until you are ready to layer it onto the baking pan.

Step 2: Make dough

The dough requires cold butter.

Yes, cold! So bring it out from the refrigerator right before you need to use it so it won’t be softened by the time you use it.

After mixing the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, salt), add chunks of cold butter into the food processor.

Pulse until mixture turns crumbly (see picture below).

Alternatively, you can also use a pastry cutter to mix the butter into the dry ingredients until mixture becomes crumbly.

Mix together wet ingredients (brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract), then pour wet ingredients into the crumbly mixture and mix well.

Step 3: Layer it

Bring ~2/3 of the crumbly mixture and spread it onto a 8″x8″ baking pan lined with parchment paper (for easy removal of the bars and less cleanup!).

If you are not using parchment paper, consider greasing the pan.

Use a spatula to press crumbs onto the pan to form the bottom layer of the bar.

Next, pour and spread mango mixture onto the bottom crumb layer.

Lastly, sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture on top of the mango mixture.

Step 4: Bake!

Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes at 350ºF.

And viola.

Step 5: Let it cool and slice!

Let the mango bars cool in the pan for 5-10 minute.

Lift parchment paper and bring the pastry out to cool further on a cooling rack. Give it at least 15-20 minutes, then cut into square bars after it cools down.

And there you have it. Crumbly, buttery, juicy sweet Mango Crumb Bars.

So lovely, and so very delicious!

The next time you are craving for dessert, and are about to bake a cookie or a cake, consider baking some Mango Crumb Bars. It’s the ultimate mango dessert treat!

If you love mangoes and mango dessert, you will fall in love with this! 🧡

Tips and Tricks

• Add more sugar if needed: If the mango used isn’t super sweet, you will need to add more sugar to the mango mixture.
• Use cold butter: Do not use melted or soft butter, the texture of the pastry is not the same.
• Line basking dish: to make cleanup and removal easier, line the dish with parchment paper.
• Let it cool: Let it cool before cutting your crumb bars! This will yield the best texture.

Storage Instructions

Mango crumb bars can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.

If left outside in room temperature, it would last 1-2 days, assuming indoor temperature is not exceedingly warm, especially without all the humidity we get if left outside.

ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? Tell us what you think by leaving a rating and review below! 🤍

Other Dessert Recipes

• Thai Mango Sweet Sticky Rice
• No-Bake Chocolate Tart
• Rustic Blueberry Galette
• Mini Chocolate Chess Pie
• Lemon Ice Cream
• The Best Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
• Cinnamon Bundt Cake