It’s almost Pi Day (3.14)! Or should I say PIE Day? Yes, we have borrowed the idea of Pi Day from the math fans. Because… well why not have a day to celebrate pie, too? Can it hurt? And this year’s honorary pie is…. drum roll please…. mango!
I discovered mango pie one day when I ran out of peaches for a peach pie, and a box of mangoes was on the table. I thought I might supplement the pie with mangoes and hoped no one would notice. Well, we noticed. The mangoes were the star of the show, and we didn’t even want the peaches. I tried a mango pie recipe after that, and we’ve never looked back.
March is a perfect time to make mango pie. My favorite mangoes (I’ve seen them called honey mangoes, ataulfo or champagne mangoes) are in season beginning mid-march. I love these because they are NEVER stringy. They can be very tart if they are not ripe, though, so make sure that they have some give when you press it, and it’s best when the skin is even a bit wrinkly. I recommend buying 9 mangoes – you can taste one for ripeness. If they aren’t ready (too sour), wait a day or 2 and taste another one. Even then, you should still have 7 or 8 good mangoes left for the pie.
Best of all, it’s just fun to make a pie that you can’t find in the stores (though, mind you, I don’t ever really buy pie in stores). So if you love mangoes as much as I do, you’ll love this pie too.
Are you ready? Grab a friend, and let’s get started!
Ingredients for Mango Pie
- Basic crust ingredients from our basic crust recipe
- 7-9 champagne mangoes, peeled and diced
- 2/3 cup white sugar (or half brown and half white sugar)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 egg slightly beaten for egg wash
Gather these items
- rolling pin
- pie dish
- large bowl for crust, medium bowl for mangoes, small bowl for sugar mixture
- egg wash and pastry brush
- baking sheet lined with foil
Instructions
- Prepare and chill your crust in the fridge in 2 large disks. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Dice your mangoes and reserve them in a medium-sized bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar(s), cinnamon and flour.
- Roll out your bottom crust and place it in the pie dish. Trim the edges and refrigerated it while you roll out the top crust.
- Once your top crust is rolled out, toss the diced mangoes together with the sugar mixture. Dump it into the bottom crust, and place the top crust on it. Seal edges of the crust. Vent the pie with a few knife slits in the crust, and brush with egg wash.
- Bake at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and cook for another 30-40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is browned.
You’re done!
Let it cool for about an hour to allow the filling to set up. I added blush-colored carnations (which are an edible flower) to dress this pie up. It looks like it’s ready for a wedding!
If you’re interested in other pie recipes, click here. We’re working on a curried chicken pot pie and banana pudding pie so subscribe to the blog; you’ll be the first to know when those recipes are available.
Pro Tips
- To preserve as much mango as possible, peel the skin off the mango like you would peel the skin off of an apple, using a paring knife. I slice the flesh from around the seed and then dice it.
- Always place the pie dish on a foil-lined baking sheet, so if it bubbles over, you don’t get fruit juices and butter on the bottom of your oven. Which eventually burn and stink to high heaven. And then no one wants to eat your pie….