Mango Bread

Robynne Maii is the chef and co-owner of Fête and Mille Fête in Hawai‘i. This easy mango bread recipe is adapted from her maternal grandmother’s neighbor, Mrs. Furusho. As neighbors, they shared a flowering hedge and a fondness for fresh mangoes, of which there are plenty in Hawai‘i. Think of mango bread as the island cousin to banana bread, with the same tender, moist crumb of the familiar quick bread, but golden on the inside, and with a bright, floral perfume.

Mango season is fleeting, and proper mango bread is made with ultra-ripe fruit that is almost too soft. Some of the juiciest, sweetest mangoes in Hawai‘i are the highly coveted silky and virtually fiberless Pirie variety. For nonlocals, frozen mango is a reliable substitute—and a good way to make sweet mango bread year-round, but if you have a bevy of ripe mangoes, feel free to use them here.

While Maii prefers her mango bread without any add-ins, the addition of toasted chopped walnuts or pecans, shredded coconut, or raisins would be perfectly natural. Regular white sugar best preserves the sunny hue of this delicious mango bread, but you could swap in an equal amount of light brown sugar for a more caramelly sweetness. If you love mango in any form, do yourself a favor and make this one immediately.

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