Mango Passion Fruit Eton Mess Dessert

Mango Passion Fruit Eton Mess is a tropical twist on a traditional British dessert that's creamy, crunchy, and fruity. I love to serve it as an elegant dessert for summer gatherings, it's a classic.

Eton Mess is a quintessentially English dessert made from meringue, whipped cream, and fruit. It originated in the 1800s and was supposedly served at the annual cricket match between Eton College and Harrow, another private boys' school in the UK. Check out my classic Eton Mess recipe to see the traditional version and make that, too.

Jump to:

• 📖 Ingredients List
• 👩🏼‍🍳 Instructions
• 👩🏼‍🍳 How to serve
• 🍷 Wine pairing
• ❄️ Storage & Freezing
• 🥣 Equipment
• ❓Recipe FAQ
• 🍽 Other summer dessert recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

📖 Ingredients List

Mango passion fruit Eton Mess is actually a very easy dessert to make. Meringue has just two ingredients, and then the fruit puree and cream filling are super quick and simple. Here are the ingredients you will need.

For the meringue

1. Egg whites - Meringue needs egg whites only, not yolks. If any yolk is present, the meringue will fail so take care when separating the eggs. I do not find I get as good results with storebought, ready-separated egg whites. Luckily, egg yolks freeze well so you can save them for future use. Always use room temperature eggs in baking.
2. White granulated sugar - Use fine sugar or caster sugar as this will dissolve more easily into the whipped egg whites.

For the filling

1. Cream - I use English double cream for Eton Mess which has a fat content of 48%. US heavy cream has around 36% fat content, and this is fine too. Don't go lower than this, though.
2. Mango—We make a puree from the fruit and leave some whole as a garnish. Ripe and juicy mangoes are delicious tropical fruits and work well with this recipe.
3. Passion fruit - To tell if a passion fruit is ripe, check the texture of the skin. It should be wrinkled, and slightly dented, and not smooth. Passion fruit color will vary depending on the variety; I normally use dark purple/brown ones.
4. Lemon - A squeeze of lemon juice brightens up the puree and adds a touch of vital acidity.

👩🏼‍🍳 Instructions

How to make meringue

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F (no fan) and line an oven tray with parchment paper (baking paper/greaseproof paper). Be cautious if you have an overenthusiastic oven, meringue burns easily at high temperatures. 
2. Place the egg whites in a clean bowl or stand mixer (fitted with the whisk attachment) and whisk until they turn white, increase in volume, and form soft peaks.
3. Slowly add the sugar, bit by bit, while continuing to whip until the meringue turns opaque white and glossy and forms stiff peaks.
4. Transfer the meringue into a piping bag and pipe small mounds onto the oven tray. Alternatively, use a tablespoon.
5. Bake the mini meringues for 20 minutes, then turn the oven off and allow it to cool for another hour with the meringue still inside. This allows the meringue to dry out.

How to make Mango Passion Fruit Eton Mess

1. Peel the mango and cut around the stone. Cut some of the flesh into cubes and add the rest to a food processor to blend.
2. Cut the passion fruits in half and scoop out the insides. Push half of it through a sieve. Add the sieved juice to the food processor and blend into a fruit puree. Reserve the seeds and the rest of the passion fruit.
3. If the fruit puree is runny, reduce it to a thicker consistency in a saucepan over medium heat. Taste it and add a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten it up.
4. Whip the cream until it is thick and gloopy but not too stiff. Add it to a piping bag.
5. Assemble the mango passion fruit Eton Mess by piping the whipped cream onto the meringue and topping it with puree and some whole fruit on top.

👩🏼‍🍳 How to serve

In the images on this recipe post, I have styled the passion fruit and mango Eton Mess dessert in a more deconstructed way. I piped cream on top of the meringues, used a squeezy bottle to place the puree onto the plate, and garnished the dish with edible flowers, a coral tuile, and more crumbled meringue. I like to serve it this way as it makes it look fancy, and I like to make simple food look fancy. But you can also just put everything into a bowl and smash it up. This is the traditional way to serve Eton Mess. Hence, why it is called a mess! But it's your rodeo. Love meringue? Try these hazelnut meringue cookies next.

🍷 Wine pairing

Serve a chilled dessert wine with stone fruit flavors with mango passion fruit Eton Mess. Alternatively, a demi-sec Champagne or sweeter processor can work well. Dessert wine should be served ice-cold, so keep it in the fridge and then place it in the freezer 20 minutes before serving.

❄️ Storage & Freezing

Store meringue in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for 2-3 weeks. Once assembled, keep mango passion fruit Eton Mess in the fridge and consume it within 2-3 days. But it is best enjoyed fresh for the best texture.

You can also freeze meringue, although it can be slightly chewier upon defrosting. I do not recommend that you freeze Eton Mess once assembled, as the cream will make it all turn to mush once you defrost.

🥣 Equipment

Whip the meringue and the cream in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a bowl with an electric hand mixer. Always do the meringue first, to avoid any potential residue from the cream ruining the meringue. You can also whip meringue by hand with a balloon whisk, if you're feeling up to it. I personally prefer to use an electric hand mixer to make meringue.

Use a food processor or immersion blender to blend the mango passionfruit puree.

❓Recipe FAQ

🍽 Other summer dessert recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

📖 Recipe