Controversial opinion: there is no fruit that tops a mango. Sweet, juicy, tart, and dripping with sunshine, mangos are so good they should be illegal. Of course, there are some (not naming names) that still think that the apple is the best fruit, but anyone who has grown up in or near the tropics knows the apple bandwagon is filled with blasphemy. Mangoes are where it’s at.

But in case you’re still on the fence about mangoes, this mango juice with lime and coconut is for you. Ordinarily, something that tastes this good would have loads of added sugar, but nope! This one is (almost) all natural. The lime balances the mango’s sweetness with some tang, and the optional cream of coconut or coconut rum cream gives a hit of richness.

This is the second recipe I’ve made from the book In Bibi’s Kitchen, and it’s another hit. This recipe is one of the many amazing drink recipes featured, including recipes for ginger beer, watermelon juice, and the mouth-watering “iced rooibos tea with orange, cloves, and cinnamon.” Yum!

Truly, you can’t go wrong making this. It’s quite forgiving. Still, here are a few recommendations I’ve come up with along the way:

Don’t forgo the salt. Salt and lime are like peanut butter and jelly: they just go together. Besides, you might find yourself replacing Gatorade and other sports drinks for the virgin version. Nothing can beat natural sugars and electrolytes.

Try key lime juice! Key limes are a Florida staple: they’re tiny, juicy, and have a more floral flavor than regular limes. Those wee little limes pictured above are key limes from the tree in our front yard. Citrus blight is still raging strong in Florida and our tree hasn’t escaped its grasp. Still, the tree is productive–we can’t seem to eat these little limes fast enough!

Cream of coconut, coconut rum cream, or nothing at all. Cream of coconut is NOT coconut cream. It’s a sweetened addition to alcoholic beverages like coquito or piña colada. (Pro tip: since no sane individual has ever opened and finished a can of Coco López in the same day, I suggest freezing your cream of coconut so you can use a scoop or so when the time is right.) As for coconut rum cream, my roommate gifted us a bottle of the Marigot Bay brand after her last trip home. It made every beverage taste amazing, and this one was no exception.

Try other fruits. With enough lime, this recipe could be altered to include other fruits as well. Try adding a few cups of cantaloupe and cutting the water, or blending a guava with the mango and straining the seeds.

Serve over ice. But you didn’t need me to know that was the game plan. 😉