This crunchy candied Tanghulu Recipe fuses a popular Chinese street food snack with the classic Mexican flavors of mango and tajin. It’s so easy to make and crazy delicious! You will love this sweet and spicy, candy-coated treat!
What is Tanghulu?
Tanghulu is a popular street food treat in China and popular during the winter months, where it is eaten as a festive, fun recipe. To make it, sugar is melted into syrup, and then fruit is dipped in the hot sugar syrup to coat on all sides. Once cooled and hardened, the fruit skewer forms a crunchy and hard candy shell around the fruit that tastes just so wonderfully delicious.
While hawthorn berries and strawberries are commonly used to make this candy fruit snack, you can also find tanghulu made with different kinds of fruit like grapes, cherries, pineapple, apples, or kiwi. It’s a delightful and beautiful dessert that is fun and tasty for all ages, kids to adults!
What Makes This Recipe Great
Today, I’m blending two cultures into one delicious, amazing, candy-coated dessert! This Mango Tajin Tanghulu Recipe takes a popular Chinese street food snack and Mexican Chile Lime (Tajin) + Mango flavors and turns them into a sweet, tart, and subtly spicy treat.
It’s such an easy recipe to make, only requires 4 simple ingredients, and comes together in under 30 minutes. Serve this fun and festive dessert at a holiday party, a family gathering, or really any time of the year!
Watch a Short Video of This Recipe
How to Make Tanghulu
For this fusion tanghulu recipe, I married the classic Chinese snack technique with Mexican Tajín mango flavors, and I just love the result! I always found that tanghulu on its own can be a bit too sweet, but with the added chili lime seasoning of Tajín, it really balances out the flavors and tones down the sweetness of this treat. And best of all, you only need 3 ingredients if you don’t count water!
Ingredient Notes
- mango: You’ll want to use a mango that’s ripe but not mushy. You still want a bit of firmness to it so it doesn’t slip off the skewers.
- granulated sugar: This tanghulu recipe (without corn syrup) is made with organic cane sugar and water for an easy and wonderful candied coating!
- water
- Tajín seasoning: You can use any homemade or store-bought chili lime seasoning, but I love Tajín for that authentic Mexican flavor!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Peel the mango and cut into chunks. Pat the chunks with a paper towel to remove some of the moisture.
- Thread 1-3 cubes into skewers, then line a baking sheet or plate with parchment paper.
- Add sugar and water to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat to medium-high heat until boiling. Don’t stir. Boil for 10-12 minutes until it reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a thermometer, dip a spoon into the hot sugar mixture, then immediately dip into a bowl of ice water. If the sugar hardens immediately to a hard and crunchy texture, the mixture is ready.
- Dip the mango skewers into the sugar water mixture to coat on all sides. Let any excess syrup drip off.
- Remove and place on parchment paper, then sprinkle with Tajín.
- The sugar coating should quickly harden and make a crunchy shell, and you can enjoy it immediately!
Expert Tips
- Wooden Skewers: You’ll also need wooden bamboo skewers for this recipe. Metal skewers can work, but I find that wooden ones hold the fruit better, lowering the chance of it slipping off.
- Fruit: You can make this recipe with a variety of fruit. The most popular Chinese versions are made with hawthorn fruit or strawberries. You can always substitute with your favorite fruits and omit the tajin if desired.
Storage Tips
- Store leftover Tanghulu in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftovers will last up to 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, depending on the moisture level of the fruit.
- Just a heads up – any cuts or moisture on the fruit will make the candied outside soften and get runny.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Here’s how to make tanghulu without a thermometer. When the sugar mixture has been boiling for several minutes, dip a spoon into the mixture, then immediately dip in cold water. If the sugar hardens immediately to a hard and crunchy texture when you bite into it, the mixture is ready. If it’s soft and sticks to your teeth, boil for longer.
Yes! Other fruits like strawberries, blueberries, grapes, watermelon, kiwi, or citrus slices like oranges can be used to make this sweet treat. You don’t have to use Tajín on all of them if you don’t want to.
While there’s no direct English translation, The name “tanghulu” roughly translates to “sugar gourd” or “sugar bottle gourd” in Chinese. However, the snack is not made from gourds but rather from various fruits! In fact, strawberry tanghulu is one of the most popular versions.
It’s actually super simple! It’s made with the fruit of your choice, granulated sugar, and water!
More Delicious Sweet Treats
Grilled Mexican Chili Lime Mango
Paleo Mango Pudding with Coconut Milk
Korean Dalgona Candy (From “Squid Game”)
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Easy Tanghulu Recipe with Mango and Tajín
Video
Ingredients
- 1 mango ripe but firm
- Bamboo skewers
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 water
- Tajín seasoning
Instructions
- Peel the mango and cut into chunks. Pat the chunks with a paper towel to remove some of the moisture.
- Thread 1-3 cubes into skewers, then line a baking sheet or plate with parchment paper.
- Add sugar and water to a small saucepan and heat over medium to medium high heat until boiling. Don't stir. Boil for 10-12 minutes until it reaches 300 degrees F. If you don't have a thermometer, dip a spoon into the mixture, then immediately dip in cold water. If the sugar hardens immediately to a hard and crunchy texture, the mixture is ready.
- Dip the mango skewers into the sugar mixture to coat on all sides.
- Remove and place on parchment paper, then sprinkle with Tajín.
- The sugar coating should harden immediately, and you can enjoy right away!
Notes
Expert Tips
- Skewers: You’ll also need wooden bamboo skewers for this recipe. Metal skewers can work, but I find that wooden ones hold the fruit better, lowering the chance of it slipping off.
- Fruit: You can make this recipe with a variety of fruit. The most popular Chinese versions are made with hawthorn fruit or strawberries. You can always substitute the fruit of your choice and omit the tajin if desired.
Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftovers will last up to 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, depending on the moisture level of the fruit.
- Just a heads up – any cuts or moisture on the fruit will make the candied outside soften and get runny.
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