Name: Eton Mess With Strawberries And Mango
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: English
Ingredients: 300ml whipping cream; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 300g strawberries; 1 mango - peeled and chopped; 4 meringue nests

Nothing says summer like an Eton Mess dessert! A classic British recipe super simple to make and oh so easy to add in a few tasty extras.

This delicious summer dessert is a tasty little tumble of whipped cream spiked with vanilla, gently mixed together with fresh strawberries and broken up meringue.

We add some lovely juicy mango to our Eton mess just for a little extra delicious twist.

There really isn’t an easier dessert to make than this one. It’s just ideal for serving at summer parties and BBQs.

Eton mess with strawberries and mango served in small glass bowls

Eton Mess Ingredients

There’s just five ingredients in our delicious summer dessert

300ml whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

400g strawberries – sliced into quarters

1 mango – peeled, stone removed and sliced into bitesized pieces

4 meringue nests – or you could use a pavlova base

Equipment Needed To Make This Recipe

Food processor or electric whisk – you can whisk manually but it’ll take you a whole lot longer
Teaspoon
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Mixing bowl
Wooden spoon for mixing
Small serving bowls

How To Make Eton Mess

You’re just going to LOVE how easy this simple summer dessert recipe is to make!

Firstly whip the cream – pour the cream and a tsp of vanilla extract in to the food processor and whisk until thick.

Prepare the strawberries and mango pieces – wash and slice the strawberries, peel and chop the mango.

Add the cream and fruit to a large mixing bowl

whipped vanilla cream in a bowl with strawberry and mango slices

Gently mix the cream and fruit together – be really gentle here and fold the fruit into the whipped cream.

whipped cream mixed together with strawberries and mango in a green Joesph Joseph bowl

Next crumble up the meringue – just break up pieces of meringue, you’ll be able to do this just using your hands. Put the meringue pieces into the bowl with the fruit and whipped cream.

whipped cream mixed with strawberries and mango with broken meringue tipped in the bowl

Gently fold the meringue pieces into the creamy fruit mixture – use a wooden spoon to do this. I can’t resist just having a little taste test here…

Eton mess being mixed together in a bowl - vanilla whipped cream, strawberries, mango and broken meringue pieces

Divide into serving dishes – just scoop out spoonfuls of Eton mess and put into little serving dishes. If you want the desserts to look a little extra special you can decorate the tops with extra fruit or edible flowers. Otherwise, just tuck in and enjoy your rustic dessert!

Why Is The Dessert Called Eton Mess?

If you’re wondering how was Eton Mess named? Well… this classic British dessert is believed to have originated at Eton college, traditionally served at the annual cricket match between Eton and Harrow.

As for the ‘mess’ part of the dessert, I don’t think anyone knows this for sure but I’m taking a guess it’s because it is a really rustic messy dessert to look at!

Can Eton Mess Be Prepared In Advance?

You can prepare all the elements of an Eton Mess in advance but it’s best to put the dessert together just before serving.

Otherwise the meringue pieces will soften and go soggy and your dessert won’t be as nice.

I’d advise storing the whipped cream in an air tight container, the strawberries and mango pieces in another air tight container. Pop both in the fridge, they’ll keep good for 24 hours.

You can break up the meringue pieces in advance too if you like, just store these in a ziplock bag or food storage box with a lid.

Can Eton Mess Be Kept In The Fridge?

Honestly – if you’re are making it and then popping it in the fridge then really it won’t last longer than an hour or so before the meringue starts to go soggy.

What Cream Is Best For Whipping?

You can use double cream (heavy cream in USA) or whipping cream for whipped cream. They both whip well. Heavy cream will hold its shape longer than whipping cream.

But whipping cream has a much lighter, fluffy texture. So just choose whichever works best for you.

Does Eton Mess Contain Gluten?

No – this is a naturally gluten free dessert. Of course if you’re a coeliac you should still double check the meringue packet to be sure there’s no gluten added. Or you can make homemade meringues to be absolutely certain.

Get all our easy dessert recipes here

Make Eton Mess Your Way!

Once you have the basic recipe you can take Eton Mess in any direction you like and make the recipe your own.

Try stirring the Eton Mess mixture into ice-cream and drizzling with strawberry or caramel sauce.

Use different fruits – it’s just delicious made with plump juicy raspberries. Or go for a tropical finish with mango, papaya and passionfruit.

You could use the Eton Mess mixture to fill a Victoria Sandwich cake for an extra special summery strawberry cake.

More Easy Strawberry Desserts You’ll LOVE!

mars bar dip platter served with pretzels, marshmallows and strawberries

mini strawberry cheesecakes wit fresh strawberries on top

Mars Bar Dip – a delicious melted chocolate dip served with strawberries, marshmallow and pretzels. Great for parties, movie nights or sleepovers.

Fresh Strawberry Cheesecakes – our strawberry cheesecake recipe is no bake and super simple, great for summer dessert or picnics.

Love sweet stuff? – get our most delicious recipes here

Need Some More Family Meal Ideas?

Check out our meal planning here – it’s filled with recipes, meal planner tips and pre-filled printable meal plans weekly or seasonally. We’ve got hundreds of the BEST family recipes your whole family will LOVE!

Yield: Makes 6