Mango Cucumber Basil Water: Recipe & How to Make It

Mango cucumber basil water is a fruit-and-herb-infused drink that takes 2 hours 10 minutes total, including chilling, and yields about 1 liter (4¼ cups).

It combines ripe mango, crisp cucumber and fresh basil in a pitcher of cold water. Find more ideas in these tropical fruit infused water recipes.

What is mango cucumber basil water?

Mango cucumber basil water is water steeped with pieces of mango, cucumber and basil, then served chilled. The ingredients flavor the water without being blended into it, so the finished drink is lighter than a smoothie or juice.

The recipe takes about 10 minutes of hands-on preparation and at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Serve it as it is or strain out the ingredients for a clearer drink.

What ingredients and ratio do you need?

For about 1 liter (4¼ cups), use:

Water: 1 liter (about 4¼ cups)
Mango: 150 g (about 1 cup), peeled and diced
Cucumber: 150 g (about 1½ cups), thinly sliced
Fresh basil: 5 g (about ¼ cup loosely packed, or 8–12 leaves)

Choose a ripe mango for a fuller fruit flavor and fresh basil leaves that are not wilted. The cucumber can stay unpeeled; its peel adds color and helps the slices hold their shape.

This ratio leaves room for all three flavors. Use a pitcher large enough to hold the water and produce without filling it to the brim.

How do you make mango cucumber basil water?

Rinse the mango, cucumber and basil under running water.
Peel the mango, cut the flesh away from the pit and dice it. Slice the cucumber thinly.
Place the mango and cucumber in a clean pitcher. Gently tear the basil leaves and add them.
Pour in the water, stir gently and cover the pitcher.
Refrigerate for 2 hours, or up to 4 hours for a stronger infusion. Serve chilled, straining if you prefer.

To create another combination after trying this method, use the ai infused water generator.

For a milder basil flavor, leave the leaves whole rather than tearing them. If the first pour is too subtle, give the covered pitcher more time in the refrigerator before serving.

Why do mango, cucumber and basil pair well?

Mango gives the water a fruity aroma and a hint of sweetness. Its flavor is more delicate here than in a blended drink because the fruit is steeped rather than puréed. For a simpler fruit-forward infusion, see mango infused water.

Cucumber adds a cool, fresh note that keeps the mango from tasting too rich. Thin slices expose more surface area to the water; learn more about the ingredient in cucumber water.

Basil adds a fragrant herbal note that ties the fruit and cucumber together. For a closer look at the herb on its own, see basil water.

The main benefit of the finished drink is hydration. Whole mango contains vitamin C and fiber, but you should not count the fruit’s full nutrients as nutrients in the infused water; eating the fruit provides more than steeping it. The liver and kidneys handle most of the body’s detoxification, and this drink is not a substitute for their work.

How should you store mango cucumber basil water?

Keep the pitcher covered and refrigerated. Drink the water within 24 hours for the best flavor, counting from when you prepared it.

You can strain out the mango, cucumber and basil after the 2–4-hour infusion if you like the flavor as it is. Refrigerate the strained water, and discard it after 2 days or sooner if it becomes cloudy, slimy or sour-smelling. Do not leave the pitcher at room temperature for more than a few hours.

How can you vary mango cucumber basil water?

Make the mango flavor stronger

Use a ripe, fragrant mango and allow the pitcher to steep for the full 4 hours. Keep the cucumber and basil in the mix so the drink retains its fresh, herbal balance.

Make the basil flavor gentler

Leave the basil leaves whole and taste the water after 2 hours. Strain the infusion at that point if the herb flavor is where you want it.

Add bubbles at serving time

Steep the mango, cucumber and basil in still water as directed. When serving, pour some infused water into a glass and top it with chilled sparkling water; the addition will make the flavor lighter.