Halo-Halo
Halo-halo has its roots in a simple dessert brought by Japanese immigrants to the Philippines in the early 20th century, called 'mongo-ya', which combined just ice, sweet beans, and milk. Over the decades, Filipinos gradually added more and more local ingredients — jellies, preserved fruits, ube, flan — until it became today's complex layered dessert. Today halo-halo is considered the unofficial national dessert of the Philippines, most sought after during the scorching summer months, and every family or restaurant has its own favourite combination of add-ins over the ice and milk base.
The name means 'mix-mix'
Halo-halo literally translates to 'mix mix', an invitation to stir all the layers together before eating.
Sweet beans instead of fruit
Sweetened red beans or chickpeas, cooked in sugar, give the dessert an unusual creamy texture.
Finely shaved ice is the base
Finely shaved ice fills the glass, gradually melting and mixing with the condensed milk.
Ube and flan finish the dessert
A scoop of purple ube ice cream and a slice of egg flan sit on top, as both decoration and flavour.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 500g finely shaved ice
- 150g sweetened red beans, cooked
- 150g sweetened chickpeas, cooked
- 100g colourful gelatin cubes (gulaman)
- 200ml sweetened condensed milk
- 100ml evaporated milk
- 2 ripe plantain bananas, sliced and caramelised
- 4 scoops ube ice cream
- 4 slices egg flan (leche flan)
How to make it
- 1Shave the ice finely, using a special machine or a blender, until it becomes fluffy and snow-like.
- 2Caramelise the sliced plantains in a pan with a little sugar until browned.
- 3Layer the sweet red beans and sweet chickpeas at the bottom of each tall glass.
- 4Add the colourful gelatin cubes on top of the beans.
- 5Fill the glass almost to the top with the finely shaved ice, pressed down lightly.
- 6Pour condensed milk and evaporated milk generously over the ice, letting it trickle through the layers.
- 7Finish with a scoop of ube ice cream and a slice of flan on top, then mix everything together well before eating.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
