A festive Filipino shaved ice dessert layered with sweet beans, fruits, jellies, and creamy toppings. This iconic cold treat combines contrasting textures and flavors in every spoonful, finished with a generous pour of evaporated milk. Best assembled to order so the ice stays fluffy and the toppings remain distinct.
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time40 mins
Servings4
Yield4 tall glasses
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 420 kcalCalories
- 10 gFat
- 5 gSaturated Fat
- 75 gCarbs
- 4 gFiber
- 55 gSugar
- 8 gProtein
- 120 mgSodium
- 380 mgPotassium
- 180 mgCalcium
- 2 mgIron
- 10 mgVitamin C
- 120 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the sweet beans and fruit toppings
- 1 cup dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight
- 3/4 cup dried mung beans, soaked overnight
- 1/2 cup canned chickpeas, drained
- 2 ripe saba bananas, sliced into coins
- 1/2 cup ripe langka (jackfruit) strips in syrup
- 1/2 cup kaong (sugar palm fruit), drained
- 1/2 cup nata de coco, drained
- 1/2 cup macapuno strings, drained
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups water
For the assembly
- 8 cups finely shaved ice
- 1/2 cup ube halaya (purple yam jam)
- 4 slices leche flan (caramel custard)
- 1/2 cup toasted pinipig (crispy rice flakes)
- 1/2 cup shaved young coconut meat
- 1 cup evaporated milk, chilled
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk, chilled
- 4 small scoops vanilla ice cream
Directions
- Drain the soaked red kidney beans and mung beans, then combine in a saucepan with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until tender, then drain and return to the pan.
- Add the 3/4 cup sugar to the cooked beans along with the drained chickpeas, stirring gently over low heat for 5 minutes until the syrup coats the beans. Cool completely before assembling.
- Slice the saba bananas into 1/4-inch coins and gently pan-fry in a dry nonstick skillet for 1 to 2 minutes per side until lightly caramelized. Set aside to cool.
- Prepare four tall glasses and spoon 2 tablespoons each of the sweetened kidney beans, mung beans, chickpeas, kaong, nata de coco, and macapuno into the bottom of each glass.
- Add a layer of caramelized banana slices, jackfruit strips, and shaved young coconut over the beans in each glass.
- Pack finely shaved ice firmly over the fruit and bean layers, mounding it generously above the rim of each glass.
- Top each mound with a scoop of ube halaya and a slice of leche flan, then add a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
- Drizzle each glass with 2 to 3 tablespoons of chilled evaporated milk followed by 1 to 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk, letting the liquids cascade down the ice.
- Finish by sprinkling toasted pinipig over the top and serve immediately with a long spoon so diners can crush and mix everything together as they eat.
Cook’s Notes
- Use a proper ice shaver for fine, fluffy snow-like ice; crushed freezer ice melts too fast and dilutes the flavors.
- All sweet toppings and milks should be thoroughly chilled before assembly to keep the dessert cold without melting the ice instantly.
- Customize with regional favorites such as boiled taro, sweet potato cubes, or corn kernels for added texture and authenticity.
- Serve immediately after assembly; halo-halo does not hold well and the ice will lose its texture within minutes.
- For a vegan version, swap evaporated and condensed milk with chilled coconut cream sweetened with coconut sugar.
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