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A tall glass of halo-halo with a dome of shaved ice drizzled with evaporated milk, a thick slice of leche flan on top, and visible layers of purple ube, red beans, and colorful preserved fruits.

Halo-Halo: Filipino Shaved Ice Dessert

Shaved ice mounded over sweetened beans, preserved fruits, coconut gel, and ube halaya, finished with evaporated milk, leche flan, and a scoop of ube ice cream. No cooking required.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 glasses
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For layering
  • 4 tablespoons sweetened red mung beans about 1 tablespoon per glass
  • 4 tablespoons sweetened white beans
  • 4 tablespoons macapuno (sweetened coconut strings)
  • 4 tablespoons nata de coco (coconut gel)
  • 4 tablespoons kaong (sugar palm fruit)
  • 4 tablespoons sweetened jackfruit chopped
  • 4 tablespoons ube halaya (purple yam jam) plus a little extra for smearing the glasses
For the ice and milk
  • 4 cups shaved or finely crushed ice about 1 cup per glass
  • 1 cup evaporated milk about 1/4 cup per glass
  • 3-4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk for drizzling
  • 1-2 tablespoons sugar per glass, optional
For the toppings
  • 4 slices leche flan store-bought works well
  • 4 scoops ube ice cream 1 per glass
  • 2 tablespoons pinipig toasted in a dry pan until golden; crushed cornflakes work as a substitute

Method
 

  1. Put 4 tall glasses in the freezer for 15 minutes. In Paul's kitchen, ice in a room-temperature glass starts weeping within two or three minutes, and that melt waters down the first pour of milk.
  2. Smear about 1 tablespoon of ube halaya along the bottom and slightly up the inside of each chilled glass. It gives a purple streak you can see through the glass.
  3. Spoon 1 tablespoon of each mix-in into every glass: beans first, then macapuno, nata de coco, kaong, and jackfruit. The layer should fill about a third of the glass.
  4. Mound 1 cup of shaved ice on top of each glass, packing it gently with the back of a spoon so it holds its shape.
  5. Sprinkle with sugar if you like it sweeter, then pour 1/4 cup of evaporated milk slowly over the ice in each glass so it seeps down through the layers instead of pooling on top.
  6. Set a scoop of ube ice cream on each glass, add a slice of leche flan, and spoon a little extra ube halaya on top.
  7. Sprinkle with the toasted pinipig, drizzle with condensed milk, and serve right away with long spoons. Tell everyone to mix it all together first.

Notes

Note 1: The ice-to-milk ratio is 1 cup of shaved ice to 1/4 cup of evaporated milk per glass. Less milk leaves dry, plain ice; more milk pools at the bottom before you finish mixing. Pour the milk slowly over the ice so it seeps through the layers instead of sitting on top.
Note 2: Chill the glasses for 15 minutes before assembling. In Paul's kitchen, ice in a room-temperature glass starts weeping within two or three minutes, and that melt waters down the first pour of milk.
Note 3: Drain the heavy syrup off jarred fruits before layering. The syrup adds sugar without adding much flavor, and it throws off the sweetness of the whole glass.
Note 4: Layer the least syrupy mix-ins first (beans), the syrupy fruits on top of them, and the show pieces (flan, ice cream) last. They stay cold and in place on top of the ice instead of sinking into it.
Note 5: Shave the ice last, right before serving. A finished glass waits for no one, so serve immediately with long spoons and tell everyone to mix it all together first.