Halo-Halo

By Naz Deravian

Updated Nov. 30, 2023

Halo-Halo
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
15 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Rating
4(152)
Notes
Read community notes

The joy of preparing halo-halo, the sweet, icy, creamy and colorful Filipino dessert, might only be surpassed by the pleasure of eating it. The name means mix-mix in Tagalog, which refers to the best way to eat it: Combine everything by digging from the bottom up with a tall spoon. Shaved ice and a mix of evaporated milk and sweetened condensed or coconut milk are the foundation of this dessert; everything else is up to personal preference. In general, halo-halo includes a mix of syrup-soaked beans, corn, coconut gel, tapioca pearls, jackfruit, mango and banana. Jarred halo-halo mixes are available as a starting point (see Tip). Just make sure to have all the ingredients ready so the ice doesn't melt once it’s placed in the glass. If preparing for a crowd, set up a toppings bar and let people build their own.

Learn: How to Make Ice Cream

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Ingredients

Yield:1 serving
  • ¼cup evaporated milk
  • Sweetened condensed milk, to taste
  • 1tablespoon nata de coco (coconut gel), plus more for topping
  • 1tablespoon palm fruit in syrup
  • 1tablespoon white beans or chickpeas in syrup
  • 1tablespoon red mung beans in syrup
  • 1tablespoon sago (tapioca pearls in syrup)
  • 1tablespoon fresh, diced mango, plus more for topping
  • 1cup shaved ice, or as needed
  • 1scoop ube ice cream
  • 1tablespoon ube halaya (purple yam jam)
  • 1small square flan, cut into 1-inch pieces, store-bought or homemade (optional)
  • Crushed corn flakes, for topping
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pour the evaporated milk in a spouted measuring cup or a small bowl. Sweeten to taste with the condensed milk (about 2 teaspoons), being mindful that other sweet ingredients will be added.

  2. Step 2

    Place the nata de coco, palm fruit, white beans, red mung beans, sago and mango in a tall clear glass until ⅓ filled. Fill each glass to the top with the crushed ice. Top with a scoop of ice cream, the ube halaya, flan, and more nata de coco and mango.

  3. Step 3

    From one side of the glass, slowly drizzle in the milk mixture. Top with the crushed corn flakes and serve with a tall spoon. To eat, dig to the bottom of the glass with a spoon and “mix mix.”

Tip
  • Jarred halo-halo mixes and other ingredients can be found online and in Filipino and Asian markets.

Ratings

4 out of 5
152 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Orlando A

The addition of corn flakes to halo-halo was a surprise to me when I first tried it as a child visiting Zamboanga City from Manila in the early '70s. Surprising but inspired. Corn chips give the same crunch but adds some salt to cut the sweetness. An American colleague of my mother's, mispronouncing halo-halo with long A's, said it sounded and tasted like a double helping of heaven. She wasn't wrong—it is ambrosial.

Conrad C

When I was younger, my family would make a game of mixing our Halo-Halo. After topping off our Halo-Halo to the brim with shaved ice and evaporated milk, the winners are the ones who are able to fully mix their drink with a spoon and not have any shaved ice spill over. Good luck and happy mixing! :)

Vincent dG

There is a machine that can help you shave ice. Just google electric Ice Shavers and take your pick. TIP on shaving ice WITHOUT a machine. You will need to freeze large ice blocks (not ice cubes) and you can use those take-away containers. Once the water is frozen, wrap the bottom of the ice block with a towel (for easy handling) and then run the the ice on a BOX GRATER. You will need to do this quickly though so as to not allow the ice to melt before it goes to your halo-halo. Enjoy!

JVM

Condensed milk is not necessary as many of the ingredients are already heavily sweetened. A well-stocked Asian store with Filipino goods will have a decent selection of ingredients you can use - sweetened beans (garbanzo & red beans), jackfruit, palm seeds, macapuno (coconut sport), ube jam, etc are either bottled or canned in heavy syrup. Some homemade or good store-bought things to make it special include: sweetened saba bananas, leche flan and pinipig (dry toasted flat glutinous rice)

Mom24

Ha! Just read about this in "Simon Sort-of Says" by Erin Bow which is an excellent book that I recommend to anyone eight and up, including adults. So good! This sounded so delicious in the book, I wish I had somewhere nearby to try it. Maybe I'll take the plunge and make it!

Vincent dG

There is a machine that can help you shave ice. Just google electric Ice Shavers and take your pick. TIP on shaving ice WITHOUT a machine. You will need to freeze large ice blocks (not ice cubes) and you can use those take-away containers. Once the water is frozen, wrap the bottom of the ice block with a towel (for easy handling) and then run the the ice on a BOX GRATER. You will need to do this quickly though so as to not allow the ice to melt before it goes to your halo-halo. Enjoy!

b.

How do you shave ice at home? Grater?

R

My daughter has been obsessed with making and trying this since seeing it on Jelly, Ben, and Pogo. Any tips on how to actually shave the ice? Do I need some kind of machine for that?

Joyce

The halo-halo at Talde (RIP) in Park Slope was divine. Cool, crunchy, chewy, sweet, tart and creamy all at once. Surprisingly refreshing!

Ana María Macchetto

One has to go on an incredible search of these exotic ingredients. It may take you only fifteen minutes to make it but a lot more just to get all that is needed!

RLA

I gotta say, this sounded better on "Jelly, Ben, and Pogo".

MOL

The flan and the ube halaya are never ever optional. They are a must to any concoction to be called a halo-halo.

Orlando A

The addition of corn flakes to halo-halo was a surprise to me when I first tried it as a child visiting Zamboanga City from Manila in the early '70s. Surprising but inspired. Corn chips give the same crunch but adds some salt to cut the sweetness. An American colleague of my mother's, mispronouncing halo-halo with long A's, said it sounded and tasted like a double helping of heaven. She wasn't wrong—it is ambrosial.

carina m

The flan is not optional. It is a must.

Conrad C

When I was younger, my family would make a game of mixing our Halo-Halo. After topping off our Halo-Halo to the brim with shaved ice and evaporated milk, the winners are the ones who are able to fully mix their drink with a spoon and not have any shaved ice spill over. Good luck and happy mixing! :)

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