Halo-halo

Halo-halo

Shaved ice, evaporated milk, sweet beans and jellies — mix-mix, which is what the name says.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Halo-halo.

0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.

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Measurement system
Prep
20 min
Cook
Total
20 min
Difficulty
Easy
Spice
No chilli
Cost
Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
Source photograph of Halo-halo. Not official I Want Some Food pixel artwork.
Photo: Ian Lopez (Ianlopez1115) via Wikimedia Commons. CC0. Source

About

Halo-halo is a glass of shaved ice, evaporated or condensed milk, and a clutter of sweet beans, fruit and jellies. You mix it. The name says so. A scoop of ice cream on top is a later flourish. This is a home version with what a grocery actually sells — not a 20-ingredient parfait shop.

Ingredients

  • Ice, shaved or finely crushed600 g
  • Milk, evaporated, or ordinary milk plus a spoon of sugar250 ml
  • Sweet red beans, sweetened, canned or leftover200 g
  • Mango, ripe, diced1
  • Sugar30 ml
  • Coconut milk, or macapuno strings if you have them (optional)80 ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

  1. Step 1

    Spoon beans, mango and any other sweets into glasses. Pile shaved ice on top.

    10 min
  2. Step 2

    Pour evaporated milk and a little sugar. Mix at the table. Ice cream if you are celebrating.

Adapt this recipe

The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.

Substitutions

  • Red beans Sweet corn or extra mango

    Still a mix-mix glass.

Tips

  • Jackfruit, leche flan, ube and nata de coco are the shop extras. Use what you have.
  • A blender pulse on ice cubes is not a true shave, but it is Tuesday.

History & culture

A summer merienda. Every region and every fridge has a different mix. The ice and the milk are the constants.

Japanese kakigori plus Filipino pantry sweets. The name is Tagalog for mix-mix. The glass became national in the 20th century.

Modern adaptation

Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: Ian Lopez (Ianlopez1115) via Wikimedia Commons (CC0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chicken%20empanada%20and%20halo-halo%2020230602.jpg

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.

How long does Halo-halo take?

20 min all in — 20 min prep. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 glasses. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

No chilli.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian.

What does it cost to cook?

Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Mixing bowl.

How much salt do I put in?

This recipe does not list a salt amount. We will not invent one.

How much sugar?

2 tbsp of Sugar.

What can I use instead?

Red beans → Sweet corn or extra mango. Still a mix-mix glass.

Any tips from this recipe?

Jackfruit, leche flan, ube and nata de coco are the shop extras. Use what you have. A blender pulse on ice cubes is not a true shave, but it is Tuesday.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.

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