Halo-Halo Ice Pops

Looking at the Filipino dessert halo-halo, it seems like a crazy mishmash of evaporated milk, shaved ice, ube ice cream, sweet palm fruit, coconut, jackfruit, mung beans, corn, and coconut gelatin, to name a few ingredients. Unable to fit all of that into our pops, we just picked a handful of add-ins, but be as creative as you want!

Special equipment: You will need freezer pop molds for this recipe. We used these molds, but any kind will work. If yours don’t come with sticks that attach securely, you can buy wooden sticks.

What to buy: You can find frozen grated ube at well-stocked Asian markets or online.

Game plan: You will need to thaw the ube in the refrigerator before starting the recipe.

This recipe was featured as part of our 7 Ice Pops That Break the Mold.

• 1/2 cup frozen grated ube (purple yam; about 2 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 3/4 cup small-dice ripe mango, ripe banana, sweetened jackfruit, coconut gelatin, and whole boiled red mung beans or corn (use all of these or a combination of two or three to total 3/4 cup)

1. 1Place the ube, cream, milk, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender. Purée until smooth, removing the small cap from the blender lid (the pour lid) and covering the space with a kitchen towel (this allows steam to escape and prevents the blender lid from popping off).
2. 2Pour the mixture into a heatproof measuring cup and stir in the vanilla. Divide the mixture among the pop molds, filling them halfway. Place in the freezer until almost completely solid, about 2 hours.
3. 3When the frozen ube is ready, prepare the coconut milk–fruit mixture. Place the coconut milk in a small bowl and add the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stir in the fruit or other add-ins, if using; set aside.
4. 4Remove the molds from the freezer, stir the coconut milk–fruit mixture again, and, using a spoon, evenly divide the mixture among the molds. Insert the sticks and freeze until solid, at least 6 hours.