A Glass of Sunset: Homemade Halo-Halo at Home

This weekend, we made homemade Halo-Halo — my absolute favourite Filipino dessert — to celebrate with friends. And not just any Halo-Halo: we even made the ube ice cream ourselves (the recipe is from recipeshare.app). I loved watching their faces light up with each spoonful — sweet, cold, unexpected. Layers of beans, jellies, leche flan, fruit, and ice, topped with that beautiful swirl of ube.

There’s something about Halo-Halo that captures what I love most about Filipino culture — joyful variety, generous surprises, and sweetness without trying too hard. Somehow, it even feels healthy (shaved ice counts for something, right?).

For me, Halo-Halo is more than a dessert — it’s a portal. A reminder of sunsets in Boracay, late afternoons in Palawan, or a quiet moment in Coron after a swim. It’s the sound of laughter, the feeling of sand still on your skin, the taste of everything blended into one beautiful, colourful moment. It’s refreshment, nostalgia, and joy — all in a single glass.

Try it if you haven’t. Recreate it if you miss it. And always serve it with a sunset, if you can.