22 Popular Filipino Pampalamig Summer Desserts and Iloilo Summer Flavors

As the weather grows increasingly warmer, it is time to look for ways to beat the heat. Here are our favorite Filipino pampalamig summer desserts!

As the summer months approach, many cultures create special dishes and treats to enjoy when the days are warm. In the Philippines, traditional Filipino foods provide a flavorful respite from sultry summer afternoons. We’ll explore some popular Filipino favorites that are perfect for summer eats!

Ice Candy

Filipino Pampalamig summer desserts are an integral part of Filipino culture. One such dessert is ice candy, a popular Filipino snack often enjoyed in summer. This lolly-style frozen treat typically consists of (juice – drink) flavors (like Milo, orange juice, grapes, etc.), sugar, and water mixed and poured into small plastic wrappers. Then, the mixture is then frozen overnight to create lollies. It’s a refreshing way to beat the heat! Certainly, ice candy can be found in whatever flavor suits your fancy, whether mango or calamansi-flavored!

Sorbetes o Dirty Ice Cream

To add to this list is sorbetes, also called ‘dirty ice cream’. Dirty ice cream is not dirty per se. It’s just a term made to refer to homemade ice cream! Making it requires creativity and skill on behalf of the maker, as this ice cream is pushed by a cart around, bringing it to Filipino towns and cities. This Filipino classic is beloved across the Filipino islands due to being a cold treat that’s even available during harsh hot summers, drawing crowds with its iconic shape of waffle basket cups to serve it in. In addition, its unique taste adds an extra je ne sais quoi flair (char!) to Filipino dessert culture, making sorbetes o dirty ice cream a Filipino staple. Our favorite? The ube keso ice cream. Overall, it’s just – *kisses mwah!

Halo-halo

One of the most popular Filipino favorites is Halo-halo, an exciting and diverse Filipino dessert. In Filipino, halo means “mix” and halo-halo is precisely that – a mix of sweetened beans, fruits like jackfruit; nata de coco (coconut jelly), red beans, macapuno (marinated young coconut strips), ube (purple yam paste), leche flan (milk custard) and a handful of crushed ice. Giving you one exciting dessert experience in every spoonful! This symphony of flavors is then topped with ice cream and shaved ice to give it an element of crunch.

Ice Scramble (Iskrambol)

A popular Filipino treat in the Philippines, Ice Scramble is made with shaved ice flavored with syrup, cream powder, and other flavors. This Filipino favorite can often be sold during hot summer days by street food vendors nationwide. It’s typically served in a cup, adorned with colorful embellishments such as evaporated milk, marshmallows, stick-o, M&Ms, and pinipig. Additionally, it’s easy to customize this dessert to your taste – you can add generous amounts of chocolate syrup or condensed milk for a genuinely delicious delight.

Mango Float

Mango Float is a typical Filipino pampalamig summer dessert. Consisting of layers of graham crackers and slices of succulent Guimaras mangoes, topped with a generous spread of heavy cream, this delicious delicacy is an absolute must-try during summer. Its combination of ingredients provides a cooling and creamy taste to beat the heat and soothe any sweet tooth. Mango Float is very easy and inexpensive, making it perfect for families who wish to enjoy a Filipino item from their kitchen.

Mais con Yelo

This Filipino dessert has rice crispies, corn kernels, milk, ice, sugar, and tapioca arranged to form layers. The milk is usually evaporated or condensed, making the texture rich and creamy. Mais con Yelo is both served as a snack and a dessert. The main ingredient that gives it its signature flavor is sweetcorn, which gives it unique sweetness. It’s also topped off with a generous amount of shaved ice for that refreshing chill on the hot Filipino summer days.

Sago’t Gulaman

Filipino Pampalamig Summer Desserts are incomplete without Sago’t Gulaman, a Filipino refreshment made with toasted sago pearls and gulaman agar jelly. It is usually served cold in a tall glass, giving the Filipino people a respite from the sweltering heat of the summer months. To prepare, sago pearls are toasted over low fire until a light golden hue emerges.

They are then added to water and boiled until they become flawless jelly-like. Known as gulaman, this agar-based jelly can have nata de coco or cubes of fruit added for additional taste and texture. Finally, plain or brown sugar syrup is drizzled on top for that extra sweetness that makes Sago’t Gulaman irresistible.

Guinumis

This Filipino shaved iced dessert is a unique combination of ice, sweet syrup, and pinipig, plus coconut milk and gulaman or sago, making it perfect for those hot Filipino afternoons. It’s similar to Halo-halo and sago’t gulaman, but another variety. Instantly refreshing when served chilled in the summer heat, you don’t have to go too far to enjoy this Filipino classic treat!

Buko Juice

It is an incredibly refreshing drink made from young coconuts. Making Buko Juice involves cracking open a young coconut, taking out its soft, white “meat” and its juice. The young coconut’s liquid and soft flesh are extracted and mixed with water or condensed milk for extra sweetness. Other ingredients, such as brown sugar, can also be added to enhance the flavor and add a bit of thickness!

Tapioca Juice / Iced Jelly / Samalamig

One Filipino favorite is the rich and flavorful iced jelly, tapioca juice or samalamig in the Philippines. You’ll know it’s samalamig because of its distinct feature – jellies or tapioca pearls in milky juice. The color of the juice is likened to the color of the jelly. Making this Filipino pampalamig treat starts by boiling tapioca pearls until they become soft, then creating a light syrup that requires an even blend of sugar and milk.

Turon ala mode / Turon with Ice Cream

This Filipino version of the classic fruit wrap and deep fry treat comprises slices of sweet plantain and jackfruit dipped in a batter mix, rolled in sugar, and then deep fried until golden brown and generously adorned with scoops of creamy ice cream. Filipino families gather around this sweet treat to cool off during those hot summer afternoons.

Buko Pandan

Buko Pandan is a Filipino summer dessert typically made with pandan-flavored gelatin, sago pearls, and thin coconut slices. It’s prevalent during hot summer months, as the sweet and refreshing flavors are designed to cool Filipino taste buds.

The basic recipe calls for steamed coconut mixed with water. Gelatin sheets are added to thicken the mixture before dropping in sago pearls and adorned with pandan leaves and essence. This traditional Filipino treat has been around for decades, making it a staple amongst Filipino delicacies. Every Filipino household truly knows how to prepare this unique dish whenever the moment arises.

Cassava cake

Cassava cake is prepared by grating fresh cassava, mixing it with sugar and other ingredients, pouring it into a tray, and then baking it. Once the cake is in the oven, other Filipino ingredients, such as cheese and coconut, are added to give it a unique flavor. The cassava cake is a beloved Filipino dessert for adults and children during informal gatherings or celebrations. As Filipino culture evolves, so has this cherished Filipino dessert – now available in many flavor variations.

Fruit Salad

This light and refreshing offering typically feature a decadent mix of fresh fruits. To make this Filipino-style fruit salad, drop all fruit cocktails in a bowl before adding a dollop of thick cream for texture contrast and depth tailored for Filipino tastes. Serve with cheese if desired.

Maja Blanca

Maja Blanca is a unique Filipino treat in its name, texture, flavor, and ingredients. It’s a cream-based corn pudding that combines coconut milk and cornstarch until a soft custard texture forms. With evaporated milk and sugar for sweetness, it came with a sprinkle of shredded coconut for an extra nutty touch. This Filipino classic has been around for ages and is one of the most popular Pampalamig Filipino summer desserts.

Leche Flan

Filipino pampalamig summer desserts are legendary but not as iconic as leche flan. It’ i’s made with a delicious, creamy custard topped with caramel syrup. It has a smooth, velvety texture and is perfect for hot days when you want something sweet. To make it, the custard components are beaten until light and fluffy and poured into a baking pan lined with caramelized sugar. Finally, it is then slow-cooked in the oven until golden brown, and the texture becomes thick and gooey.

Banana Cue

It is a Filipino delicacy consisting of caramelized bananas skewered onto bamboo sticks and deep-fried to perfection. I don’t have to say more!

Ginataan bilo-bilo

Ginataan bilo-bilo is a widely loved Filipino pampalamig dessert which is enjoyed especially during the summer. It is made with tapioca pearls, grated coconut meat, glutinous rice balls, and sometimes slices of banana or jackfruit. However, recipes can differ in terms of ingredients used.

Suman

Suman, a tantalizing sweet dish crafted from glutinous rice, coconut milk, and brown sugar. The rice is steamed in banana leaves or coconuts to give it unique flavor. Thus, creating a delicious and unique dessert treat enjoyed across the islands.

Ibus with mango grates / Ibus with choco dips

One favorite among Filipino summer desserts is Ibus with mango grates or Ibus with cocoa dips. Made from sticky glutinous rice, this Filipino pampalamig dessert strikes the perfect balance of sweet and savory. The grated mangoes bring sweetness to the subtle taste of the rice mixture. Meanwhile the choco dip has a tinge of delicious bitterness.

Taho

It is a sweetened silken tofu, served with caramelized sugar syrup and tapioca pearls. Making taho starts with the creation of a rich custard-like syrup boiled together with caramelized sugar until it thickens and darkens. In addition, a small amount of water is added to the cooled syrup, and lightly salted soft tofu is then added to this mixture until it reaches the desired consistency. Finally, boiled tapioca pearls are stirred in last, so they remain suspended when served or eaten.

Fruit Shake

A Filipino favorite among these treats is the fruit shake. A popular way to make a fruit shake is with condensed milk, evaporated milk, and ice as a base. To add flavor, many Filipino households will also incorporate ingredients such as mango, banana, and jackfruit as well as various kinds of seasonal fruits into the mix.

Read more: 22 Best Ilonggo Sweet Treats and Pasalubong Stores