Filipino snacks: A taste you'll never get tired of
What's the story
If you have a sweet tooth, Filipino snacks will be a delight.
These snacks, generally prepared with local produce, are a delicious representation of the Philippines' rich culinary heritage.
From sticky rice cakes to creamy desserts, every snack is a story in itself.
Whether you are trying these snacks for the first time or revisiting them, they will take you through an enjoyable trip of Filipino culture.
Steamed treats
Puto: Steamed rice cakes
Puto is a popular steamed rice cake that is soft and slightly sweet.
Traditionally made from rice flour, sugar, and coconut milk, it is often topped with cheese for added flavor.
Commonly served during celebrations and gatherings, this snack's light texture makes it an ideal companion for coffee or tea.
Coconut delight
Bibingka: Coconut rice cake
Another beloved Filipino rice cake, bibingka highlights coconut as its star ingredient.
Cooked in clay pots lined with banana leaves, this treat comes with a distinct aroma and flavor profile.
It is popularly enjoyed during the Christmas season but can be found year-round in many local markets.
Crispy rolls
Turon: Banana spring rolls
Turon includes ripe bananas (and sometimes slices of jackfruit) wrapped in spring roll wrappers, fried to a golden perfection.
Before frying them, they are usually dusted with sugar, yielding a crispy outside and sweet inside.
This snack is loved for its caramelized outside and soft, sweet filling inside, giving you a perfect combination of textures and flavors with every bite.
Icy mix
Halo-halo: Mixed dessert
Halo-halo translates to "mix-mix" in English and describes this dessert's preparation method perfectly—mixing various ingredients together over shaved ice drizzled with evaporated milk or condensed milk on top.
Common components include sweetened beans like red mung beans (munggo), jellies such as nata de coco (coconut gel), fruits like jackfruit (langka), purple yam jam (ube halaya), and leche flan pieces among others, creating layers upon layers of flavors within one bowlful.