No Filipino party is quite complete without a sweet treat to end a feast. Filipinos love to serve savory dishes but at the end of every meal, there’s always something to tickle the taste buds some more. There are plenty of Christmas dessert recipes in the Philippines. Luckily, the Christmas in the Philippines ebook has the most popular in its pages.

It’s no surprise that Filipinos are huge sweet tooths. Local ingredients like taro, ube, buko, and cassava are bountiful and easily accessible in markets. There’s a plethora of Christmas dessert recipes that involve these ingredients. For example, ube is a great flavor base for cakes, ice cream, and the Christmas delicacy puto bumbong.

So here are some dessert recipes you can try this season that will please your family and guests. Remember to drink lots of water after indulging in these treats — they can be very sweet.

Leche Flan

most popular Christmas dessert recipes in the Philippines
© Joost Nusselder

Leche flan is a lot like the popular creme caramel. It is very easy to make and with only a few ingredients. Leche translates to milk so make sure to warn anyone who is lactose intolerant before serving this dessert. I am lactose intolerant myself and take great care when consuming leche flan. This rich dessert is best served in bite sizes.

Tools:

  • Mixing bowl
  • Llanera or baking pan
  • Steamer
  • Hand or stand mixer
  • Foil

Ingredients:

  • large eggs (10 pcs)
  • condensed milk (1 14oz can)
  • vanilla extract (1 tsp)
  • granulated white sugar (1 cup)
  • evaporated milk (1 cup)

Procedure:

  1. Lightly beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl until they appear smooth.
  2. Carefully add the condensed milk, followed by the evaporated milk and vanilla extract.
  3. Set aside.
  4. Spread sugar on the llanera or baking pan.
  5. Hold the pan over stove fire until the sugar caramelizes. Make sure the caramel covers the entire pan.
  6. Slowly pour the egg and milk mixture over the caramel. Cover the pan with foil after.
  7. Steam the mixtures in the pan for 30 minutes or until it cooks. You can check its doneness by sticking a toothpick into the flan. If the toothpick comes out clean, your leche flan is ready.
  8. Let the flan cool down then place a flat dish over the pan. Flip it and slowly release the flan on to the dish.
  9. Leche flan is best consumed cold so place it in the fridge before serving.

Mango Float

© digipam

Imagine layers of sweet mango, cream, milk, and Grahams, frozen or chilled to perfection. Mango float is exactly that – layers of creamy mango goodness highlighted by honey-flavored Grahams. It’s one of the most popular Christmas dessert recipes, and one of the easiest to make, too! My daughter can make this dessert on her own, just following the recipe I wrote down.

Tools:

  • Mixing bowl
  • Baking pan or glass tray (at least 2 inches deep)
  • Hand or stand mixer
  • Knife

Ingredients:

  • ripe mangoes (1 kilo)
  • condensed milk (2 cans)
  • evaporated milk (1 small can)
  • all-purpose cream (2 packs)
  • Graham crackers (1 pack)
  • crushed Grahams (1 pack)

Ingredients

  1. Slice the mangoes into thin strips. You can also dice them if you prefer chunky bites. Set aside.
  2. Combine the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream in a mixing bowl. Do not over-beat the mixture if you’re using a hand/stand mixer.
  3. Arrange Graham crackers at the bottom of your pan. Make sure the entire bottom is covered.
  4. Arrange the mango strips or cubes on top of the Graham crackers.
  5. Cover the mango layer with milk mixture, just enough that you can still see the mangoes.
  6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 until the pan is full or until all the ingredients are in place.
  7. Liberally sprinkle crushed Grahams over the top layer.
  8. Cover the pan with Saran wrap and place in the freezer or chiller for at least 3 hours.
  9. Mango float is best served semi-frozen.

Cassava Cake

© Joost Nusselder

Cassava, known as yuca or manioc in the west, is a shrub with edible roots. The roots need to be cooked thoroughly to remove toxins, after which it can be used for a lot of recipes including tapioca, stews, cakes, and even gravy. Cassava cake is made from grated root so it takes a lot of effort. If you cannot find grated cassava root in a store, reserve at least an entire afternoon to make cassava cake.

Tools:

  • grater (if needed)
  • mixing bowl
  • wire whisk
  • baking pan
  • cooking spray
  • saucepan

Ingredients:

Cake

  • grated cassava root (about 2 pounds)
  • coconut milk (2 cups)
  • granulated white sugar (1 cup)
  • condensed milk (1/2 cup)
  • evaporated milk (3/4 cup)
  • large eggs (2 pcs)
  • grated cheddar cheese (about 75 grams)
  • melted unsalted butter (1/4 cup)

Toppings

  • coconut milk (2 cups)
  • grated cheddar cheese (30 grams)
  • flour (2 tbsp)
  • sugar (2 tbsp)
  • condensed milk (1/2 cup)
  • large egg (1 pc)

Procedure

  1. Grate the cassava root (if needed).
  2. Combine all the cake ingredients in a mixing bowl to make a batter. Add the coconut milk last.
  3. Grease the baking pan then pour the batter in. Set aside.
  4. Preheat your oven to 350°F for 10 minutes then bake for 1 hour. Once done, set the cake aside to cool.
  5. To make the topping, heat saucepan over low fire and combine sugar and four.
  6. Pour the condensed milk, stirring constantly. Add the grated cheese.
  7. Add the coconut milk and stir for another 10 minutes.
  8. Pour the mixture over the cassava cake.
  9. Glaze the top of the cake with egg whites.
  10. Put the cake back in the oven and broil until golden brown.
  11. Let the cake cool then serve with vanilla ice cream or more cheese on top.

Maja Blanca

© Joost Nusselder

Coconuts abound almost all areas in the Philippines so it’s no surprise that we love our coconut-based desserts. Maja Blanca is one of the most well-loved Christmas dessert recipes for good reason — it is rich but not too sweet and it pairs well with coffee. I remember my aunt making this days before Christmas and come Noche Buena, we’d be giddy for our slice of maja.

Tools:

  • 8×8 baking dish
  • saucepan
  • wire whisk or spatula

Ingredients:

  • coconut milk (about 30 ounces)
  • cornstarch (1/2 cup)
  • sweet corn kernels (1 can)
  • white sugar (1/2 cup)
  • cold water (1/4 cup)
  • desiccated coconut or grated cheese

Procedure:

  1. Combine the coconut milk, sugar and corn kernels in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally over low to medium heat. Keep in mind that the coconut milk will curdle if it boils too soon.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the cold water and cornstarch. Once thoroughly mixed, slowly add the mixture into the coconut milk.
  3. Continue to cook, whisking regularly, for about 5 minutes until it reaches a smooth, thick consistency.
  4. Grease the baking pan and slowly pour the mixture into it.
  5. Let the mixture cool for half an hour, cover with saran wrap and then place in the fridge to set for at least an hour.
  6. Serve topped with grated cheese or toasted desiccated coconut.

Mango Tapioca Deluxe

© anoldent

Mangoes are readily available in the Philippines year-round so this one’s a great recipe to make. It does not involve any cooking, too! The typical mango tapioca dessert includes just milk, mangoes and tapioca balls. My recipe adds a little oomph with shaved buko or young coconut. The softness of the mango, the chewiness of the tapioca and the crunch of the coconut meat is just the perfect combination. My daughters love this dessert especially during the summer because it’s refreshing. I’m sure it will be a delightful end to your holiday feast, too.

Tools:

  • large mixing bowl
  • wire whisk
  • knife

Ingredients:

  • ripe mangoes (2 kilos)
  • condensed milk (2 large cans)
  • evaporated milk (4 large cans)
  • tapioca balls (250g, depending on your preference)
  • buko (2 pcs)

Procedure:

  1. Cook the tapioca according to package instructions. Make sure the center is no longer white. Drain then set aside.
  2. Cut ang mangoes into cubes.
  3. Mix the mango cubes and tapioca balls. Add the condensed milk and then the evaporated milk.
  4. Carefully crack the buko, saving at least 2 cups of its water.
  5. Shave the coconut meat into strips.
  6. Add the coconut water and meat to the mango-milk mixture.
  7. Cover and chill overnight.

So there you have it, my top five most popular Christmas dessert recipes. This Christmas will be extra special because it will be my youngest’s first where she can eat everything. Who knows? I just might make all these desserts for Christmas and New Year!