Shaved ice smothered in fruit syrup, topped with the most delicious fresh fruit and condensed milk. In the Valle del Cauca region of Colombia, they know how to make a refreshing dessert that you can eat at all times of the day. A cholado is revitalizing because of the shaved ice, sweet because of the different types of fruit, and creamy because of the condensed milk. You can easily make this recipe vegan by using homemade plant-based condensed milk.
Jump to RecipeHaz clic en Cholado (Cholao) Colombiano para la receta en español.
Colombian Cholado
You can’t easily define the cholado. It is a mix between (Caribbean) shaved ice and a fruit cocktail. In warmer temperatures, the shaved ice melts so quickly that it almost turns into a drink. This icy treat comes originally from Jamundí in the department Valle del Cauca and because of this the cholado is also known as cholado valluno (from the Valle region). The main ingredients are shaved ice, fruit syrup, fresh fruits, condensed milk, and a cookie. It is not only delicious on hot days but this magical dessert can apparently also cure your hangover.
Ingredients
Ice cubes to make shaved ice, blackberry syrup, lulo syrup, banana, green apple, passion fruit, strawberry, mango, and condensed milk.
Ingredient recommendations
Fresh fruit You can add your favorite fruit to the cholado. In this recipe, I use strawberry, apple, banana, passion fruit, and mango. Other great options are pineapple, soursop (guanabana), or kiwi.
Fruit syrup This recipe calls for two homemade fruit syrups: one made of blackberry (mora) and one made of lulo. Lulo is not easy to find outside of Colombia and you can replace it with for example a passion fruit syrup. You can also buy store-bought syrups when short on time.
Condensed milk To make this a vegan cholado this recipe uses homemade plant-based condensed milk made of coconut milk. If you do eat dairy products, you can absolutely just use store-bought condensed milk.
Instructions
Prepare the fruit syrup and the vegan condensed milk (if using) in advance so they can cool off in the fridge before you use them. Shave the ice according to the instructions below. Now you can assemble the cholado. Add some of the fruit syrups to the cup. Add shaved ice and drench in fruit syrups. Repeat these steps. Top with all the fresh fruit that you are using and add condensed milk generously. Add a (vegan) cookie and ready is your cholado! Serve with a spoon.
How to shave the ice
If you have a big food processor, you can directly add cubes of ice and use the pulse button to blend into shaved ice. If you have a small blender like myself, first crush the ice cubes in a towel with a hammer. Add the crushed ice to the machine and blend into thin strips of shaved ice.
You might also like
Green Mango Popsicles (Paletas de Mango Biche)
Colombian Lulada (Lulo Fruit Drink)
Limonada de Panela (Colombian Sugarcane Limeade)
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Cholado (Colombian Icy Fruit Cocktail)
Equipment
- food processor to shave the ice
- big cups or glasses (I use cups of 12 oz/350 ml)
Ingredients
- ice cubes
Blackberry syrup
- 200 g blackberries
- 50 g white sugar (1/4 cup)
- 120 ml water (1/2 cup)
Lulo syrup
- 2 lulo fruits, only the pulp
- 30 g white sugar
- 3 tbsp water
Toppings
- a couple of tablespoons of condensed milk (see notes for vegan version)
- 6 strawberries
- 1/4 ripe mango
- 1 passion fruit
- 1 banana
- 1/2 green apple
- 2 cookies (wafer for original version, oreo for vegan version)
Instructions
Prepare blackberry syrup and lulo syrup
- Place blackberries, sugar, and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, turn low and let simmer for 25 minutes. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and mix with a blender or food processor into a smooth sauce. Let cool to room temperature and place in the fridge until the sauce is cold and you are ready to use it
- Place the pulp of the lulo fruits, sugar and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil. turn low and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add a tablespoon of water and mix with a blender or food processor into a smooth sauce. Let cool to room temperature and place in the fridge until the sauce is cold and you are ready to use it
Prepare the fruit
- Just before serving, prepare the fruit. Clean and cut the fruit into bite-size cubes. Leave 4 longer slices of strawberry and apple for decoration
Shave the ice
- Place ice cubes in the food processor. Use the pulse button to obtain a shaved consistency
Assemble the cholados
- Place some of the fruit syrups in the empty cup. Fill 1/3 of the cup with shaved ice. Drizzle generously blackberry syrup and condensed milk on top. Add another layer of shaved ice and drizzle abundantly with lulo syrup and condensed milk. Repeat for the other cholado. You might have some leftover syrup. Top both cholados with the fruit, the cookie, and more condensed milk. Serve with a spoon and a straw. Enjoy immediately