Mixed Feelings About the Halo-Halo: Finding Comfort in a Not-So-Gluten-Free Dessert

Having a Halo-Halo has always felt like home in a glass — a chaotic, colourful mix of flavours that somehow makes perfect sense. It’s sweet, cold, messy, and impossible not to love. But ever since being diagnosed with celiac disease, I’ve had mixed feelings about it — literally and emotionally. The dessert I grew up with isn’t something I can just dig into anymore without hesitation.

On paper, halo-halo should be gluten-free. Shaved ice, sweetened fruits, jellies, beans, milk, and a scoop of ice cream — none of that should set off alarm bells. But in practice, things have changed. The ingredients that were once simple are now full of additives, thickeners, and starches that can hide gluten where you least expect it. Those neon-coloured jellies? Often made with wheat starch. The leche flan? Sometimes thickened with flour instead of pure egg and milk. Even the ube halaya — once just ube, sugar, and coconut milk — can contain margarine blends or flavour enhancers that aren’t celiac-safe. Also my odd experience with “corn flakes” as a topping on a Halo Halo that was confirmed with "no gluten" — until I asked again.

And then there’s the ice cream. Most commercial ice creams now include stabilisers and malt flavourings as ingredients that can have a big impact on someone like me. One spoonful of the wrong mix can trigger weeks of fatigue, pain, and inflammation. It’s not just about skipping dessert anymore; it’s about navigating a minefield of modern shortcuts in what used to be a simple treat.

Still, halo-halo holds a special place in my heart. My version now looks a little different: questioning every ingredient, removing what’s potentially not gluten-free (which often feels like almost everything), and being constantly aware of cross-contamination. It takes effort, but it’s worth it for that first spoonful — the mix of textures, the rush of cold sweetness, and the taste of something deeply Filipino.

Living with celiac disease in a culture built on food and sharing isn’t easy. Sometimes it feels like I’m on the outside looking in, especially during family gatherings when everyone’s digging into dessert. But halo-halo has taught me something about resilience — that even when the recipe changes, the spirit of it doesn’t have to. Just like our culture, it can adapt, evolve, and still bring comfort — one careful, gluten-free spoonful at a time.

My relationship with Filipino food has changed, but it hasn’t disappeared — it’s transformed. Every time I rebuild a recipe or reimagine a dessert like halo-halo, I’m reminded that being gluten-free doesn’t mean losing touch with my roots. It means carving space for myself in a culture that’s still learning what “celiac-safe” means, and showing that our heritage can evolve without losing its heart.

~Marge