Saging con yelo (banana con yelo or minatamis na saging) is a simple and refreshing Filipino dessert made of sweet bananas, milk, sago and ice. It’s so easy to put together you’ll want to make it everyday in the summer and all year!
(Mais con yelo is also an easy and delicious dessert to beat the heat.)
When you mention iced Filipino desserts, people would always think of halo-halo first. It’s the most popular one after all.
But the truth is there are lots more delicious options out there! Saging con yelo (saging is banana in Tagalog) is one of them.
It’s made of bananas cooked in brown sugar then mixed with cooked sago, milk and ice. So good! And every spoonful tastes like a sunny day in the tropics.
Let’s get to it.
Why you’ll love banana con yelo
- Unique way to enjoy bananas. If you love bananas, you’ll enjoy banana con yelo for sure. It’s a sweet, cold and unique dessert.
- Refreshing. It’s also very refreshing. Perfect on a hot summer day.
- Easy to make. It’s a breeze to make too. Less than 30 minutes to cook and caramelize the bananas and a couple of minutes to assemble.
- Can be made ahead. Best thing is you can cook your sweet banana mixture (minatamis na saging) up to 3 days ahead.
- Feeds a crowd. And this makes 10-12 servings so enough for your friends coming over at your next barbecue or summer get-together.
How to make
It’s so easy to make this simple dessert.
Ingredients
The ingredients are pantry staples, like water, sugar and vanilla extract. Some things to keep in mind:
- Bananas — minatamis na saging is traditionally made with saba bananas. We don’t get that here so we’ve always used are ripe plantains. Both work well.
- Boba pearls — I know it’s called banana con yelo with sago but instead of sago, I always opt for quick-cooking boba pearls. They look and taste the same and boba pearls are so easy to cook compared to sago, which I personally find so finicky. If you have a fool-proof way to cook sago though, go for it.
- Shaved ice — crushed ice works too.
- Evaporated milk — best to use full-fat evaporated milk. Skim milk or fresh milk can work, but it won’t give you that full, creamy flavor that evaporated milk has.
(Do you have extra plantains? Make turon and maruya! Both popular Filipino street food snacks.)
Tools
The most important tool you’ll need when making banana con yelo is an ice shaver. I love using the ice shave attachment on my Kitchen Aid mixer.
But there are so many other options available, like:
- A manual ice shaver
- An electric snow cone machine
- Or a blender, though note that depending on the power of your blender, the ice might not come out as fine as you’d like
- You can also simply add ice cubes to your minatamis na saging to make it cold
Instructions
Cook sago or boba pearls according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
Place sliced bananas in a pot with water.
Bring to a boil.
Stir in brown sugar and cooked sago.
Simmer until the bananas are tender. Stir in vanilla extract and remove from heat. Allow the banana mixture to cool.
To assemble, place a layer of your sweet banana mixture in a glass, cup, bowl or any serving container.
Fill with shaved ice.
Pour evaporated milk.
Stir and enjoy!
Expert cooking tips
Easy, right? Here are more tips for perfect banana con hielo every time.
- Use ripe plantains. When buying plantains, the uglier, the better. Seriously! We usually wait for the plantains to turn almost 100% black — it means they are perfectly ripe and sweet.
- Don’t overcook. While you want your bananas to be tender, you also want a little bite in them. We don’t want them to turn into mush.
- Allow banana mixture to cool. Make sure to allow enough time for your minatamis na saging to cool before using. Otherwise the ice will melt immediately. I usually place the cooked mixture in the fridge until the bowl it’s in is completely cool to the touch.
- Add your favorite toppings. What we have here is the simplest way to serve saging con yelo but you can make it extra special by topping with leche flan, ice cream, caramel sauce, condensed milk, pinipig, shredded coconut and more.
Recipe FAQs
I don’t recommend using regular bananas because they tend to turn mushy when cooked.
Saba bananas and plantains become tender when cooked but still keep their shape.
You can make the banana mixture up to 3 days ahead. Shave or crush the ice right before serving.
The minatamis na saging with sago mixture is good for 3 days but note that the sago or boba pearls get tougher the longer they sit. Best to consume within 3 days.
Refreshing Filipino recipes
Looking for more summer-ready Filipino desserts? Try these delicious recipes:
Enjoy! Hope you’re having an amazing summer.
Did you make banana sago con yelo? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.
Saging con Yelo
Ingredients
- 1 lb sago or boba pearls I use 2 250-g packs of quick-cooking boba pearls
- 2.5 lbs ripe plantains or saba bananas about 5-6 large plantains sliced into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- shaved or crushed ice
- evaporated milk
Instructions
- Cook sago or boba pearls according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.1 lb sago or boba pearls
- Place sliced bananas in a pot with water. Bring to a boil.2.5 lbs ripe plantains or saba bananas, 2 cups water
- Stir in brown sugar and cooked sago. Simmer until the bananas are tender.1 cup brown sugar
- Stir in vanilla extract and remove from heat. Allow the banana mixture to cool completely.1 tsp vanilla extract
- To assemble, place a layer of your sweet banana mixture in a glass, cup, bowl or any serving container.
- Fill with shaved ice.shaved or crushed ice
- Pour evaporated milk. You want your ice wet but not soaked.evaporated milk
- Stir and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- The total yield depends on how you layer your bananas and the size of your serving bowls. The estimated nutrition information is based on 12 servings.
- Adjust the amount of your banana layer depending on the size of your serving container. I usually like to fill about ⅓ of the glass with bananas then the rest with shaved ice.
- Make sure to allow your banana mixture to cool completely before serving.
- You can make the banana mixture up to 3 days ahead but note that the sago or tapioca pearls will start to harden.
- See post for more tips and FAQs.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Gigi
My mama always made saging con yelo with small sago but I like using boba pearls like you. I also use plantains bec saba is hard to come by in our area as well. Thanks for the recipe!
Jolina
You’re most welcome Gigi!