The mango graham float has become a staple of Filipino celebrations. You’ll find it on Christmas tables, birthdays, fiestas, graduations, and family gatherings across the country. Yet few know how this simple layered dessert became one of the Philippines’ most beloved homemade classics.
In this special journey, Erwan travels across the Philippines in search of the country’s best ingredients to create the ultimate graham float. From the world-famous mangoes of Guimaras, Bohol’s vibrant ube, Davao’s rich tablea, and Laguna’s fresh buko, every stop tells a story about Filipino agriculture, regional pride, and the people protecting these incredible ingredients.
RECIPES:
MANGO FLOAT
Ingredients:
Mango Cream:
1 cup Mango puree
1 (160mL) can condensed milk, chilled
2 (250ml) packs whipping cream, chilled
6 pieces large ripe mango, cut into cubes
1 pack MY San Grahams Honey Crackers
Procedure:
1. Fold in mango puree and condensed milk into whipped cream. Set aside.
2. Layer grahams, mango cream, and mangoes followed by grahams, cream, and mangoes until you use them all up.
UBE MOUSSE FLOAT
Ingredients:
Ube Halaya:
1-½ kg ube, boiled for 45 minutes until fork tender, peeled, and grated
2 (380g) cans condensed milk
2 (370mL each) cans evaporated milk
2 tsp ube color (if needed)
1 pack MY San Grahams Honey Crackers Crushed
2 (250mL) packs whipping cream
150g condensed milk
Pinch of salt
Toasted coconut for topping
Procedure:
1. To make the halaya, blend all the ingredients together and transfer to a non-stick wok. Cook over low heat while stirring constantly until thick and very big bubbles burst from the top. Set aside to cool.
2. Whip cream until doubled in volume. Mix half with halaya, extract, condensed milk, and salt to lighten the mixture then fold in remaining ube mixture.
3. Layer crushed grahams, ube mousse, then repeat. Chill 4 hours minimum. Finish with graham crumble and toasted coconut.
SMORES FLOAT
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 pack M.Y. San Crushed Honey Grahams
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts
½ cup melted butter
1/2 packs all-purpose cream, whipped
1 pack all purpose cream, cooked
200mL condensed milk
150g dark chocolate
2 tbsp cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
Marshmallows to top
Procedure:
1. Combine grahams, sugar, and walnuts. Fold in melted butter. Place the crust onto a pie tin, baking dish, or container and compress.
2. In a saucepan, combine cream and condensed milk. Bring to a simmer then add chocolate and mix until melted. Fold in cocoa powder and salt. Let cool.
3. Once cooled, loosen it with 1 tbsp of milk and fold it into whipped cream.
Spread marshmallows on top. Torch.
BUKO PANDAN FLOAT
Ingredients:
Pandan Cream:
2 bundles pandan leaves, cleaned – or pandan essence
250mL cream
⅓ cup condensed milk
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Coconut Filling:
2 cups young coconut strips
¼ cup white sugar
1 cup buko juice
150mL coconut cream
3 tbsp cornstarch slurry
Pinch of salt
1 pack MY San Grahams Honey Crackers
Procedure:
1. Simmer pandan leaves and cream for 1 minute. Blend until the cream gets color and squeeze out the cream with a cheesecloth. Cool down completely and mix in with condensed milk. Fold into whipped cream.
2. In a pan, mix all the ingredients and simmer until thick. Cool down completely.
3. Layer: grahams, pandan cream, and coconut filling.
