Mais con Queso Ice Candy is a delicious flavor combination for Filipino-style ice pops. Made with corn, cheese, and milk, they’re creamy and addictive. Perfect for a hot Summer day!
I did spring cleaning last month and found a lot of kitchen tools and gadgets I forgot we had. A few totes in the garage were filled with things I brought back from the Philippines that were either hard to find or cost way more than they should here in the U.S. Along with the llaneras, kawali, polvoron makers, cellophane, and papel de japon, there were three packages of ice candy bags!
With 300 pieces of these plastic tubes on hand and crazy Summer weather, making a batch of my favorite childhood ice candies was the sensible thing to do. 😉
I was so excited about savoring these frozen treats; I was like a kid at a candy store who couldn’t decide what kind to get! I wanted a variety of flavors, such as avocado ice candy or buko munggo, but I had only ingredients for mais con queso and didn’t feel like making a special trip to the store. Oh, how fortunate this was so! The icy pops turned out so good, with all the delightful tastes of my favorite ice cream in a fun, handheld form!
Ingredient notes
- Milk- use whole milk for the best flavor.
- Sweetened condensed milk- enhances flavor, and the sugar in the mixture lowers the freezing point to create a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Heavy cream– the high-fat content adds richness and keeps the mixture from freezing rock hard.
- Creamed corn– brings extra texture and flavor.
- Cheese– I used smoked gouda which I find to be a delicious contrast to the creaminess and sweetness of the candies yet not too pungent to distract. You can substitute edam (queso de bola) or mild cheddar.
- Sugar– provides sweetness and depresses the freezing point for a softer, creamier texture.
Mais con queso steps
- Combine the whole milk, heavy cream, condensed milk, corn, cheese, and sugar in a large bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Use a funnel to fill the plastic bags with the mixture up to ¾ full, leaving about 3 inches of plastic. Use thin chopsticks to push down any cheese or corn that may block the funnel.
- Twist the remaining three inches of plastic until the tube is firm but not too tight, and tie it into a knot.
- Arrange filled plastic tubes in a single layer on a flat dish and freeze for about 2 to 3 hours or until frozen.
Quick Tip
The room temperature mixture will be very sweet but will mellow out when frozen and cold.
Storage instructions
Arrange the ice candies on a flat baking sheet and freeze for about 4 hours or overnight until frozen. Stored properly, they should keep for up to 2 months in the freezer.