There’s nothing better than digging into a chilled, colorful bowl of Taiwanese shaved ice on a hot day. This dessert, known as Bao Bing, is soft, snowy ice piled high with juicy fruits, sweet red beans, grass jelly, and a generous drizzle of condensed milk. It’s the kind of treat that cools you down from the inside out — and you can easily make it at home with your favorite toppings!
What is Taiwanese Shaved Ice?
Bao Bing, or Taiwanese shaved ice, is a super popular dessert across many Asian countries — especially in the summer. Think of it as a blank canvas of fluffy shaved ice, just waiting to be dressed up with toppings like sweetened red beans, mung beans, tapioca pearls, grass jelly, or fresh fruit.
Instead of using those brightly colored syrups you often see on Western shaved ice, this version leans into condensed milk, sugar water, honey, or even coconut milk to sweeten things up — which not only tastes better but makes it feel a little healthier too.
Popular Versions Across Asia
Asian shaved ice has so many regional spins, and each one brings its own charm:
- Bingsu (Korea): Made with milk-based shaved ice and topped with red beans, fruit, and sometimes ice cream.
- Kakigori (Japan): Uses flavored syrups like matcha, strawberry, or melon.
- Bao Bing (China/Taiwan): What we’re making here! Toppings often include taro, grass jelly, red beans, and seasonal fruits.
- Halo-Halo (Philippines): A wild mix of fruits, flan, ube, and evaporated milk.
- Ais Kacang (Malaysia/Singapore): Comes with colorful syrups, jellies, and even corn.
How It’s Different from Regular Shaved Ice
The biggest difference is texture and toppings. Asian shaved ice is usually finer, like soft snow, and topped with ingredients that have real flavor and texture — beans, jellies, fruits, mochi, you name it. No neon syrups here. Just real stuff, layered onto soft, fluffy ice.
What About Hawaiian Shaved Ice?
It’s pretty similar in terms of texture, but Hawaiian shaved ice typically leans on fruit-flavored syrups, ice cream, and sometimes red beans. It’s a bit more dessert-y, while Asian versions often have more variety in texture with jellies, beans, and chewy toppings.
How to Get That Fluffy Snow-Like Texture
The secret? A good shaved ice machine. A solid one will give you that light, powdery texture instead of crushed chunks. Machines like the Snowie really take it to the next level — they’re an investment, but worth it if you make this often. I used to have a $30 machine, which worked okay. But once I tried a friend’s Snowie, the difference was night and day.
Is This Dessert Dairy-Free?
It can be! Just skip the condensed milk and go for a drizzle of honey, fruit syrup, or coconut condensed milk instead. Easy to make it vegan too — just check your toppings.
Best Toppings for Taiwanese Shaved Ice
You can mix and match, but here are some top picks:
- Fresh fruits: Mango, strawberries, kiwi, lychee, berries
- Sweetened red beans (adzuki)
- Grass jelly or coconut jelly
- Mochi, taro balls, boba pearls
- Matcha or ube ice cream
- Condensed milk or coconut condensed milk
What You’ll Need
For this homemade bao bing, I like to use:
- Sweet adzuki beans (cooked or canned)
- Grass jelly (cubed)
- Canned lychee
- Fresh mango and strawberries
- Sweetened condensed milk
But honestly, go with whatever toppings you love or have on hand — blackberries, blueberries, kiwi, or even a scoop of ice cream.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Condensed milk: Use coconut condensed milk for dairy-free.
- Sweeteners: Try honey, maple syrup, or agave if you’re skipping the condensed milk.
- Red beans: Don’t want to cook them? Canned red bean paste works just fine.
Storage Tips
Only shave the ice right before serving — otherwise it’ll melt fast. But you can prep your toppings in advance:
- Store cooked beans, cut fruits, jelly, and syrup in the fridge.
- Leftover condensed milk keeps well in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week.
Cooking Tips
- If you’re cooking red beans from scratch, do it the night before and chill them in the fridge.
- You can either make or buy grass jelly — both work great.
- Dice your fruits just before serving to keep them fresh.
- Use about 2–4 cups of ice per serving depending on your machine size.
Taiwanese Shaved Ice
A simple and delicious homemade Asian shaved ice recipe that's perfect for a hot summer dessert! Curious about how to make baobing and the difference between American shaved ice and Chinese-style shaved ice? This recipe has all the details.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Ice (add more if desired)
- 10 Strawberries
- 1 Mango
- 1 cup Sweet red beans or paste
- 1 cup Grass jelly (homemade or canned, around 540g)
- 1 can Lychee (20 oz)
- 1 cup Sweetened condensed milk (adjust for desired sweetness)
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of adzuki beans and 4 cups of water to an instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes, then allow natural release. Add 1¼ cups of sugar and sauté for about 25 minutes or until the beans reach your desired thickness. Let cool completely. (It's best to make this the night before and refrigerate.) Alternatively, canned sweet red bean paste can be used.
- Wash and dice the strawberries.
- Wash and dice the mango.
- Drain the lychee (or use fresh if available).
- Cut the grass jelly into cubes. Both homemade and canned options work.
- Add 4 cups of ice to the shaved ice machine.
- Press the lid to operate the machine and create shaved ice.
- Place the shaved ice into bowls or plates.
- Arrange ¼ cup each of diced strawberries, mango, sweet red beans, grass jelly, and lychee around the shaved ice.
- Drizzle ¼ cup of sweetened condensed milk over the top. Adjust the amount for your preferred level of sweetness.
Notes
- Preparing the sweet adzuki beans the night before is ideal so they can chill in the refrigerator.
- Canned sweet red bean paste is a convenient substitute.
- Grass jelly can be homemade or store-bought.
- Feel free to substitute or add other fruits you enjoy.
- Use 2 cups of ice per batch in the shaved ice machine and press the lid to operate.
- Top with fruits, beans, jelly, and sweetened condensed milk for a refreshing dessert.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 287Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 78mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 4gSugar: 45gProtein: 10g
Asianplated.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although allchickenrecipes.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
FAQs
What else can I serve with shaved ice?
Try adding tapioca boba, fresh mint, ice cream, or more fruits like kiwi, pineapple, and raspberries. Don’t forget that final drizzle of condensed milk or honey!
Which canned lychee should I use?
Any brand will do. If you can find fresh lychee, it’s even better — sweeter and more fragrant.
How do I make sweet red beans from scratch?
In an Instant Pot: Combine 1 cup adzuki beans and 4 cups water. Pressure cook for 45 minutes, let it release naturally. Then stir in 1¼ cups sugar and sauté until thickened, around 25 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.
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