Bake
Homemade Choco Tacos
- Prep time 10 minutes
- Cook time 1 hour
- Serves 12 to 16 depending on size
Author Notes
Rumor has it Choco Tacos may be coming back this year, but that shouldn’t stop you from making your own. The shell is made with the same method you would use to make tuile cookies–spread into a thin circle and baked in the oven until golden brown and filled with (store-bought) vanilla fudge swirl ice cream. In true Choco Taco fashion, they’re also dipped in a chocolate magic shell mixed with peanuts.
Although baking the shells in the oven allows you to make several at a time, if you want to skip this step too, you can use stroopwafels instead. Just warm them in the oven and shape them the same way I do in this recipe. However, making the shells is really the majority of the work, because once those are done, all you have to do is add ice cream and dip them in chocolate.
Tips & Tricks
• I highly recommend using a silicone silpat for these, as it ensures more even browning and also makes removing the cookies from the sheet pan much easier. If you don’t have one you can use parchment paper, but they may brown quicker and won’t be as even colored.
• The original Choco Taco uses fudge-swirl ice cream, but for some reason that can be hard to find. Use vanilla, chocolate chip, or any other favorite ice cream. You can also brush the insides of the shells with melted chocolate.
• If you’re the lucky owner of a waffle cone waffle iron, use that to make the shells individually instead of baking them.
• Make them in advance and store them in the freezer to enjoy as a dessert or as an after school treat. —Nea Arentzen
Ingredients
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FOR THE BATTER:
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2
egg whites
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1/4 cup
(50 grams) brown sugar, packed
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1/2 teaspoon
vanilla extract
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1/3 cup
(40 grams) all-purpose flour
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1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
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1/4 cup
(56 grams) unsalted butter, melted
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TO ASSEMBLE:
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4 cups
(2 pints) fudge swirl ice cream (vanilla is fine too)
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3/4 cup
semi-sweet chocolate chips
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1/4 cup
coconut oil
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2/3 cup
unsalted peanuts, chopped plus more for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF with a rack in the lower position and line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone silpat mat (see tip). Place a cupcake tin upside down on the counter for shaping the shells.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and vanilla until frothy and the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the flour and salt until combined and no clumps remain. Stir in the melted butter.
- In batches, use a spoon to spread the batter into thin 5-inch circles (just make sure you can’t see through onto the silpat because then that part will brown/bake too much). They will shrink a little rather than spread so don’t worry about leaving too much space between. Bake until golden brown, turning the baking sheet around halfway through if needed, about 8 minutes.
- Immediately take them off the baking sheet, gently folding and placing them between the cups of the upside-down cupcake tin and letting them cool completely. This helps keep their shape, just make sure they don’t fold too much so you can still fill them with ice cream. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Meanwhile, in a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together in 30 second intervals. Stir in the chopped peanuts and let it cool.
- Remove the ice cream from the freezer 5 to 10 minutes before assembling to allow it to thaw slightly. Working quickly, use a spoon or small spatula to fill the shells with ice cream, then as you go, dip them in the peanut chocolate and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate. Transfer them to the freezer and freeze until solid.
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