A Choco Taco is a delicious and unique ice cream treat, combining two of the best things in the world: chocolate and tacos! While an American dessert, it is a great way to end any Mexican meal.
This easy version of the dessert is made with store bought ice cream and Pizzelle cookies, but feel free to use your own homemade ice cream and if you have a pizzelle or waffle cone maker those can be scratch made too.
A choco taco is also a great alternative to serving Mexican Fried Ice Cream after a meal.
What Is a Choco Taco?
The Choco Taco is an ice cream taco dessert that has become an iconic American snack. The frosty treat has been delighting taste buds since its introduction in 1983 by Tastykake, an American snack food company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Choco Taco has become a favorite of people of all ages with its unique combination of crunchy waffle cone, chocolate and creamy ice cream.
The original Choco Taco consists of a waffle cone formed into a taco shell shape, filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with a hard chocolate shell and crushed peanuts. The mixture of sweetness and crunch makes it a popular (one could even say iconic) frozen treat and a summertime favorite found on ice cream trucks and previously served at Taco Bell restaurants until the choco taco was removed from the menu. They are made by Klondike still though.
How to Make Choco Tacos at Home
Let's make a batch of these copycat choco tacos. Follow along here for step-by-step instructions with pictures, or jump down to the printable recipe card.
The recipe will make 8 choco tacos.
Prep Time: 15 mins Chill Time: 25 mins
Ingredients you will need:
Here is everything you will need to make your own copycat choco tacos.
- 8 Pizzelle Cookies
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups vanilla ice Cream
- ¾ cup chopped peanuts
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Supplies needed: taco holder or wooden spoon with long round handle
Preparing Homemade Choco Tacos
Start by thawing the ice cream for 15 minutes to soften.
While that is thawing, wrap half the pizzelle cookies in a paper towel. Microwave for 20 seconds, the cookie will be soft and malleable.
Fold into a taco place into the taco holder. The alternative without a taco holder is to fold each cookie over the hand of a wooden spoon, to help keep its shape. Move quickly and repeat with the rest of the pizzelle cookies.
Let the choco taco shells cool completely to room temperature. They will harden and hold their taco shape.
Fill each taco cookie with the thawed ice cream. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave this at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted and smooth. You can also melt chocolate using the double boiler method, placing the bowl with the chocolate and oil over a pot of boiling water (as shown here), stirring until everything is melted.
Set up a work station with the ice cream filled shells, melted chocolate coating and chopped peanuts.
Dip the top of each choco taco into the melted chocolate, coating all of the ice cream that is visible.
Dip straight into the chopped peanuts. Repeat with the rest of the tacos. The chocolate will harden quickly, but still place these back in the freezer for 10 more minutes.
Keep frozen in an airtight container or zipper plastic bag until you are ready to eat them!
Variations on the Recipe
If you are looking for a twist on the Choco taco, here are a few simple suggestions.
- Try different flavors of ice cream in your copycat choco taco.
- Coat with white or milk chocolate.
- Sprinkles or other types of chopped nuts in place of peanuts.
- Use chocolate pizzelle, rather than regular ones.
- For a quick hack, use chocolate magic shell to coat your copycat choco taco creations.
Enjoy a copycat choco taco as a special treat or great way to finish a meal. It would be an ideal finishing touch to a dinner such as Chicken Fajita Pasta, Mexican Sopes or Instant Pot Salsa Chicken.
Choco Tacos
Equipment
- Taco Holder or Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 8 Pizzelle Cookies
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups vanilla ice cream
- ¾ cup chopped peanuts
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- First, take the ice cream out of the freezer and thaw for 15 minutes to soften.
- While the ice cream is thawing, wrap up half of the pizzelle cookies in a paper towel. Microwave the wafer cookies for 20 seconds (this will soften the cookie and make it malleable). Fold into a taco holder to form the shell. If you don't have a specialty holder like this, fold each cookie over the handle of a wooden spoon, to create the same shape. Move quickly and repeat with the rest of the pizzelle cookies.
- Let the taco shells cool completely to hardened and holds their taco shape.
- Fill each taco shaped cookie with the softened ice cream, then place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave this at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted and smooth. You can also use the double boiler method, placing the bowl with the chocolate and oil over a pot of boiling water, stirring until everything is melted.
- Prepare an area with the chopped peanuts, melted chocolate and ice cream tacos.
- Dip the top of the taco into the chocolate mixture, coating all of the ice cream that is visible. Dip straight into the chopped peanuts.
- Repeat with the rest of the tacos. The chocolate will harden quickly, but still place these back in the freezer for 10 more minutes.
- Store in the freezer until ready to eat.
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