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Recreate the magic of the nostalgic Choco Tacos with this homemade version that surpasses anything you could find in the stores. This recipe combines crisp homemade waffle cones shaped into taco shells with Vanilla Frozen Custard, all drenched in a rich, smooth chocolate coating. It’s a fun and festive dessert that’s perfect for parties or a unique family treat. Get ready to impress everyone with your DIY skills and bring back a beloved treat with this copycat choco taco recipe!
If you want to add your twist to the original choco taco you can try substituting the vanilla ice cream with different ice cream recipes like my Creamy Biscoff Frozen Custard Ice Cream Recipe.
The Chemistry of Choco Tacos
The key to the perfect Choco Taco lies in the delicate balance and chemistry of its components. The custard base uses egg yolks for a rich, creamy texture, ensuring the ice cream remains soft and scoopable even after freezing. The Maillard reaction comes into play as the waffle cones cook, giving them a golden-brown finish and a satisfying crunch. Finally, melting the ganache correctly ensures a smooth, glossy finish.
What is in homemade choco tacos?
Vanilla Frozen Custard
Rich and creamy, it provides the perfect base for the Choco Tacos
Egg Whites
Made up of protein and water, it will help leaven your baked good and add moisture.
Granulated Sugar
Adds sweetness, provides a caramelized flavor and crisp texture. Sugar assists with rising when creamed with butter. It helps add moisture to your treat and helps it evenly spread as it melts into a liquid in the heat of the oven. Sugar also helps with naturally preserving your baked treat.
Vanilla Extract
When using pure vanilla extract, as opposed to imitation flavoring, it will add the deep rich flavor that everybody wants in a treat.
Milk
Adds moisture to the batter or dough. Milk adds protein and sugar (lactose) to your treat. It encourages browning and adds a bit more sweetness to your baked treat.
Fine Sea Salt
Enhances flavor, adds balance, masks any bitter flavors. Salt is the most powerful and oldest preservative. Always make sure to use fine sea salt so it melts down at the right speed in the heat of the oven. If you use larger granule salt, it will not melt down fully when baked and will leave salt crystals throughout your treat, making it crunch like you dropped it into sand.
All-purpose Flour
Builds structure as it absorbs liquids and expands. All-purpose flour falls in the middle of bread flour (high in gluten) and cake flour (low in gluten). It’s exactly what it is named, all-purpose, the most universal flour that can be used in most baked goods.
Chocolate Chips
Is a form of chocolate. Chocolate chips are not pure chocolate, they are typically made up of cocoa, sugar, emulsifier and vanilla.
How to Make Homemade Choco Tacos
Vanilla Frozen Custard
- Follow the recipe’s instructions until the custard is chilled and ready to churn. Before you churn the custard in your ice cream machine, bake the waffle cones.
Waffle Cones
- Combine egg whites, sugar, vanilla, melted butter, and milk in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the salt and flour, whisk again until smooth.
- Allow the batter to rest while you heat your waffle cone maker.
- Once the iron is fully preheated, spray it down with non-stick spray
- Spoon on two tablespoons of batter. Shut the iron and allow it to cook until the iron indicates the cone is done, it should be golden brown.
- Remove the hot waffle cone and immediately shape. To make the shape of a taco, you must drape the hot waffle over something evenly so it bends in half. To do this, I made a even piles of 5 cookbooks, then placed a wooden spoon on top so that the handle of a wooden spoon was straddling the books. I could then hang the hot waffles on the spoon stick to set in the taco shell shape.
- Leave the taco-shaped waffle cone to set for a few minutes before removing it. Once it has cooled and hardened, you can transport it to a piece of parchment paper.
- After you have baked all 8 cones, allow them to rest for at least 30 minutes before scooping ice cream into them. Letting them rest and dry out will prevent them from getting soft and soggy.
Assembly
- While the cones rest, churn your vanilla custard in an ice cream machine.
- Once the homemade ice cream is churned, wrap each waffle cone in plastic wrap, leaving a small opening on one side for me to spoon the custard into. This will prevent the soft frozen custard from spilling out the other end while you fill it up.
- Spoon the frozen custard into the choco taco shells until filled. Close the plastic wrap by folding the open end shut. Place the filled cone into the freezer, propped up so that the opening of the taco is facing the ceiling.
- Complete all eight cones. Once they are all in the freezer, allow them to freeze and set for at least 4 hours.
Chocolate Topping
- Once the ice cream is set, its time to melt the chocolate. Pour the semi-sweet chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl (you can use milk chocolate chips if you prefer). Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir vigorously. Return to the microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir again. The chips should melt as you stir and distribute the heat. If needed, heat in the microwave one more time. It shouldn’t take longer than 1.5 minutes total to melt the chocolate.
- Remove the ice cream tacos from the freezer one at a time. Take the plastic off and carefully spoon chocolate on top until the frozen custard is covered in melted chocolate.
- Return the taco back to the freezer, propped up so that the chocolate is not touching anything.
- Finish all eight tacos with chocolate. Place each in the freezer right after it is completed.
- Once the chocolate is set, they are ready to devour! Any leftover choco tacos should be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen.
Storage Tips
After the chocolate sets, wrap each chocolate taco individually in plastic wrap. Store in an airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag in the freezer to maintain freshness and prevent freezer burn.
Homemade Choco Tacos can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months without significantly reducing their quality, making them a great make-ahead ice cream treat for a hot summer day.
Freezing Options
These Choco Tacos freeze exceptionally well thanks to the stable structure of the waffle cone and the fat content in the chocolate and custard, which help prevent ice crystal formation.
Making Ahead
Prepare the custard and waffle-cones a day ahead. Store the custard covered in the refrigerator and keep the cones at room temperature in an airtight container. Assemble and freeze the day of serving for best results.
Recommended Products
Why make homemade Choco Tacos?
Bring back the nostalgia with your own Choco Tacos! This recipe returns the cherished flavors of a discontinued frozen treat and adds a gourmet touch, making it a delightful treat that will impress.
There’s something incredibly satisfying about resurrecting a favorite childhood treat, especially one as iconic as the Choco Taco. When I heard these were discontinued, I took it as a personal culinary challenge to recreate them and make them even better. This recipe captures the essence of what made the original so beloved while using quality ingredients that elevate the treat to a whole new level.
FAQs
How do you get the waffle cones to hold their taco shape?
The key is to shape the cones immediately after they come out of the iron while they’re still hot and pliable. Using a makeshift setup like a wooden spoon and stacks of books helps the hot waffle cool into the classic taco shape.
Can I use store-bought ice cream for Choco Tacos?
Absolutely! While homemade custard adds a special touch, you can streamline the process using premium store-bought vanilla ice cream or your favorite ice cream flavor. Just soften it slightly before spooning it into your taco shells.
Why do you wrap the tacos in plastic during assembly?
Wrapping the tacos helps contain the custard within the shell, preventing spills and maintaining the taco’s shape as the ice cream sets.
What is the best way to melt chocolate for coating?
Gently melting the chocolate in short bursts in the microwave and stirring in between ensures that the chocolate melts evenly without burning, creating a smooth and glossy coating.
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Homemade Choco Tacos
Ingredients
Vanilla Frozen Custard
- 1 batch frozen custard **Recipe Here
Waffle Cones
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Topping
- 12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips **1 bag
Instructions
Vanilla Frozen Custard
- Follow the recipe's instructions until the custard is chilled and ready to churn. Before you churn the custard in your ice cream machine, bake the waffle cones.
Waffle Cones
- Combine egg whites, sugar, vanilla, melted butter, and milk in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the salt and flour, whisk again until smooth.
- Allow the batter to rest while you heat up your waffle cone iron.
- Once the iron is fully preheated, spray it down with non-stick spray
- Spoon on two tablespoons of batter. Shut the iron and allow it to cook until the iron indicates the cone is done.
- Remove the hot waffle cone and immediately shape. To make a taco shape, you must drape the hot waffle over something evenly so it bends in half. To do this, I made even piles of 5 cookbooks, then placed a wooden spoon on top so that the straight end of the spoon was straddling the books. I could then hang the hot waffles on the spoon stick to set in the taco shape.
- Leave the cone to set for a few minutes before removing it. Once it has cooled and hardened, you can transport it to a piece of parchment paper.
- After you have baked all 8 cones, allow them to rest for at least 30 minutes before scooping ice cream into them. Letting them rest and dry out will prevent them from getting soft and soggy.
Assembly
- While the cones rest, churn your vanilla custard in an ice cream machine.
- Once the ice cream is churned, wrap each waffle cone in plastic wrap, leaving a small opening on one side for me to spoon the custard into. This will prevent the soft frozen custard from spilling out the other end while you fill it up.
- Spoon the frozen custard into the waffle taco until filled. Close the plastic wrap by folding the open end shut. Place the filled cone into the freezer, propped up so that the opening of the taco is facing the ceiling.
- Complete all eight cones. Once they are all in the freezer, allow them to freeze and set for at least 4 hours.
- Once the ice cream is set, its time to melt the chocolate. Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir vigorously. Return to the microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir again. The chips should melt as you stir and distribute the heat. If needed, heat in the microwave one more time. It shouldn't take longer than 1.5 minutes total to melt the chocolate.
- Remove the ice cream tacos from the freezer one at a time. Take the plastic off and carefully spoon chocolate on top until the frozen custard is covered in melted chocolate.
- Return the taco back to the freezer, propped up so that the chocolate is not touching anything.
- Finish all eight tacos with chocolate. Place each in the freezer right after it is completed.
- Once the chocolate is set, they are ready to devour! Any leftover choco tacos should be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen.
Nutrition
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