How to Make Your Own Choco Tacos Using Stroopwafels

published Aug 3, 2022
homemade choco tacos with stroop waffles
Credit: Keya Wingfield

Just because you can't buy Choco Tacos at the grocery store, doesn't mean you can't make them at home! This clever recipe is even more delicious than the original.

Serves8

Makes8

Prep1 hour

Cook5 minutes

Jump to Recipe
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homemade choco tacos with stroop waffles
Credit: Keya Wingfield

When Klondike announced that Choco Tacos were officially discontinued, panic and fear struck my heart. Like the rest of the nation, I did not know what to do. But then something magical happened: I spotted Stroopwafels (the thin Dutch caramel-filled waffle cookies) at Trader Joe’s. A solution was born! Ingredients were purchased! Hope was renewed!

In this day and age we must be ready to fend for ourselves when our beloved snacks up and leave us. So here I am, a self-proclaimed Brown Ina Garten, ready to show you how to recreate the magic of Choco Tacos, using Stroopwafels as the shell.

The texture isn’t exactly the same as the original. In order to make the taco shell, we need to heat the Stroopwafel; this breaks down the sugar structure of the filling, which means that after some time in the freezer it becomes toffee-like. This is a good thing! In fact, it’s now my family’s Choco Taco preference.

They weren’t the only ones who approved the concept. I shared a quick Reels of the process, and it blew people’s minds. I was lauded a hero and savior of planet Earth. People told me they wanted to believe again and all I want to say is, “Aw shucks, guys, I’m no hero. I put on my Sari like everyone else, one pleat at a time.”

How to Make Choco Tacos

To make these Choco Tacos, you’ll need Stroopwafels, a pint of your favorite ice cream (I used coconut ice cream), dipping chocolate (an easy recipe below), and chopped nuts (or praline peanuts and almonds, if you’re feeling fancy).

Start by very gently warming the cookie in a pan on the stovetop. Then, with the help of two glasses, bend the Stroopwafel into the shape of a taco shell. Fill each shell with ice cream (you’ll need about three tablespoons) and freeze for an hour.

While the ice cream-filled Stroopwafel tacos are freezing, bring some heavy cream to a boil. Pour it over chocolate chips and a touch of coconut oil and whisk until smooth, then stir in the chopped nuts.

Once the chocolate is cooled to room temperature and the tacos are frozen solid, dip the tops in the choco dip and freeze again until the chocolate is hardened.

Where to Buy Stroopwafels

You should be able to buy everything you need for this recipe at Trader Joe’s — just make sure to buy the regular-sized Stroopwafels. (We tested this recipe with the mini kind and although they were absolutely adorable, they’re a bit of a pain to make.)

You may also have luck finding Stroopwafels at stores like Target, Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Wegmans, and Walgreens (yes … Walgreens!). In a pinch, Belgian Waffle Cookies will work too. They’re just a bit harder to work with.

Stroopwafel Choco Tacos Recipe

Just because you can't buy Choco Tacos at the grocery store, doesn't mean you can't make them at home! This clever recipe is even more delicious than the original.

Prep time 1 hour

Cook time 5 minutes

Makes 8

Serves 8

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1 pint

    ice cream, such as vanilla

  • 8

    Stroopwafels, such as Daelmans

  • 2/3 cup

    bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (about 4 ounces)

  • 1 tablespoon

    coconut oil

  • 3/4 cup

    heavy cream

  • 1/3 cup

    chopped nuts, such as almonds, peanuts, or a combination, plus more for garnish if desired

Instructions

  1. Let 1 pint ice cream sit at room temperature to slightly soften. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients.

  2. Place 2 glass cups on a work surface next to each other, spacing them about 1-inch apart. (They will help you shape the Stroopwafels into a taco.) Line a rimmed baking sheet (small if you have one) with parchment paper.

  3. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 1 Stroopwafel in the pan and cook until the caramel filling is just soft and the Stroopwafel can bend easily, 15 to 25 seconds per side (be careful not to overheat the Stroopwafel or it will become brittle once frozen). Working quickly, place the Stroopwafel in between the cups and very gently push the cups toward each other to bend the Stroopwafle into the shape of a taco shell where the sides are parallel to each other. (The edges of the Stroopwafle shouldn’t touch.)

  4. Place on the baking sheet. Repeat heating and shaping the remaining 7 Stroopwafles. Place the baking sheet in the freezer.

  5. Working with 1 taco at a time, use a spoon to fill it with the ice cream (about 3 tablespoons), then smooth out the ice cream with the back of the spoon. Return to the baking sheet in the freezer before filling the next taco. When they are all filled, freeze for 1 hour.

  6. Meanwhile, place 2/3 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring 3/4 heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour over the chocolate chips and coconut oil and whisk until smooth. Add 1/3 cup chopped nuts and stir to combine. Let cool until room temperature. The mixture should have a pourable consistency like chocolate syrup, but if too thick, stir in 2 tablespoons very hot heavy cream or water.

  7. Dip the tops of each ice cream taco in the choco dip so the ice cream is covered. (You will have extra dip leftover.) Sprinkle the dipped portion with more chopped nuts if desired. Return the choco tacos to the baking sheet and freeze until the choco dip is solid, about 30 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Storage: The choco tacos can be made up to a few weeks ahead. Once dipped and frozen, wrap each choco taco in wax or parchment paper and store in a ziptop bag.