Best Ube Desserts Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What flavors does ube pair well with? ›

Ube tastes mildly sweet (but sweeter than taro and a sweet potato), with a nutty flavor, and is a bit like a vanilla baked good. That's why it's commonly paired with coconut and white chocolate in desserts.

Ube halaya or halayang ube (also spelled halea, haleya; from Spanish jalea 'jelly') is a Philippine dessert made from boiled and mashed purple yam (Dioscorea alata, locally known as ube). Ube halaya is the main base in ube/purple yam flavored-pastries and ube ice cream.

Look in the freezer cases of Asian grocery stores for packages of frozen ube; it's usually mashed or grated, and already cooked so it can be used straight out of the package.

Generally, ube is sweeter than taro. It contains much more natural sugar, and its softer texture makes it taste sweeter in your mouth. However, both ube and taro usually have plenty of sugar added to them when used in desserts.

Ube (pronounced ooh-beh) is a purple yam from the Philippines with a mild, sweet flavor. The taste has been described as slightly nutty, or as a cross between vanilla and pistachio. It is frequently incorporated into desserts in Filipino cuisine with ube ice cream being one of the most popular preparations.

Ube is a good source of dietary fiber, which plays a vital role in promoting gut health. Fiber helps keep you feeling full and satisfied, aids in digestion, and may even help regulate blood sugar levels.

Purple yam is a great source of potassium, carbohydrates, and vitamin C. Additionally, it provides iron and vitamin A and has very little fat content. They contain potent plant chemicals, such as anthocyanins, which reduce blood pressure and inflammation.

Dioscorea alata is a species of yam commonly referred to as purple yam, ube, violet yam, or water yam. This tuberous root vegetable originates from Southeast Asia and is often confused with taro root. An indigenous staple of the Philippines, it's now cultivated and enjoyed worldwide.

Due to dwindling local production and the need to meet export demands, ube flavoring and color has become common in the Asian country. Scarcity in supply of the crop has also resulted in high prices.

Why is ube used in desserts? ›

Ube halaya (ube jam, pictured above) is a Filipino dessert made of mashed ube, coconut milk, evaporated or condensed milk and butter; here, it's used to flavor and vividly color the dough, as well as in the filling and frosting.

Both ube and Okinawan sweet potato have a similar sweet, earthy flavor, with ube carrying hints of pistachio and vanilla.

greenish color as a result from its baking process. browning effect gives the base a “green-ish” color. Therefore, this is entirely natural.

Combine ube flavoring with other tropical flavors like mango or coconut for unique dessert experiences. Adjust the amount of ube flavoring to create milder or bolder ube-infused dishes, catering to your personal preference.

Both the vines and the ube can grow indefinitely if you let it. Because I live in San Francisco East Bay Area, I do have to be mindful of the weather patterns. I planted in April and the vines were really doing really well during the summer when it was quite dry.

An ube matcha latte is a creamy and colorful beverage that marries the lavender-purple hues of ube (purple yam) with the calming and verdant tones of matcha green tea. This combination creates a harmonious blend of earthy and slightly nutty flavors from the ube, and the floral and earthy notes of the matcha.

Ube has a slightly nutty, vanilla taste and is popularly used in desserts in Filipino cuisine, often boiled and then mashed with condensed milk.