Ube Gives This Ice Cream Its Brilliant Purple Color and Unique Flavor (2024)

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.

Purple yams and taro look similar from the outside, so they can certainly be confused. However, when the skin is peeled back, the difference in color is clear. Taro root grows from the taro plant, and unlike purple yams, they are not a species of yam. Purple yams are nutritious root vegetables filled with antioxidants that may help reduce your blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

The vibrant purple yam is typically boiled and mashed before being incorporated into jams, puddings, sweet breads, cakes, and other desserts. If you can't find fresh ube in your local grocery store, it is also available grated and frozen, dried into a powder form, or as ube extract.

Ube has been incorporated into everything from brownies, macarons, cupcakes, and donuts to waffles and pancakes, even lattes and milkshakes. The eye-catching purple color is natural, which can be seen as soon as you slice into one of the raw yams. Depending on the brand of powdered ube and ube extract used in this recipe, the color of the ice cream may vary slightly. If desired, you can augment the color with purple or violet food coloring.

Learn what foods you need to stock your pantry with to cook Filipino recipes.

"This tasty ice cream was simple to put together since it doesn’t require a custard base with eggs. The only cooking required is to rehydrate the ube powder with water. The ube extract I used contained food coloring as well and gave the ice cream a vibrant purple hue." —Young Sun Huh

Ube Gives This Ice Cream Its Brilliant Purple Color and Unique Flavor (1)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ube powder
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 cups heavy cream
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Here’s Why People Are Putting Purple Yams In Their Desserts Ingredient Spotlight: Ube, the Purple Yams That Make Dessert Health Benefits of Yams Taro Ice Cream No-churn Recipe, No Ice Cream Maker Required.
1 1/2 tablespoons ube extract
1 to 2 drops purple or violet food coloring, optional

Steps to Make It

Place the bowl of an ice-cream maker in the freezer overnight.
Gather the ingredients.
Powdered ube needs to be rehydrated before using in recipes. In a medium saucepan, combine the powdered ube and water.
Heat to a simmer and stir until the mixture becomes thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely before incorporating into the ice cream, about 10 minutes.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
See Also
Ube Vs Taro - What's The Difference? - Foods Guy
Stir in the heavy cream and ube extract.
Note: If you choose, purple or violet food coloring can be added to achieve the desired hue. The color of the ice cream can vary depending on the brand of powdered ube and ube extract used in the recipe.
Mix in the cooled rehydrated ube.
Stir until completely combined.
Churn according to manufacturer's directions, about 25 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture.
If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer for about 2 hours.

Tip

When rehydrating the ube powder, the mixture will thicken slightly as soon as it comes to a simmer. Continue cooking and stirring the mixture for another 5 minutes or so until the ube powder has thickened further and has had a chance to cook and absorb the water.

How to Store

Store ice cream in a plastic ice cream container, freezer container, or loaf pan. Press a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper over the surface of the ice cream and then cover the container tightly with a lid or foil. Label the ice cream container with the name and date and place it near the back of the freezer to avoid temperature fluctuations. Freeze homemade ice cream for up to 2 months.

Halo-Halo Recipe

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
262	Calories
19g	Fat
21g	Carbs
2g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 14
Amount per serving
Calories	262
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g	25%
Saturated Fat 12g	61%
Cholesterol 60mg	20%
Sodium 26mg	1%
Total Carbohydrate 21g	8%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 21g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg	2%
Calcium 64mg	5%
Iron 0mg	0%
Potassium 85mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

ice cream
ube
purple yam
dessert

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Ube Gives This Ice Cream Its Brilliant Purple Color and Unique Flavor (2024)

FAQs

What flavor of ice cream is ube? ›

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.

What is the purple ice cream flavor? ›

Ube ice cream is a Filipino ice cream flavor prepared using ube (purple yam) as the main ingredient. This ice cream is often used in making the dessert halo-halo.

Why is ube ice cream purple? ›

Ube Ice Cream really is that purple—that's because it's made with ube powder and extract, which are made from purple yams.

Discover More Details ›

What was special about the purple ice cream? ›

Ube is a sweet dessert made from boiled purple sweet potato, coconut milk and sugar, and is also popular as an ice-cream flavour. Back in Australia, a different kind of root vegetable is being used for purple soft serve.

Find Out More ›

What flavor is ube in the USA? ›

Even though ube and purple sweet potatoes share a sweet, earthy taste, ube has a distinctively nuttier, vanilla-like flavor. In addition to their differences in taste, ube is more moist than sweet potatoes, which tend to be drier in texture.

Learn More Now ›

What does purple yam ice cream taste like? ›

The ice cream didn't at all taste like a sweet potato, though. It had a subtle earthy, nutty flavor. It also didn't have any of the crystallization in its texture like a lot of soft serve does.

Keep Reading ›

What flavor is purple? ›

The color purple can represent both contemporary and classic flavors: berry or grape-flavored lollipops, hard boiled candies, and jelly beans are always a favorite amongst consumers, but more exotic taste-profiles such as lavender and fig can infuse excitement into all types of confections. Fig chocolate anyone?

Tell Me More ›

What is the purple ice cream flavor in Japanese? ›

Beni-imo, or purple sweet potato, is a common flavor in many Japanese sweets and snacks, even boasting its own KitKat. It has a subtle sweetness that compliments the rich creaminess of the soft serve, not to mention its incredible purple color.

Is ube Hawaiian or Filipino? ›

Ube is a type of purple yam native to Southeast Asia. It's a prized ingredient in Filipino cuisine, used in both traditional desserts like ube halaya (a pudding-like dessert) and kakanin (rice cakes), and modern desserts like cakes, cookies, and ice cream.

Tell Me More ›

Does ube taste like Oreo? ›

The ube flavor is a complex vanilla meets coconut taste, and the vanilla buttercream has the same texture as an Oreo filling, but a much more pleasant aftertaste and mouthfeel.

What is Filipino ice cream called? ›

Sorbetes is a traditional ice cream originating from the Philippines and uniquely characterized by the use of coconut milk and/or carabao milk. Often pejoratively called "dirty ice cream", it is distinct from the similarly named sorbet and sherbet.