Ube Donut Recipe: Soft Purple Donuts Baked in the Oven

Their colour makes them impossible to resist: a deep, natural purple, ube donuts have become one of the most photographed pastries of the moment. The good news is that this ube donut recipe is nothing complicated and is made entirely in the oven, with no deep-frying. At Ubedia we work exclusively with the Kinampay variety from the Visayas, in the Philippines: it is the one that gives the powder its delicate vanilla-and-hazelnut taste and that luminous purple which makes all the charm of the dessert. No colouring, no artificial flavouring — just purple yam, dried and ground into a powder. In this recipe, ube powder replaces part of the flour to perfume the batter from the inside, while a purple glaze crowns each donut. Allow around thirty minutes of preparation for a batch of soft little cakes, perfect for an afternoon snack or for a brunch that is a little out of the ordinary. Follow the guide.

The ingredient for this recipe: Natural Ube Powder 200 g — 16.90 € (≈50 drinks), 100% purple yam, no additives, shipped from Aix-en-Provence within 72 h.

Why make your ube donuts at home

Making your own ube donuts means, above all, controlling what goes into them. A good ube powder is enough to colour and flavour a whole batch: there is no need to add the slightest colouring. It is also far more economical than buying ready-made donuts, which are often very sweet. And baking in the oven makes the recipe noticeably lighter than traditional frying, while keeping a tender crumb. If you are new to this ingredient, our guide on how to buy ube powder well will help you choose a quality product, the key to a successful colour.

Ingredients (for 6 donuts)

Preparation: 20 min · Baking: 12 min · Glaze setting time: 15 min · Servings: 6 donuts

For the batter:

• 150 g wheat flour (T45 or T55)
• 2 tablespoons of Ubedia ube powder
• 70 g sugar
• 1 sachet of baking powder (11 g)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 120 ml milk (or plant-based drink)
• 50 g melted butter (or neutral oil)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

For the purple glaze:

• 100 g icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon of ube powder
• 2 to 3 teaspoons of milk

Step-by-step preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (fan) and lightly grease a donut tin.
2. In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, ube powder, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk to spread the purple powder evenly and avoid lumps.
3. In a second bowl, beat the egg with the milk, the melted butter and the vanilla.
4. Pour the liquids over the dry ingredients and mix just enough to obtain a smooth batter. Do not overwork it, or the donuts will turn out tough.
5. Divide the batter between the moulds, filling them three quarters of the way up. A piping bag makes this easier.
6. Bake for 12 minutes, until the donuts are risen and springy to the touch. Let them cool slightly before turning them out.
7. Prepare the glaze: mix the icing sugar, the ube powder and the milk, one spoonful at a time, until you obtain a coating consistency.
8. Dip the top of each cooled donut into the glaze, then leave to set for 15 minutes. Enjoy them the same day for the softest texture.

The right amount of ube powder

Two tablespoons in the batter and one teaspoon in the glaze are enough to obtain a clear purple without overpowering the taste. Want a more intense colour? Add half a spoonful more to the batter, but no more, so the crumb does not dry out. To fine-tune your bearings on other preparations, see our ube powder dosage guide. The quality of the powder matters enormously: a fine, well-coloured powder such as Kinampay ube will always give a brighter result than a pale one.

Indulgent variations

For an even meltier version, mochi donut style, replace part of the wheat flour with glutinous rice flour: you will get that elastic texture people love. Have a look at our ube mochi recipe to explore that texture. You can also scatter the still-fresh glaze with grated coconut, hazelnut pieces or a pinch of fleur de sel. And if soft cakes tempt you, our ube cake recipe takes the same flavours into a format made for sharing.

Storage

Ube donuts keep for 2 days at room temperature, in an airtight box. Glaze them at the last moment if you can. The raw batter, on the other hand, does not keep: it is better to bake the whole batch and then freeze the plain donuts (without glaze) for up to a month. To find out everything about how the powder itself holds up, see our page on storing ube powder.

Which ube powder to choose for this recipe

To succeed with your donuts, go for a pure, traceable powder. Ubedia ube powder is 100% purple yam, a single ingredient with no additives, sourced directly from growers in the Visayas, with full traceability from the yam to the pouch. The 200 g format is ideal for baking regularly: it covers several batches of donuts, pancakes or lattes. If you like to vary the pleasures, the Duo Rituel pairs the 200 g natural powder with a flavoured version of your choice — Hazelnut and Vanilla go particularly well with these donuts.

• Ube Powder 200 g — the ideal format for baking, best value
• Duo Rituel — 200 g natural + one 100 g flavour of your choice (29.90 €)

Looking for more purple ideas? Explore all our ube powder recipes: latte, ice cream, cheesecake, pancakes and much more. Get your tins ready, and enjoy!