The ube latte has become one of the signature drinks of specialty coffee shops, with its spectacular lavender-purple color and its gentle, vanilla-like taste. Good news: you can make it at home in under five minutes — hot for a cozy moment, iced for a refreshing summer break. In this recipe we share our tried-and-tested method for an ube latte that works every time: the right ratio of powder, the trick for avoiding lumps, how to get a creamy foam, and the variations worth trying once you've nailed the basics. At Ubedia we use the Kinampay variety from the Visayas in the Philippines, whose naturally vanilla-like aroma works beautifully in milky drinks. No coloring or artificial syrup needed: the beauty and the flavor come from the tuber alone.
The ingredient in this recipe: Plain Ube Powder 200 g — €16.90 (≈50 drinks), 100% purple yam, no additives and no added sugar, packed and shipped from Aix-en-Provence within 72 h.
The ingredients for a great ube latte
For one ube latte (about 250 ml), you'll need:
- 1 heaped teaspoon (3 to 4 g) of Ubedia plain Ube Powder or vanilla Ube Powder for an even rounder profile
- 200 ml of the milk of your choice: whole milk, oat milk, coconut milk, almond milk
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of maple syrup, honey or sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1 tablespoon of very hot water (60 to 70 °C, not boiling)
- Optional: a drop of vanilla extract, a pinch of salt
Pick a milk that froths well if you want a cappuccino texture: barista oat milk is our favorite for this.
Hot ube latte recipe (the cozy version)
Give it five minutes. Follow these steps:
- Tip the ube powder into the bottom of a large mug.
- Add the tablespoon of hot water and whisk with a mini whisk or a small spoon to form a smooth, glossy paste with no lumps.
- Heat the milk in a saucepan or the microwave, without letting it boil. It should reach about 65 °C.
- If you want foam, transfer the hot milk to an electric frother or shake it in a sealed jar for 30 seconds.
- Pour the hot milk over the ube paste, whisking gently to combine.
- Add the maple syrup or honey, stir, taste and adjust the sweetness.
- Finish with a little foam on top and a light dusting of Ube Powder for decoration.
Serve straight away.
Iced ube latte recipe (the summer version)
The refreshing take, best served in a clear glass so you can admire the purple gradient:
- Make the ube paste as above (powder + hot water + maple syrup).
- Fill a tall glass with ice.
- Pour in cold plant-based milk (oat or coconut is ideal) up to three-quarters full.
- Then slowly pour the ube paste over the milk: it runs down the glass and creates a gradient from white to purple.
- Stir with a straw before drinking.
Tip: for an even stronger visual effect, swap regular ice cubes for milk ice cubes.
Tips for a perfect ube latte
A few secrets that make the difference:
- Never boil the milk. Too much heat dulls the color of ube and can give a cooked-milk taste. Stay under 70 °C.
- Always make a smooth paste before adding the milk. That's the anti-lump secret.
- Adjust the sweetness. Ube is not very sweet on its own, so a latte with no sugar tastes very pure but not very indulgent. One teaspoon of maple syrup transforms the experience.
- Choose a milk that loves purple. Oat milk gives a soft lavender, coconut milk a more pronounced mauve, cow's milk a bright purple.
Indulgent ube latte variations
Once you've mastered the base recipe, explore these variations:
- Coconut ube latte. Use coconut Ube Powder and top up with a little coconut cream for a creamy tropical result.
- Hazelnut ube latte. Our hazelnut version makes a latte reminiscent of praline — perfect in autumn.
- Ube mocha. Add a shot of espresso to the mix. The coffee-and-ube pairing is surprising and delicious.
- White chocolate ube. Melt 20 g of white chocolate into the hot milk before adding the ube paste. Decadent.
- Ube latte for kids. Caffeine-free, the ube latte is fine for children. Swap the maple syrup for honey and serve warm.
Does an ube latte contain caffeine?
No. Ube is a tuber, not a tea or a coffee. It contains no caffeine at all. You can drink it in the evening without disturbing your sleep. That's a real advantage over a matcha latte, as we explain in our ube vs matcha comparison.
Can you make an ube latte ahead of time?
Ideally, make your ube latte just before drinking it. The color and the foam are best fresh. That said, the iced version can be made an hour ahead and kept in the fridge with no trouble. To take it with you, pour it into an insulated bottle and shake before drinking.
How many lattes can I make from one pouch?
A 100 g pouch of Ubedia powder makes around 30 lattes — several weeks of daily use. For more detail, see our dosage guide.
Where to buy the powder for your ube latte
For a great latte, choose a 100% pure powder. At Ubedia, our powders come from the Kinampay variety of the Visayas in the Philippines, with no additives. Our vanilla Ube Powder 100 g is especially well suited to lattes, with its naturally rounded notes. Want to explore the other flavors? Browse our whole shop and take your pick. Looking for more ube ideas? Our collection of purple smoothies is waiting.
Going further
Find all our indulgent ideas on the ube recipes page. Carry on with the ube cake or the purple pancakes. For a daily latte ritual, the Ube Powder 200 g is the most economical size.
