In the Philippines there is one dessert every family knows how to make — and every family claims to make better than the neighbours: ube halaya. This purple yam jam, also called halayang ube or simply ube jam, shows up at Christmas, at christenings, at weddings and at birthdays. Its deep violet colour owes nothing to food colouring: it comes from the tuber itself, a purple yam known as ube (Dioscorea alata). Its soft, milky taste, faintly vanilla with a hint of hazelnut, made it the foundation of almost all modern Filipino baking: halo-halo, ube ice cream, filled pandesal, mochi, and the purple birthday cakes of Manila's bakeries.
The catch, outside the Philippines, is simple: fresh purple yam is hard to find, and the imported tubers that do turn up are expensive, inconsistent and often disappointing once cooked. That is exactly why Ube Powder changed everything. Dried and finely milled, it rehydrates in five minutes into a perfectly smooth ube purée — which is precisely the starting point of a good halaya, with no grating, no draining and no fibres. At Ubedia we work with the Kinampay variety from the Visayas, considered the most aromatic in the archipelago. Below you will find both recipes: the traditional coconut-milk version made from fresh yam, and the quick powder version, which is the one we recommend here.
The ingredient in this recipe: Plain Ube Powder 200 g — €16.90. 100% Kinampay ube, no additives, no colouring, no added sugar, packed in Aix-en-Provence and shipped within 72 h. One 200 g pouch makes roughly three jars of ube halaya. Not sure which size to pick? Our Ube Powder buying guide compares sizes, price per gram and uses.
What exactly is ube halaya?
The word halaya comes from the Spanish jalea, “jelly” — a direct legacy of three centuries of Spanish presence in the Philippines. Ube halaya is therefore literally a jam: the purple tuber is cooked slowly with coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk and butter until it forms a dense, glossy paste, somewhere between a jam, a chestnut spread and a dessert cream. It is served cold by the spoonful, spread on bread, used as a filling, or folded into ice creams and desserts.
One confusion comes up again and again: ube is not taro. Taro (gabi in the Philippines) is beige to very pale mauve, noticeably less sweet and more earthy; ube is intensely purple and naturally sweet. We break down the differences in our Ube vs Taro comparison. And if you are only just discovering the tuber, start with our guide What is ube?.
Ube halaya ingredients: two versions
Quick version with Ube Powder (the one we recommend)
For one jar of about 500 g, serving 6 to 8:
- 60 g of Ubedia plain Ube Powder (about 7 level tablespoons)
- 300 ml of very hot water (around 80 °C, not boiling)
- 400 ml of full-fat coconut milk (one standard can, well shaken)
- 200 g of sweetened condensed milk (about half a can)
- 40 g of unsalted butter — or deodorised coconut oil for a plant-based version
- 1 pinch of fine salt
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional, rounds off the finish)
Traditional version with fresh purple yam
If you can get hold of fresh ube, or frozen grated ube from an Asian grocery, here are the classic Filipino proportions, for a jar of about 700 g:
- 500 g of fresh purple yam (ube), peeled and finely grated
- 400 ml of coconut milk
- 200 ml of evaporated milk (unsweetened)
- 300 g of sweetened condensed milk
- 50 g of butter
- 1 pinch of salt
Cooking then takes considerably longer — count on 50 to 70 minutes of simmering — because you have to evaporate the water held in the fresh tuber. That is where the powder saves a good half hour, while removing any risk of fibres.
Prep time, cook time and yield
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 35 minutes
- Total time (excluding chilling): 45 minutes
- Chilling: 2 hours minimum
- Yield: 1 jar of about 500 g, serving 6 to 8
- Difficulty: easy — but you must stay at the stove and keep stirring
Ube halaya recipe, step by step
- Rehydrate the Ube Powder (5 min). Tip the 60 g of powder into a bowl and add the 300 ml of hot water in three additions, whisking briskly each time. You want a smooth purple purée with the consistency of a thick apple sauce. Let it swell for 5 minutes: the powder finishes absorbing the water and the colour deepens. Pitfall: poured in all at once, the powder forms lumps that are hard to rescue.
- Melt the butter (2 min). In a wide, heavy-based pan — or a non-stick sauté pan — melt the 40 g of butter over low heat. A narrow pan lengthens the cooking: go for surface area and evaporation.
- Bring the liquids together (2 min). Add the ube purée, the coconut milk, the condensed milk and the salt. Whisk off the heat until completely smooth before returning the pan to the stove.
- Start the simmer on low heat (10 min). Bring very gently to a bare simmer, stirring. The mixture is still very loose and a slightly greyish purple: that is normal, it darkens as it reduces. Pitfall: high heat caramelises the sugars from the condensed milk on the bottom and gives an irreversible burnt taste.
- Stir without stopping (20 to 25 min). Switch to a wooden or silicone spatula and scrape the base in figure-of-eight movements. This is the central gesture of ube halaya, exactly as for a pastry cream. The paste thickens slowly at first, then very fast over the last five minutes.
- Spot the right doneness. The halaya is ready when the spatula leaves a clean trail that takes two to three seconds to close, and when the mass pulls away from the sides in one soft, glossy block. On the spatula it should coat in a thick ribbon. Total cooking: 30 to 35 minutes.
- Mould and smooth (3 min). Pour straight away into a buttered mould or jar (in the Philippines an aluminium llanera is traditional). Smooth the top with the back of an oiled spoon to avoid air pockets.
- Cool, then chill (2 h). Let it come back to room temperature, cover with cling film touching the surface, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The ube jam firms up, the colour deepens and the aroma comes through fully. Serve well chilled.
Want to fine-tune colour and intensity? Our Ube Powder dosage guide gives the benchmarks recipe by recipe. For a richer halaya, Filipino families often add a layer of latik (caramelised coconut cream solids) on top, or grated mild cheese — a sweet-and-salty contrast that is very popular there.
5 ways to serve ube halaya
1. In a halo-halo
This is the flagship use. Halo-halo, the national shaved-ice dessert of the Philippines, layers crushed ice, evaporated milk, sweet beans, jellies and candied fruit — and is always crowned with a generous spoonful of ube halaya. Add a scoop of homemade ube ice cream for the full version.
2. Spread on toast
The simplest everyday pleasure: a generous layer on toasted white bread or brioche, perhaps with a little toasted grated coconut. Ube jam behaves exactly like a sweet spread, but less sugary than a chocolate one.
3. As a filling for brioche or pandesal
It is the classic filling of ube pandesal, the purple Filipino bread roll coated in breadcrumbs. It works just as well in an ube brioche, in doughnuts or in mochi. Tip: chill the halaya thoroughly before filling, or it will leak during baking.
4. As the base of ube ice cream
Fold 150 g of ube halaya into 400 ml of whipped cream and 200 ml of sweetened condensed milk and you get a no-churn ube ice cream that is denser and more fragrant than one made with powder alone.
5. In a purple cheesecake
Beat 200 g of halaya into 400 g of cream cheese for a naturally purple filling with no colouring: that is the base of our no-bake ube cheesecake. A spoonful loosened with hot milk also turns any ube latte into an indulgent version.
How to store ube halaya
In a clean airtight jar in the fridge, your ube halaya keeps for 5 to 7 days. The condensed milk and coconut milk make it a fresh, unsterilised preparation: it is not a shelf-stable fruit jam. Take it out 10 minutes before serving so it softens.
It freezes very well, for up to 2 months, in portions wrapped with film touching the surface. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then whisk with a tablespoon of coconut milk to restore the silky texture — freezing can separate the fat slightly. On the raw material side, see our tips on storing Ube Powder to protect the colour and aroma of your pouch.
The story behind ube halaya
Ube has been grown for centuries across the Philippine archipelago, particularly in Bohol in the Central Visayas, home of the Kinampay variety — so prized that it was long reserved for important occasions and still gives its name to local festivals. The name of the dish itself betrays its double origin: a Southeast Asian tuber, a technique and a word from Spain. Condensed and evaporated milk entered the recipe in the twentieth century, as canned milks became standard in Filipino kitchens — replacing the cane sugar and reduced coconut milk of the oldest versions.
Today ube halaya remains a marker of celebration. It is given in jars, made in large batches for Christmas, and every province claims the ideal ratio of coconut to butter. It is also what carried the taste of ube beyond the archipelago: the global wave of purple desserts, from Los Angeles cafes to Paris patisseries, starts with this jam. To go further on the origins of the tuber, read our page on the history of ube and our focus on ube Kinampay.
Which Ube Powder for a great halaya?
Halaya does not forgive bland powders: this is a recipe where ube plays alone, with no chocolate or fruit to hide a lack of aroma. Three criteria matter. First the variety: Kinampay from the Visayas is the most aromatic. Then purity: a 100% ube powder, with no filler starch, no colouring and no added flavouring — that is what guarantees a natural purple and a clean taste. Finally the fineness of the mill, which determines whether any grittiness remains after rehydration.
- Plain Ube Powder 200 g — the reference size for cooking: about three jars of halaya, best value for money.
- Duo Rituel — 200 g plain + one 100 g flavour of your choice — for those who want a classic halaya and a variation (the coconut flavour beautifully reinforces the coconut note of the recipe).
To compare every size and see where to order, read our Ube Powder buying guide.
Ube halaya FAQ
What is the difference between ube and taro?
They are two different plants. Ube (Dioscorea alata) is a yam with intensely purple flesh, naturally sweet, with a vanilla-and-hazelnut aroma. Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is a beige to very pale mauve tuber, starchier and far less sweet. A halaya made with taro would have neither the colour nor the taste people expect. Full details on our Ube vs Taro page.
Can you make ube halaya without coconut milk?
Yes. Replace the 400 ml of coconut milk with 400 ml of whole milk, or with 200 ml of evaporated milk plus 200 ml of whole milk. The result is milkier and slightly less fragrant, but just as creamy — it is in fact the most common version in urban Manila bakeries. Add 10 g of extra butter to make up for the coconut fat.
How long does homemade ube halaya keep?
5 to 7 days in the fridge in an airtight jar. It is not a sterilised jam, so do not store it at room temperature. If a sour smell or a grainy texture appears, throw the jar away.
Can you freeze ube halaya?
Yes, for up to 2 months. Portion it, cover with film touching the surface and freeze. Thaw slowly in the fridge, then whisk well with a spoonful of coconut milk to bring back the original texture. Avoid microwave defrosting, which splits the fat.
Is there a vegan version of ube halaya?
Absolutely, and it is excellent. Replace the butter with 40 g of deodorised coconut oil and the sweetened condensed milk with 200 g of sweetened condensed coconut milk (available in Asian and specialist grocers), or with 180 ml of thick coconut cream plus 60 g of light cane sugar. Cooking time is identical. Ube Powder is 100% plant-based by nature.
Going further
Find all our ube recipes, the essential ube latte, our ube ice cream and the ube pandesal to fill with your halaya. To get cooking, the Ube Powder 200 g remains the most practical size, and the Duo Rituel the best way to vary the pleasure.
Photo: “Ube halaya, Filipino dessert” by Lokalpedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).
