Homemade Ube Ice Cream is luxuriously smooth and creamy. This Filipino purple yam ice cream recipe has a vibrant purple color and deep ube flavor made with easy to find ube powder and extract. Can be made with or without an ice cream maker.
The BEST Ube Ice Cream recipe!
- Made with a custard base for the smoothest, creamiest texture and the richest, most luxurious taste
- Uses ube powder and ube extract for the most amazing ube flavor and vibrant color
- Ube powder and extract are easy to find online
- Rehydrated ube powder makes a super smooth ice cream
What is Ube Ice Cream? What is ube?
Ube purple yam ice cream is an ice cream flavored with ube. Ube (Pronounced OO-beh) is a purple yam that has origins in Southeast Asia, but it is most commonly used in desserts in Filipino cuisine. It’s a bright purple sweet potato with a sweeter, more mellow taste than its orange relative.
Ube is often confused with Taro, another similar root vegetable, but the two are distinct. Taro is often used in savory dishes, while ube, while it can be cooked with savory spices, is more commonly used in sweets.
What does Ube Ice Cream taste like?
Ube has a sweet, gentle flavor. It has been described as mellow, nutty, and vanilla-like, likened to a cross between white chocolate, vanilla, and pistachio, with a hint of coconut.
Where to get ube
I use ube powder and ube extract in this ice cream. Fresh or frozen ube is often difficult to find, and ube powder rehydrates easily. When it’s turned into a paste, it makes a super smooth ice cream. Ube powder and extract can be found on Amazon.
What is Ube Ice Cream made of? Ube Ice Cream Ingredients
- Ube powder – that is rehydrated to form a paste
- Ube extract – for a deeper ube flavor and color
- Milk and cream – a combination makes the perfectly textured ice cream
- Sugar
- Egg yolks – are tempered with hot milk to make the richest, creamiest ice cream
This Ube Ice Cream is made in the French style with an egg yolk enriched custard base. (As opposed to a Philadelphia-style ice cream that does not contain egg yolks.) This creates the creamiest, smoothest, luxuriously rich ice cream.
How to rehydrate ube powder
It’s important to rehydrate the ube powder before stirring it into the ice cream base. Dried ube powder is grainy and can give the ice cream a grainy, gritty texture if not rehydrated.
Rehydrated ube paste makes a super smooth ice cream with no ice crystals from excess liquid.
To rehydrate ube powder:
- Combine ube powder and water (1 tablespoon ube powder per ½ cup water) in a saucepan.
- Bring it to a boil over medium high heat.
- Turn the heat to medium, and stirring frequently, cook the mixture until a paste forms, like a thick pudding. Stir more frequently as it gets thicker so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the pan.
How to make Ube Ice Cream
Rehydrate the ube powder to make a paste as directed above and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with half of the sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
In a saucepan, heat the milk and the remaining sugar until hot, about 175° F, but not boiling.
Temper the egg yolks: While whisking constantly, slowly pour the hot milk in a thin stream into the egg yolk and sugar mixture. This will temper the eggs so they don’t curdle.
Return the mixture to the pan and heat until it reaches 180° F, stirring constantly. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
Remove from heat and whisk in the ube paste and extract. Stir in the cream.
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer.
Allow mixture to cool. Chill in the refrigerator until it reaches 40 degrees F, about 4 hours or overnight.
Churn in ice cream machine until a soft serve consistency, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a chilled container, cover with plastic wrap and press onto the surface of the ice cream.
Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
Ice cream can be stored in freezer up to 5 days.
How to make No Churn Ube Ice Cream
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can make No Churn Ube Ice Cream.
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 14oz can sweetened condensed milk, cold
- 4 teaspoons (20 ml) ube flavoring extract
- Rehydrated ube powder paste
Instructions
- Rehydrate the ube powder as directed.
- Whip heavy cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
- Pour in condensed milk and whip until thick, stiff peaks form.
- Add the ube paste and extract and whip until combined.
- Freeze as directed.
Homemade Ube Ice Cream
- Total Time: 20 minutes plus chilling and freezing time
Description
Homemade Ube Ice Cream is luxuriously smooth and creamy. This Filipino purple yam ice cream recipe has a vibrant purple color and deep ube flavor made with easy to find ube powder and extract. Can be made with or without an ice cream maker.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ube powder
- 1 cup water
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 to 4 teaspoons (5-20ml) ube extract
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
To rehydrate the ube powder:
- Combine ube powder and water in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Turn the heat to medium, and stirring frequently, cook the mixture until a paste forms, like a thick pudding. Stir more frequently as it gets thicker so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the pan.
To make the Ube Ice Cream:
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with half of the sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- In a saucepan, heat the milk and the remaining sugar until hot, about 175° F, but not boiling.
- Temper the egg yolks: While whisking constantly, slowly pour the hot milk in a thin stream into the egg yolk and sugar mixture. This will temper the eggs so they don’t curdle.
- Return the mixture to the pan and heat until it reaches 180° F, stirring constantly. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the ube paste and extract. Stir in the cream.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer.
- Allow mixture to cool. Chill in the refrigerator until it reaches 40 degrees F, about 4 hours or overnight.
- Churn in ice cream machine until a soft serve consistency, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a chilled container, cover with plastic wrap and press onto the surface of the ice cream.
- Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
- Ice cream can be stored in freezer up to 5 days.
Notes
I’ve used 4 teaspoons of ube extract for a deeper ube flavor and color. For a milder flavor and color, you can use less.
Replacing ½ cup of the sugar with 1/3 cup corn syrup allows the ice cream to freeze faster and without large ice crystals. This produces an ice cream that is smoother and remains hard in the freezer.
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can make No Churn Ube Ice Cream.
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 14oz can sweetened condensed milk, cold
- 4 teaspoons (20 ml) ube flavoring extract
- Rehydrated ube powder paste
- Instructions:
- Rehydrate the ube powder as directed.
- Whip heavy cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
- Pour in condensed milk and whip until thick, stiff peaks form.
- Add the ube paste and extract and whip until combined.
- Freeze as directed.
- Cook Time: 20
- Cuisine: filiipini
Keywords: ice cream, ube, dessert
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★★★★★
Thanks so much, Cookie Monster!
Wowzer
★★★★★
Thanks so much!
One of my favourite treats when I was in Manila. Yours looks authentic and so good!
Thanks so much, Angie!
What a fun ice cream flavor, Kelly! I have seen some amazing ube recipes (including this one!), but I have yet to experiment with it. I need to give it a try. And I need one of those waffle cones, too! 🙂
★★★★★
Ube is a trendy flavor and a must try. it’s amazing that color and flavor comes from a sweet potato! Thanks so much, David!
I love ube, Kelly! But I’ve never cooked with it. That color is so gorgeous and tempting! I love a good no-churn ice cream and so glad to see you’ve included a no-churn version here!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Laura!
What a terrific ice cream! LOVE the color of ube, and this dish shows it in all its glory. Such a nice recipe — thanks.
The color is pretty amazing! Thanks so much, John!
I’ve never used yam / sweet potatoes in desserts (Not even a sweet potato pie! I just prefer them in savoury dishes), but I must admit the colour of this ice cream is gorgeous. And I’d definitely give it a try, maybe just one spoon to start with 🙂
★★★★★
I was surprised by its taste the first time I tried it. It’s hard to describe. It kind of tastes like a cookie 🙂 Thanks so much, Ben!
Kelly, this is the most beautiful ice cream I’ve ever seen. I haven’t have much experience cooking/baking with ube, but I’m very intrigued. So pretty! 🙂 ~Valentina
The color is so vibrant! And the flavor amazes me. How does a sweet potato taste like white chocolate/vanilla/coconut/cookies?! Thanks so much, Valentina!
So beautiful deep purple inviting one ! So pinned to make ! Thank you so much Kelly !
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Davorka!
Wow!!
★★★★★
Thanks Cookie Monster!
Thank you so much for your description of the Ube flavor. I have the extract, but I need to find the powder. Easy to do at our Asian market… Sounds wonderful, Kelly, and I can’t wait to try it.
It’s so hard to describe, David. I haven’t tasted anything like it. The words that most often come to mind are cookies and birthday cake. Thanks so much!
Growing up in Hawaii I loved eating this ice cream.
I just got my ice cream maker today and found your recipe so off to the Asian market I went and got all my ingredients. When I get home I’m going to make my mix and get it cold so when my cylinders are frozen I’ll be good to go!! I’m tweaking the recipe and adding fresh young shredded coconut to make Ube Macapuno.
Thank you for sharing!!
★★★★★
The addition of coconut sounds wonderful, Kerry! Thanks so much!
At what point do you add the extract? I see where you add the paste, but no mention in the curn-recipe where to add the extract. I’m assuming with the paste.
Hi Kim, yes you can add it in with the paste. I will make a note of that in the recipe. Thanks!
Can this be made with just the Ube powder? Thank you.
Hi Jo, Yes it can. It will have a milder flavor which is also very good.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I have made the no-churn version twice and everyone loved it ! Can this recipe be made sugar free? I’d like to make it for a friend who has diabetes. Thank you.
Hi Jo, I haven’t tried making it sugar free, so I’m not sure how the sugar substitute would react. Do let me know if you try it! Thanks so much!