Yema balls or yema candy are delicious Filipino treats made of condensed milk and egg yolks. They’re wonderfully soft and chewy, delightfully sweet, and so easy to make. Check out the recipe with lots of tips, FAQs and step-by-step photos for perfect yema balls every time.
(Looking for more Filipino desserts? Check out this list of must-try Filipino desserts. This recipe for yema cake is particularly delicious!)
Filipinos love making desserts with condensed milk. I even have a whole recipe category dedicated to condensed milk desserts.
From everybody’s favorite creamy leche flan to my personal favorite brazo de mercedes, condensed milk is an integral part in a lot of Filipino treats.
Now you can add yema balls (or, simply, Filipino yema) to your dessert arsenal. No baking involved!
Let’s get to it.
Why you’ll love making Filipino yema
Yema is a childhood favorite among many Filipinos.
There are different kinds — soft and chewy like what we have today, covered in hard caramel (see FAQs), filled with nuts like pili or cashews, or flavored like ube yema.
Making them is quite addicting because it’s so easy and the outcome is always a delicious trip down memory lane. This has become one of my favorite things to make.
- No baking. You won’t need the oven here. You simply need to stir everything in a pan, roll and enjoy!
- Simple ingredients. The recipe also calls for just 5 very simple ingredients — condensed milk and egg yolks for the custard, plus butter and salt, and sugar for the coating.
- Makes a big batch. I can make up to 30 yema balls from this recipe using a melon baller. Perfect for giving away as gifts during the holidays, selling at bake sales or as a small business, picnics, and more.
- Keeps fresh. They also keep for a long time. They don’t last very long in our house lol but properly stored in the fridge, they should remain fresh and soft for up to 4 weeks.
How to make
This Filipinos-style custard candy is very easy to make with very few ingredients and steps.
Ingredients
You’ll only need 5 ingredients. Two things to note:
- Butter — I always use unsalted butter in my desserts but if you only have salted butter, you can use that. Just omit the pinch of salt called for in the recipe.
- Condensed milk — for best results, use full-fat sweetened condensed milk.
(Check out this collection of egg white recipes for ideas on what to do with your leftover egg whites!)
Cooking tools
You’ll also only need simple tools.
- A large pan or wok
- Something to scoop your yema balls with — I like using my melon baller for evenly sized candy but you can also use a cookie scoop or a teaspoon.
Step-by-step photos
Melt butter in a pan on low heat.
Add condensed milk and stir until combined.
Add egg yolks and a pinch of salt.
Stir until the mixture thickens considerably (about 20 minutes).
Transfer mixture into a slightly greased plate or clean surface. Allow to cool completely.
Scoop a teaspoon of the yema mixture and form into a ball. Coat with sugar and serve.
Expert tips
Easy and simple, right? Here are more tips for perfect yema balls every time.
- Don’t stop stirring. Don’t leave the mixture unattended. You’ll want to keep stirring to prevent the mixture from getting burnt.
- Stay on low-medium heat. It does take a while to get the mixture to thicken but don’t be tempted to crank up the heat. It’s best to stay on low-medium heat.
- You control the texture. If you like a softer yema like we do, stop stirring as soon as the mixture forms into a ball and gets difficult to stir. If you want a firmer candy, stir some more.
- Grease your hands and tools. Yema is very sticky so it’s best to grease your hands and tools to make rolling them easier.
Recipe FAQs
If you want to coat your yema balls with caramel, follow these steps:
1. Prepare the caramel by combining 1 cup sugar and ½ cup water. Cook on low-medium heat until it turns golden brown. Swirl don’t stir.
2. Carefully dip each yema ball (completely cooled, preferably chilled) in the caramel and place on a lightly greased plate or pan. Allow to set.
That’s it!
To make special yema, add about 1 cup of chopped nuts (usually cashew or pili nuts) in your mixture after you’ve added the egg yolks.
Yema is usually wrapped in food-grade cellophane.
You can also find them unwrapped and sold in little plastic containers.
I like putting them in mini cupcake liners and placing them in a cookie, pastry or bakery box if I’m giving them out as gifts.
Because yema is a custard, it’s best to keep them in a covered container in the fridge.
They should keep up to 4 weeks.
Other traditional Filipino treats
Happy cooking!
Did you make this easy yema recipe? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.
Filipino Yema Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 10-oz can condensed milk
- 3 pieces egg yolks from large eggs
- pinch salt
- sugar for coating
- oil or baking spray for greasing
Instructions
- Melt butter in a pan on low heat.2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Add condensed milk and stir until combined.1 10-oz can condensed milk
- Add egg yolks and a pinch of salt. Stir until the mixture thickens considerably (about 20 minutes).3 pieces egg yolks, pinch salt
- Transfer mixture into a slightly greased plate or clean surface. Allow to cool completely.oil or baking spray
- Scoop a teaspoon of the yema mixture and form into a ball. Coat with sugar and serve.sugar
Video
Notes
- The yield depends on how big you scoop your yema balls. The estimated nutrition information is based on 30 balls.
- To make special yema, you can add chopped nuts into the mixture.
- When forming the yema into balls, grease your hands and tools so they don’t stick as much.
- See post for more tips, FAQs and step-by-step photos.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Ke
I have followed the recipe 4 times and keep getting caramel instead, or it doesn’t set up at all one time I stirred exactly 20min, which didn’t set up, it was still soupy. The next try I stirred until it was like caramel, and then put it onto the plate, and the other two times I cooked it 35min and 45min and it still didn’t turn into a solid. The caramel is delicious, but I am trying to surprise my Filipina church aunties with this candy.
Jolina
Hi Ke, I share expert tips in the post. Check it out 🙂
Niese
I grew up eating yema and this brought me back. This was very easy to make and so delicious.
Jolina
Glad you liked it Niese!