Ube ice cream is sweet, earthy, delicious and wonderfully purple! With just 5 ingredients and not needing an ice cream maker, it’s also very easy to make at home. Plus, get lots of tips and answers to your frequently asked questions so you can make this popular Filipino dessert perfectly every time.
(Love making homemade ice cream? Try this delicious Roasted Cherry Choco Chip Ice Cream or this Pistachio Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. They taste so much better than their store counterparts!)
Did you grow up in the Philippines enjoying ube ice cream from Magnolia, Selecta or your local sorbetero?
Then I have a fabulous purple treat for you — an easy, authentic, ube ice cream recipe you can make in the comforts of your own kitchen.
It tastes so much like the one from home and the best part is, this recipe results to a creamier ice cream than the one I remember.
It’s so good! Let’s get to it.
Why you’ll love making this recipe
I’m a big fan of homemade ice cream, especially this one. You’ll love it too because:
- It’s very easy to make. You don’t even need an ice cream maker (no-churn).
- Ube ice cream is only made of 5 ingredients. It’s egg-free and custard-free too so you don’t need to worry about those either.
- Most importantly, it’s ube ice cream like you remember it.
What you’ll need
Making ice cream at home is surprisingly simple. You can never make homemade ice cream you won’t love!
You’ll only need 5 ingredients:
- Condensed milk — this is what gives no-churn ice cream it’s creamy and smooth consistency.
- Ube jam — make sure to choose an ube jam you like eating on its own. You can buy this from an Asian supermarket or Amazon but I make my own ube jam or ube halaya. Try it, it’s super easy!
- Ube extract — this gives the ice cream that bright, vibrant color and a more pronounced ube flavor. You can also buy this from an Asian supermarket or Amazon.
- Vanilla extract — goes very well with ube.
- Heavy cream — this is called differently in different countries but for best results, choose cream that has milk fat content between 36 and 40%.
And like I mentioned, this recipe doesn’t require an ice cream machine.
What I highly recommend are freezer-safe containers with tight-fitting lids to store your ice cream in. I love these ice cream containers and own several in different colors.
How to make
In a large bowl, stir condensed milk, ube jam, ube extract and vanilla extract.
Stir until incorporated.
Take a generous dollop of whipped cream and add to ube mixture.
Fold into your mixture to lighten it.
Take your lightened ube mixture and fold into your whipped cream…
…until well blended.
Transfer into a freezer-safe container and smoothen.
Place plastic wrap on top, then cover tightly. Freeze overnight.
Ice cream making tips
Easy, right? Here are more tips for perfect purple yam ice cream every time.
Use ube jam you like
I always use homemade ube jam when making this recipe but if you’re buying from the store, make sure it’s one that you enjoy eating on its own.
Use full-fat heavy cream
When making homemade ice cream, it’s best to use full fat heavy cream. This means fat content is between 36 and 40%. It whips better and sets better.
Taste, then taste some more
Since no-churn ice cream has no eggs in it, it’s safe to taste as you’re making it. So go ahead and taste at every step if you like.
Especially with this recipe, the kind of ube jam you use will affect how sweet your ice cream becomes. What you can do is add a little at a time and taste until you get the sweetness you like.
Use freezer-friendly container
Not all containers are created equal. Some would lead to ice forming at the bottom or sides of your ice cream. While others might expand in the freezer.
I’ve amassed this collection of ice cream tubs since I learned how to make ice cream and I exclusively use them. I’ve owned them for years and they still look like new!
Cover your ice cream with cling wrap
To be extra sure that ice doesn’t form on any part of your ice cream, especially the top, place cling wrap on it (place it right on the surface of the ice cream) before covering and putting in the freezer.
Then when you’re ready to eat, remove the cling wrap and reveal the creamy, ice cream underneath!
Ube ice cream variations
In the Philippines, there are many ube ice cream variations and they are just as easy to recreate.
– Stir in about a cup of macapuno strips (use the ones available in jars, drained properly) into your ice cream mixture for ube macapuno ice cream.
– Take about a cup of cubed or grated cheese and add into your mixture for a sweet and salty queso / keso ube treat.
Suggested toppings
In addition to cheese and macapuno, my favorite toppings include:
– Toasted coconut
– Strips of langka
– Corn flakes
– And yes, chocolate chips!
Recipe FAQs
For those of you who aren’t familiar with ube yet, it’s the Filipino word for purple yam.
Ube has been a staple in Filipino cuisine for generations and is most often used in making desserts.
A lot of people mistake it for taro, Okinawan sweet potato and purple sweet potato but they’re all different kinds of vegetables and have different flavor profiles as well.
Half & half cannot be substituted for heavy cream in no-churn ice cream recipes because it just doesn’t have enough fat content for whipping (10 to 18 percent).
In a pinch, you can use whipping cream (30 to 36 percent milk fat) but it will result to a lighter, softer texture.
To prevent your ice cream from getting freezer burn or forming ice crystals:
(1) Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the ice cream’s surface before placing the lid. This also helps prevent freezer smells from seeping into your ice cream.
(2) Make sure you use a freezer-safe container with a proper, tight-fitting lid.
It’s still safe to eat ice cream with a few ice crystals. It’s going to affect the texture and the taste though so you really want to protect it from air (its main enemy) and eat it within 2 weeks of making it.
Homemade ube ice cream lasts about 2 weeks in the freezer.
Because it doesn’t have the same preservatives as store-bought, when it comes to homemade ice cream, the fresher the better.
Some tips to keep it fresh for longer:
– Cover the top with plastic wrap (see above)
– Store in a relatively shallow and flat container vs. a deep dish
– Store towards the back of your freezer so that its temperature can remain fairly constant
Other ube dessert recipes
Ready to get into all things ube? Check these out:
Happy ice cream making!
Did you make homemade ube ice cream? 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!
Ube Ice Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 10-oz can condensed milk
- 5 oz ube jam (see notes)
- 4 tsp ube extract 1 20-ml bottle
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups heavy cream whipped to medium/stiff peaks
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir condensed milk, ube jam, ube extract and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Take a generous dollop of whipped cream and fold into your ube mixture to lighten it.
- Take your lightened ube mixture and fold into your whipped cream until combined.
- Transfer into a freezer-safe container, smoothen the top and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight.
Video
Notes
- Since ube jam is the base of your ice cream, it’s important to use one that you like on its own. I always use my homemade ube jam.
- It will also affect how sweet your ice cream becomes. What you can do is add a little at a time and taste until you get the sweetness you like.
- It’s also best to use heavy cream (milk fat content between 36 and 40 percent). It whips and sets better.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Cleofe M.
Hi Jolina, I make your ube ice cream recipe so many times now and I wanted to say thank you it’s always creamy and delicious and I say better than Selecta or Magnolia that I remember. My family loves it. We use your ube halaya recipe too. Delicious. Have a good day!
Jolina
That’s awesome Cleofe! Have a wonderful day!
Maribeth
Ube is my favorite ice cream flavor and first time making it at home. It was so good! Next time I’ll try add macapuno. Thanks for the recipe!
Jolina
Glad you liked it Maribeth! Macapuno is a delicious addition 🙂
Suse
If I DID have a machine, could I churn the base instead of freezing over night?
Jolina
Hi Suse, sorry but I don’t have a machine so I don’t know. Perhaps other readers do and can chime in!
Asonicow
hi po I was wondering how I can incorporate ube halaya instead of ube jam for the recipe
Jolina
Hi Asonicow, ube halaya and ube jam are the same so you can use them the same way. Unless you mean you have pure cooked unsweetened mashed ube?
KS
Okay this may seem like a silly question, but can I sub Cool Whip for the whipped heavy cream? Thank you for sharing your recipe ❤️
Jolina
Hi KS, I haven’t tried but I don’t see why not! 🙂 Lemme know how it goes.
KS
Thanks for the reply Jolina 🙂
Einn
How do I use frozen grated ube for ube ice cream instead of powder form? Do I need to cook it first?
Jolina
Hi Einn, I use ube jam and ube extract for the ice cream. If you want to use frozen grated ube or ube powder, you’ll have to cook them into jam first.
Raisa
Hi, I made this and it was delicious! Although a bit too sweet. Is there a way to make it less sweet without ruining the consistency? Thanks!
Jolina
Hi Raisa! I find the sweetness depends a lot on the ube jam you used. Try using less next time. What you can do is add a little at a time and taste until you get the sweetness you like.
Rosalie
OMG! I made this ice cream and my non-Ube fan husband loved it. Because of this creamy ice cream, he started trying other Ube food I made such as pandesal & butter. I’ve read other recipes but this one calls for only 10 oz of condensed milk while others call for a full 14 oz. This made this ice cream less sweet which is PERFECT for me! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Jolina
That’s awesome Rosalie! We love everything ube here too 🙂
Raisa
Can you make this in an ice cream maker as well?
Jolina
Hi Raisa. I don’t have an ice cream maker so can’t say for sure.
Alisha
Do you sweeten the heavy cream when whipping it or no?
Jolina
Hi Alisha, no need to add sugar to the heavy cream. Enjoy!
Daren
Thank you for this easy delicious recipe! I just made it and I’m licking the bowl and spatula mind u I made one little change.. I’m lactose so I switched up the condensed milk to coconut condensed milk and WOW!! It just adds to the flavor! My kids who love Ube icecream tried it out of the bowl before I put it in the freezer container and they demanded I make muliple containers of this. It’s so good! Never will I buy it again! Thanks!
Jolina
That’s awesome Daren! It’s so much better than the ones from the store, right? 🙂 I would love to try coconut condensed milk.
breslauer43
Hi Daren! I also had in mind to change it to coconut. What did you do about the heavy cream? Thanks!
SHaron
I love this recipe!! Definitely better than the ube ice cream we buy and cheaper too. Its my first time making ice cream thanks so much! Have you tried adding macapuno or queso?
Jolina
Hi Sharon! Glad you liked it 🙂 I haven’t tried adding macapuno or queso though I definitely want to!
Owee
This is gold! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Natalie
Is the ube jam necessary to the recipe? I live in England and the local asian supermarket doesn’t have ube jam but has ube extract.
Jolina
Hi Natalie. I always make ube ice cream with ube jam so I can’t say for sure how removing it will affect the end result. It certainly adds to the flavour and richness of the ice cream.
Liz
I’m so excited to find the Ube ice cream recipe! Thank you! I live in Kalispell, Montana. We have one Filipino/ Asian market. And the sell Ube ice cream for $12 a container. Ugh! Now we can have a Halo halo without spending as much money!!
Jolina
Whoa that is expensive! Crazy huh? Enjoy your halo-halo! (Now I want some lol)
Anuki Dissanayake
Can you also add purple gel food colouring into the no-churn ube ice cream for a extra hint?
Jolina
Hi Anuki. You can, but the recipe as it’s written is already very purple 🙂 And whenever you’re working with food colour be careful not to use too much because some of the brands have a slight aftertaste.