Ube Bars Recipe (Ube Bar Bread)

Ube bars are slices of bread dipped in ube syrup then coated with coconut. A simple, beloved ube treat that’s very easy to make at home.

(Here’s the recipe if you’re looking for ube cheesecake bars. And here’s the recipe if you want some ube bread. )

Lots of people have fond memories of eating ube bars when they were kids growing up in the Philippines. Eaten for breakfast or as a snack, they’re a childhood favourite.

In some towns, they’re called alembong (Filipinos really have lots of funny-sounding foods…remember pichi-pichi and puto), deliciously purple treats sold in the local neighbourhood bakery.

They’re not readily available here in North America but happily, they’re surprisingly easy to make. Let’s get to it.

What are ube bars

Ube bars are made of bread sliced into bars, dipped in ube syrup, then coated in coconut (usually desiccated coconut or shredded coconut). This is why some people also call them ube bar bread.

Unlike my other ube recipes here on TUB, this ube bar bread recipe doesn’t have ube halaya or purple yam jam in it. The ube flavour comes from the ube extract (sometimes sold as ube flavouring).

Why you’ll love this recipe

You’ll love making this ube bars recipe because:

• Simple and easy. It’s a very easy recipe. You don’t need special tools and you don’t need to be an intermediate baker to make it work. It’s simple and very forgiving.

• No yeast or kneading. We’re essentially making bread but this recipe doesn’t need yeast or kneading like other bread recipes. All you’ll need to do is combine the ingredients and transfer the dough to a baking pan. (Are you a fan of no-knead bread? Check out this no knead focaccia bread!)

• Perfect bread texture. The texture of the bread is the perfect balance between soft and firm. It’s soft and tender so it’s a joy to eat, but firm and dense so it doesn’t fall apart when dipped in ube syrup.

• Pretty purple. No matter what you do, your ube bars bread will look pretty. I promise! You can’t go wrong with the white coconut against that vibrant purple. Perfect to serve to company on Easter, give out as gifts at Christmastime, or even sell from your home kitchen throughout the year.

How to make

Ingredients

To make the ube bar bread, you’ll need:

• Unsalted butter
• Granulated sugar
• Milk — I use 1% skim milk
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt

And to make ube syrup:

• Sweetened condensed milk
• Ube extract 
• Water

You’ll also need unsweetened shredded coconut or desiccated coconut for the coating.

Baking tools

I use my stand mixer to mix the dough. A hand mixer will work but note that the dough gets very sticky.

I also use:

• 9×13 inch baking pan
• Sauce pan
• Bench scraper or sharp knife to cut my bars
• Kitchen tongs for dipping

A kitchen scale and oven thermometer are also very useful for more accurate baking results.

Easy recipe with step-by-step photos

1 PREP. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan and set aside.

5 COOL. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan slightly before inverting into a chopping board or any flat surface to cool completely.

7 COMBINE.  Stir and once fully incorporated, remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl.

Expert baking tips

This recipe is easy and simple to follow. There are just a few things to keep in mind.

• It’s important not to over-bake the bread so it doesn’t get a hard crust, get too brown or too hard. 

• I don’t recommend placing the bread on a wire rack to cool because the rack will make indentations on the bars, which we don’t want. I just place the bread on a big chopping board or other flat surface.

• You can slice the bread whatever size you like. I slice mine in rectangles, but you can also make squares. To ensure clean, equal slices, I use a bench scraper; you can also use a sharp knife.

• When cooking the ube syrup, don’t heat the mixture for too long that it begins to simmer or boil. You just want the condensed milk to thin out slightly and the ingredients to incorporate thoroughly. 

• When dipping the bread in ube syrup, a quick dip on each side is all you need. Otherwise, your ube bars will get too soft and soggy.

• You’ll notice that after the first few bars you roll in coconut, your coconut mixture will look more purple than white and it will become a little more challenging for the coconut to stick to the bars. To avoid this, don’t use your coconut all at once. Just refill as needed.

Recipe FAQs

Other Filipino snack recipes

Looking for other Filipino snacks to make and enjoy? Check these out.

• Another childhood favourite — Filipino cheese bars. They’re the perfect sweet and salty treat.
• Ube donuts are soft and tender, packed with ube flavour, and baked not fried.
• Try this palitaw recipe for boiled rice cakes that are delicious, authentic, perfectly chewy, sweet and coconut-y.
• Filipino coconut macaroons are chewy, chocolatey and easy to make!

Happy baking!

Did you make this ube bar bread recipe? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below. If you’re looking for all things ube, check out this delicious collection of the best must-try ube desserts.

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