Ube brownies are your favourite chewy and fudgy brownies but packed with the ube flavour you love. Made with real ube halaya, sprinkled with white chocolate chips, so good.
(Can’t get enough of ube? Try making ube cheesecake. It’s a reader favourite here at TUB and for good reason! Rich, creamy, delicious, packed with real ube goodness. Or try ube cheesecake bars – a decadent ube treat.)
I’ve said it once (maybe more lol), I’ll say it again — ube is my jam. I love baking with and eating everything ube.
I don’t know why exactly — maybe it reminds me of home, maybe I really love how it tastes, maybe I just like the colour purple, maybe all of the above. Whatever it is, ube is one of my favourite ingredients in the world.
I have lots of ube recipe ideas here on the blog, I even have a whole category dedicated to it, and I’m happy to share my latest ube recipe — ube brownies.
It took me months and several tries to perfect this recipe but it’s finally ready for you to try. Enjoy!
What is ube?
Ube is the Filipino word for purple yam. It’s certainly not unique to the Philippines but it’s definitely a national favourite.
It’s made into all sorts of ube desserts like:
What does ube taste like?
I must admit, after all these years of baking with ube, it’s still difficult for me to describe how ube tastes like because it’s so unique and doesn’t taste like anything (really!).
Happily, ube has gone mainstream these past years (even Trader Joe’s carries an ube ice cream flavour now) that you can easily taste ube for yourself and see why a whole country is obsessed with it.
What are ube brownies?
Technically, ube brownies should be called ube blondies because the recipe doesn’t contain cocoa. But a brownie has a certain ring to it, doesn’t it? So brownies it is.
Just imagine your favourite fudgy brownie recipe but ube flavoured. That’s what these ube brownies are. They’re delicious.
Why you’ll love making these purple yam brownies recipe
They’re also very easy to make. You’ll want to make this ube brownie recipe all the time because:
- It’s a one-bowl recipe. Easy to make, easy to clean-up.
- You don’t need mixer. You combine everything by hand.
- It’s made with real ube halaya. A lot of the other ube brownie recipes you’ll find only uses ube extract to flavour a classic blondies recipe, or uses a small amount of ube jam. This recipe has a whopping 2 cups of ube jam for the ultimate ube flavour.
- The batter is sprinkled with white chocolate chips. They complement ube so well.
- These brownies keep and freeze well. Make them today while you have time, thaw them whenever the ube craving this.
- They are a pretty purple! Which makes them perfect as Christmas presents, at bake sales and more.
How to make ube brownies
Making ube brownies is similar to making chocolate brownies. Ingredients are similar too.
Ingredients
You will need:
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Ube jam or ube halaya
- Ube extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- White chocolate chips
Tools
You don’t need a mixer to make this ube brownies recipe. All you’ll need are:
- 9×13 inch baking pan
- Large bowl
- Fine mesh sieve
- Measuring cups and spoons
I use a bench scraper to cut my brownies but you can also use a sharp knife.
And I always recommend using an oven thermometer so you can rest assured that you’re always baking at the correct temperature.
Ube brownies recipe
1 PREHEAT. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan then line with parchment paper with a slight overhang on each side. Set aside.
2 BUTTER AND SUGAR. In a large bowl, combine melted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until smooth and incorporated.
3 UBE JAM AND EGG. Add the egg, ube jam and ube extract and stir until combined.
4 DRY INGREDIENTS. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into your ube mixture and gently stir until no significant streaks of flour remain (do not over mix). The batter will be thick.
5 WHITE CHOCOLATE. Gently fold in white chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
6 TRANSFER. Transfer into prepared pan and spread around evenly with a spatula. Optional: press more white chocolate chips on top of the batter to make your brownies prettier!
7 BAKE. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with minimal dry crumbs.
8 COOL. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, remove from pan to cool completely, then cut into bars.
Tips for making the best ube brownies and other FAQs
It’s that easy! Here are more baking tips and answers to your frequently asked questions to make this ube brownie recipe that much easier to make.
Where can I buy ube halaya or ube jam?
You can usually find ube halaya in the Asian or international aisle of your supermarket. If not there, they are almost always available in an Asian supermarket or online.
I grew up eating Good Shepherd ube jam though (the gold standard, IMO) so I was never really happy with any of the ube jams I’ve tried here.
Happily, I’ve learned to make my own ube halaya and it’s so good if I say so myself! And not hard to make at all.
If you’re not happy with the ube jams you find at the stores either, try it. You won’t look back.
Where can I buy ube extract or ube flavouring?
You can find ube extract at Asian supermarkets. If that fails, it’s available on Amazon. I use McCormick ube extract in all my ube recipes.
How to make chewy ube brownies
I love baking brownies. I find them easier to make than cake and cookies and they’re always a hit with everyone.
I prefer chewy and fudgy brownies over cake-y ones and in my experience, these help make ube brownies perfectly chewy and fudgy:
1 Brown sugar. The brown sugar in the recipe helps create that sticky, fudgy texture.
2 Bake time. Remember it’s better to under-bake than over-bake brownies (any brownie). Use the baking time in the recipe as a guide and then start testing your brownies about 10 minutes before the end, or just when they start pulling away from the sides of your pan.
The tester or toothpick you insert in the centre must not come out clean. What you want are bits of crumbs (not wet batter) sticking to it. The brownies will continue to cook as they cool.
3 Proper mixing. It also helps to mix your batter just until blended. Over mixing your brownie batter after you’ve added the flour will result to dry, crumbly brownies.
How to store ube brownies
These ube fudge brownies will keep in the fridge for up to a week but the best way to store them is to freeze them.
Cut the thoroughly cooled brownies into individual pieces, wrap each one in plastic wrap (wrap them snugly), then with foil. Place each one in a freezer safe container or freezer Ziploc bag.
When you’re ready to eat or serve them, just bring them out and thaw at room temperature (still wrapped). They’re good slightly chilled too.
Frozen ube brownies with ube halaya will keep for up to a month.
Other brownie recipes
Are you a brownie fan yourself? Try these delicious brownie recipes:
- Salted caramel cream cheese brownies — all your favourite things in one decadent, luxurious bite.
- Fudgy walnut brownies — crusty and shiny on top, chewy in the centre, and bursting with chocolate chip and walnuts.
- Mascarpone swirl brownies— fudgy brownies with velvety smooth mascarpone swirls. Rich, decadent, chocolatey and very easy to make
- Matcha brownies — your favourite chocolate brownies complemented with the delicious, earthy flavours of matcha.
Ube brownies are a delicious, quick, and easy ube dessert. It’s great with coffee; I personally love it with cold milk.
Eat it after meals, as a snack, even for breakfast! Give it out to friends, serve it to company, or reward yourself at the end of the day. Enjoy!
Ube Brownies Recipe (made with Ube Halaya)
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted and allowed to cool slightly
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 pc large egg, room temperature
- 17 oz ube jam (about 2 cups) room temperature
- 2 tbsp ube extract
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan then line with parchment paper with a slight overhang on each side. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine melted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup packed brown sugar until smooth and incorporated.
- Add the egg, ube jam and 2 tbsp ube extract and stir until combined.
- Sift 2½ cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt into your ube mixture and gently stir until no significant streaks of flour remain (do not over mix). The batter will be thick.
- Gently fold in 1 cup white chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Transfer into prepared pan and spread around evenly with a spatula.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with minimal dry crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, remove from pan to cool completely, then cut into bars.
Video
Notes
- Not all ube jams are made the same. I make my own ube halaya and if you use that to make your ube brownies, you don’t need to change anything in the recipe. If you use a store-bought ube jam, I suggest to taste your ube mixture before adding in the egg so you can decide if you need more sugar, ube or both. Make sure to add sugar or ube in small increments.
- You can set aside about ¼ cup white chocolate chips that you can press on top of your batter before baking to make your ube brownies/ube blondies prettier!
- Like chocolate brownies or regular blondies, it’s better to under-bake than over-bake ube brownies. They will continue to cook in the pan.
- Ube brownies are also delicious chilled.
- See post for complete step-by-step photos, more baking tips and FAQs.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Happy baking!
Did you make this ube brownies 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.
Yhen
Omg! Turns out bad..I think I just wasted almost 2 bottles of Ube halaya that I bought in Baguio.. It was too dry when I mixed everything.. Luckily didn’t put chocolate chips otherwise I just wasted all the ingredients
Jolina
Hi Yhen, this brownie batter is incredibly sticky. A possible reason for your dry batter could be too much flour? For better results, weigh your flour next time you bake.
Gsel
I ate similar one in the famous filipino halo2x shop in Chinatown in London called ‘Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream’. It was very good but cost £6.50/slice. That’s the reason I was googling the recipe and found this one. Thank you
Jolina
Enjoy!
Elizabeth Yu
I made these brownies tonight (July 2, 2022). But, my version tasted (a bit) drier. Is it because I cut down the amount of Ube Halaya used? I have, yet, to taste the middle part of the brownie.
Jolina
Hi Elizabeth, might be over-baked? I always tend to under-bake my brownies because they continue to cook in the pan while cooling.
Kara
Made this with all my Christmas sweets leftovers: ube, chocolate, mazapan de pili, and espasol turned out great! We’re not big fans of ube halaya on its own, so this recipe saved me a wasted jar of ube.
Zach
I was a little skeptical after reading some comments that mention their brownie turned out cakey, but I took extra care not to over mix or over bake and they turned out incredibly moist! I did only make half the recipe in a 8×8 since I didn’t want too many and that may have helped. I tried it with some ice cream but honestly they are better on their own so you can really enjoy the flavor. A+!!!
Jolina
That’s awesome Zach! Thank you!
BEA
I’m definitely not calling these brownies. At best it’s a Blondie but I just call them ttaybakes. Unless you want to add chocolate they shouldn’t be on the same page ..sorry…people expect to taste brownie but it’s far from it. I do like them & love the cakes but no way can I go with a brownie..
Jolina
Hi Bea, I totally get it…I was supposed to call these blondies myself but decided on brownies because that’s what people are calling them lol! Glad you liked them, blondies or brownies or tray bakes 🙂
Ruthie
I made this last night for my family and everyone liked it! A little cakey but I think it’s the pan I used. My son suggested using a metal pan to get more of the brownie texture.
Jolina
Glad you and the family liked it Ruthie! And yes I use a metal pan when making ube brownies.
Michelle
I made this for my family over the holidays and it was a hit! I’m just wondering if 2 Tbsp or ube extract is correct, because my brownies were pretty dark and not the bright purple like your pics show.
Jolina
Hi Michelle, glad you guys liked the brownies! I made a batch over the holiday season too and gave them out as gifts 🙂 And yes, 2 TBSP is correct. I use McCormick.
Christina
Hi! I tried baking these twice, but they turned out more like a cake consistency, rather than a chewy blondie/brownie. Still tasty, but not the consistency I was hoping for.
Any thoughts? I used store-bought ube halaya jam and followed the recipe. Salamat po!
Jolina
Hi Christina, cakey brownies are usually the result of over mixing the batter. You need to stir only until the batter is just blended. Also make sure you’re adding the right amount of flour because that impacts the texture as well. I give more tips for a chewy brownie in the post. Check it out. Thanks for trying the recipe!
Kay
Going to try this recipe tonight but don’t have ube extract. Can I leave it out?
Jolina
Hi Kay, if you leave it out, you won’t get that vibrant purple colour and the ube flavour won’t be as pronounced.
Lisa
Hey jolina, can I substitute the flour with gluten free flour?
Jolina
I haven’t personally tried but I think some blends allow you to substitute 1:1
Richard
Thanks so much for this recipe!
I absolutely loved the flavor! However, I also had the same issue as Emi below, but after 50 minutes or so I think it turned out fine, especially after it cooled down. I’m not sure if it was my oven, but the white chocolate chips themselves were also hard, and not melted like you would find in a chocolate chip cookie. Is this how it’s supposed to turn out?
Also, would you happen to know if I can add some sort of taro head into the brownie, so when you bite into it you can find chunks of taro?
Jolina
Hi Richard, glad you liked the recipe. Ovens are all different so it’s good practice to use an oven thermometer so you’ll know if your oven is running hot or cold. That way you can use the baking time as a guide then add or subtract time as needed. The white chocolate chips aren’t supposed to melt all the way, but they’re not supposed to be rock hard either, except the ones you press on top (if you did that). And please note ube is not the same as taro.
emi
Hi,
Your recipe looks awesome so I tried out your recipe! However, my brownie doesn’t seem cooked in the middle even though I baked it for over 50 minutes ahh. I did tried to cook it after the 30 minute mark but it was still wet and wasn’t cooked. What seems to be the problem? I followed the recipe exactly and don’t know what to do. Thanks!!
*note* I used store bought ube jam
Jolina
Hi Emi, sounds like your oven did not reach the right baking temperature. Do you bake with an oven thermometer? And in case your oven has hot spots, it’s a good idea to rotate the pan so the brownies cook evenly.
Cece
These are amazing!! How long do these usually stay fresh for if I wanted to bake them ahead of time? Refrigerated and not refrigerated?
Jolina
Hi Cece, thanks! Ube brownies will keep in the fridge for up to a week but I find the best way to store them is to freeze them. Frozen ube brownies will keep for up to a month. Check out the post for more info on how I store them.
Kellie
How can I stop top of the brownies from going brown in the oven?
Jolina
Hi Kellie, you can loosely cover the top with aluminum foil. Just be careful not to over bake them.
Row
So excited to try these out tomorrow! If I wanted a layer of I’ve halaya in the middle of the batter, would I freeze it into a slab first and then pour half the batter, the frozen slab, then the rest of the frozen batter on top? Or would that not work?
Jolina
Hi Row, that’s a delicious idea. I haven’t tried myself but I would probably bake the brownies first then just spread the halaya in the middle after. I usually like to take the simplest route 🙂 Lemme know what you decide, interested to know how it goes!
Kayla
I made these and loved them! I did need to use a mixer though as the batter was super thick, but totally worth it!
Jolina
Hi Kayla, glad you liked them! They’re everyone’s new favourite ube treat 🙂