This is the only recipe for ube crinkles you’ll need. Easy to follow, lots of baking tips, and cookies that always come out soft, fluffy and bursting with the ube flavor you love. Perfect for Easter, the holidays or any time you want an ube treat.
(If you’re looking to bake something ube this holiday season, check out this ube cake that’s frosted with the most amazing Swiss meringue buttercream. Cupcakes more your thing? You will love these ube cupcakes topped with whipped ube frosting. And if you’re craving for cheesecake, this luxurious ube cheesecake is all that and more!)
You’re probably familiar with chocolate crinkles. Our Christmas won’t be complete if we don’t have chocolate crinkles on our cookie tray.
Ube crinkle cookies have become part of the tradition too. And it’s fast becoming the favorite crinkle of the two.
This doesn’t surprise me at all. They’re delicious, unique and wonderfully purple.
Let’s get to it.
Why you’ll love making this recipe
Ube crinkles are simply a different flavor of crinkle or crackle cookies. (Looking for ube cookies similar to your favourite chocolate chip cookies? You will love this ube cookies recipe.)
Instead of the usual chocolate, these are ube or Filipino purple yam (see FAQs for more info).
I love baking them all year but especially around the holidays. Hope you enjoy baking them too.
- Easy recipe. This is such an easy cookie recipe to follow. It’s a tried and tested recipe too. I provide lots of baking tips, a troubleshooting guide and FAQs so you can make perfect ube crinkles every time.
- Freezes well. The cookie dough freezes incredibly well. So you can make them ahead, freeze, then bake as needed.
- Vibrant purple. Who can resist that vibrant purple color? These cookies will be the star of any cookie tray.
- Delicious. Most of all, they’re delicious. Soft and fluffy and packed with ube flavor. And if you prefer them a little chewier and fudgier, I give a variation below.
How to make
The cookie dough needs to chill for at least 4 hours so you’ll need to plan around that. Otherwise, it’s easy peasy.
Ingredients notes
You’ll need pantry staples like flour, baking powder and granulated sugar. Some things to keep in mind:
- Oil — we use oil instead of butter in this recipe. I always use canola oil because that’s what we use for cooking so that’s what’s always available. However, you can use another flavorless oil, such as vegetable oil.
- Ube jam or ube halaya — what’s important here is you use ube jam that you enjoy eating on its own. I prefer to make my own ube halaya, check it out! It’s easier to make than you think. You can’t use fresh ube here, unless you process it to become jam.
- Ube extract — ube extract is, you guessed it, like vanilla extract but ube! You can find it in Asian supermarkets and Amazon. It makes the ube flavor in baked goods pop and gives them that intense purple color.
- Confectioner’s sugar — also called icing sugar or powdered sugar in some places.
Baking tools
I like using my stand mixer to make these cookies but an electric hand mixer will work nicely too. You’ll also need:
- Cookie or baking sheet
- Cookie scoop (an ice cream scoop will work too)
- Parchment paper (or a Silpat mat and similar)
Step-by-step instructions
Like its chocolate counterpart, ube crinkles are soft, moist and fluffy. They have that distinctive crackle on top from confectioner’s sugar. And they’re just as easy to make too.
(1) First you want to combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
(2) Set aside.
(3) Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar, ube jam (or ube halaya) and oil until incorporated.
(4) It is important that you taste the mixture at this point (before you add eggs) so you can see if it needs more sugar. Like I mentioned, ube jams are different so you need to adjust according to taste.
(5) Once you’re okay with the flavour, add eggs and ube extract.
(6) Stir until combined.
(7) Add your flour mixture in thirds and stir until well blended.
(8) Cover your bowl with cling wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. This is a very sticky dough so I personally prefer to chill it overnight.
(9) When you’re ready, preheat your oven to 350F. Prep a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a Silpat mat (like what I use in the pictures). Set aside.
(10) Scoop a heaping tablespoon of ube cookie dough and, using your hands, roll into a ball. Thoroughly coat each ball with confectioner’s sugar before placing it on the cookie sheet. Make sure to space your cookies about 1-2 inches apart.
(11) Bake in the preheated oven for 10-13 minutes or until they crack on top and start looking matte. They will be soft coming out of the oven but don’t worry, they will continue to set as they cool so do not over bake.
(12) Cool in the pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert baking tips
Easy, right? Here are more baking tips for the best batch of ube crinkle cookies every time:
- Use room temperature ingredients. They’re easier to incorporate and helps you avoid over-mixing the batter.
- Use good ube jam. The ube jam or ube halaya makes or breaks this recipe. If buying from the store, it’s very important that you use a brand that you like on its own. Better yet, make it yourself! Check out my reader-favorite ube jam recipe.
- Chill dough as long as you need. This cookie dough is on the stickier side so you’ll need to chill it before rolling it into balls. I put 4 hours in the recipe but this really depends on where you are or how hot your kitchen gets. If you’re in a warmer climate, or it’s a warm summer day, you may need to chill it for longer.
- Oil or flour hands when rolling. The dough will also eventually get softer as you’re rolling the cookies. If they stick to your hands, put a little oil or flour on your palms to make rolling easier. If the dough becomes really unmanageable, bring it back to the fridge and take it out once it’s hardened again.
- Bake one batch of cookies at a time. Depending on how big or small you roll your cookies, you may need to use two cookie or baking sheets. It’s better to bake one cookie sheet at a time for even baking.
Troubleshooting guide
| Problem | Possible Cause | Solution |
| Didn’t crackle | Oven not hot enough | Ensure you’re baking at the correct temperature, an oven thermometer will help this |
| Baking powder expired | To check if your baking powder is still active, pour ¼ cup boiling water over ½ tsp baking powder. If it bubbles or foams, it’s still good. If not, time to replace | |
| Dough too soft | Not chilled enough | Chill some more |
| Dough too hard | Straight out of the fridge or freezer | Give dough 10-15 minutes to thaw before rolling into balls |
| Spread too much | Dough too warm | Make sure the dough doesn’t get too warm before putting in oven |
| Ingredient ratios wrong | To make sure you’re using the right amount of ingredients, best to use a kitchen scale | |
| Sugar melted while baking | Not enough powdered sugar | Thoroughly coat the cookies with powdered sugar |
Recipe FAQs
Ube is Filipino purple yam.
It looks similar to a potato but darker brown. When you cut it open, it’s a fantastic, bright purple colour.
A lot of people mistake it for taro, purple sweet potato, and sometimes for Okinawan sweet potato but they are different kinds of root crops.
In fact, taro is not very purple inside at all (the purple you see on your bubble teas is most likely food coloring) and they taste very different too
That’s the more important question, isn’t it?
Ube has a very unique flavor that you just have to experience for yourself but imagine vanilla-nutty-earthy. That exquisite combination of flavors is close to what ube tastes like.
Some readers told me they’ve tried ube jam from the store (the most common ube dessert you’ll find in this part of the world) and didn’t care for it.
However, remember that not all jams are created equal. Those already have sugar, preservatives and other flavors in it.
Want the real thing? Try my homemade ube jam. It’s simple, authentic, and packed with real fresh ube.
Like chocolate crinkles, ube cookie dough freezes well.
You can roll them into balls, place on a baking or cookie sheet and freeze until firm. Then you can transfer them into a freezer-friendly container or Ziploc bag.
When you’re ready to bake, simply get as many cookie balls as you like from the freezer, thaw for 15-20 minutes (watch that they don’t become too soft otherwise they will spread too thinly), roll in the confectioner’s sugar and bake as directed.
How long do ube crinkles last?
In our house, not very long lol!
But assuming we don’t eat it all, these cookies will last 2-3 days in an airtight container on your counter. That’s something to keep in mind if you’re planning to give these out as presents.
These cookies are supposed to be soft and fluffy, like mini ube cakes.
However, some readers have asked if there’s a way to make them fudgier to more closely resemble chocolate crinkles.
After much recipe testing, here’s what you need to do.
– Lessen the amount of flour from 2 cups to 1 ¾ cups
– Lessen the amount of baking powder from 2 teaspoons to 1 teaspoon
The rest of the ingredients stay the same.
The baking instructions stay the same as well.
Just note that because you’re using less flour, you will get less cookies
Looking for other Christmas cookie recipes? These are crowd-favourites:
Hope you enjoy baking and eating these ube crinkles as much as we do.
Happy baking!
Did you make this 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.
Ube Crinkles Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 7 oz ube jam or ube halaya about a cup, room temperature
- ½ cup canola oil or vegetable oil
- 2 pcs large eggs beaten, room temperature
- 3 tsp ube extract
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine granulated sugar, ube jam (ube halaya) and oil until incorporated. It is important that you taste the mixture at this point (before you add eggs) so you can see if it needs more sugar. Like I mentioned, ube jams are different so you need to adjust according to taste.
- Once you’re okay with the flavour, add eggs (which you've already beaten) and ube extract. Stir until combined.
- Add your flour mixture to your ube mixture in thirds and gently stir on low speed until combined. Make sure each addition is incorporated and remember to scrape the bottom and sides of your bowl.
- Cover the bowl with your cookie dough with cling wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours (I usually do overnight).
- When you’re ready, preheat your oven to 350F. Prep a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper (or silicone baking mats). Set aside.
- Scoop a heaping tablespoon of ube cookie dough and, using your hands, roll into a ball. Thoroughly coat each ball with confectioner's sugar before placing it on the cookie sheet. Make sure to space your cookies about 1-2 inches apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-13 minutes or until they crack on top and start looking matte. They will be soft coming out of the oven but don’t worry, they will continue to set as they cool so do not over bake.
- Cool in the pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- The yield depends on how big you make your cookies. I use a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop.
- It is easier to work with room temperature ube jam vs one straight out of the fridge so make sure to leave it out on the counter for at least 30 minutes before you plan to use it.
- These cookies are going to look a tad under-baked but don’t be tempted to continue baking them because they will turn rock hard. As soon as they crackle, turn matte and start to firm up, you can bring them out of the oven. They will continue to set while on the hot pan.
- See post for more baking tips, a troubleshooting guide, FAQs and step-by-step photos.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Lurlyn
Love your recipe! I chilled the dough for 24 hours. I didn’t have a problem with stickiness as I scooped it with my cookie scoop then dumped it in confectioners sugar then I rolled it in my hands.
Jolina
That’s awesome Lurlyn! Glad you liked them 🙂
Jessica
Loved this recipe !! It turned out perfect ! I only made half the recipe it was very soft baked and just right ! I used fresh homemade Ube halaya . I ate 3 upon it exiting my oven lol
Jolina
Glad you liked it Jessica! I eat freshly baked cookies straight out of the oven too, baker always gets first dibs 🙂
Raychelle Hanohano
Thank you so much this recipe was EXACTLY how i wanted it to come out. My kids wanted it with more sugar but not me. The fluff was perfect, it was light and just sooooooo Delicious
Jolina
That’s awesome Raychelle! Glad you and the kids liked them 🙂
Janelle
how come when they come out of the oven the icing sugar is melted on the cookies and I dying get the nice crack
Sarrah
Is it ok to leave the dough to chill overnight?
Jolina
Hi Sarrah, yes you can. If you go through the comments, other bakers have done so to make the cookie dough more manageable to roll.
Kim Fortin
Hi!
I tried to use some homemade ube halaya (frozen grated ube, coconut milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk and butter) but the cookies tend to be a bit too dense compared to when I’ve used ube halaya from a jar. Any suggestions on how to make homemade halaya work? Thanks!
Jolina
Hi Kim, I really can’t say for sure. But to remedy dense cookies, try playing around with the ratios in the recipe. Example: add a little bit more oil if the dough is getting too tough to work with.
Che
I left the dough in the refrigerator for more than 4 hours but it was still very sticky and I couldn’t really roll them into balls. Do you have any ideas of how to fix this? Maybe a little more flour? Also, can butter be substituted for the oil? TIA!
Jolina
Hi Che, if they’re still sticky, chill them for longer until they’re more manageable. Also, as much as possible, weigh ingredients so you’re sure you have the proper amounts of wet and dry ingredients in there. I haven’t tried in this recipe but in general, you can sub butter for oil. Just remember that butter melts at a lower temp so cookies made with it will tend to spread out. So if you want to replace, do so with melted butter.
Mildred
For some reason even after 12 hrs in the fridge, the dough is still very soft and hard to make into balls. Is there any quick fix to this? Thanks.
Jolina
Hi Mildred, I would personally chill it longer but if you need to bake them soon, add a little bit of flour to make the dough easier to handle.
Hanna
These were so yummy. Mine didn’t crinkle, but they were soft and full of flavor. Thank you for the note section of the recipe- it’s helpful to know what to look out for.
Jolina
Happy to hear that Hanna! Check out the post for more baking tips 🙂
Lily
I’ve seen some recipes that used brown and white sugar. Would this make the cookies more chewy?
Jolina
Hi Lily, in general, since brown sugar contains more moisture than white sugar, they lead to chewier cookies but I haven’t tried in this recipe so can’t say for sure. If you try it, would love to know how it goes!
Janelle
I loved this recipe so muchhhhh . .but now I want to try red velvet flavour. Do you have a recipe for red velvet crinkles.. or is there anything I can replace in this one to make them? Let me know please and thank you
Jolina
Hi Janelle. Unfortunately I don’t have a red velvet cookie recipe yet. Soon! I have a red velvet cake recipe if you’d like to try that instead for now 🙂 https://theunlikelybaker.com/red-velvet-cake/
Malory
Does it have to be 4 hours of chilling? If made a tad bit sooner like 2 hours does that make a huge difference?
Jolina
Hi Malory! The dough is very sticky so it’s going to be tricky to handle. Also, the cookies might spread out more. But check at 2 hours and see if you can roll them into balls. If not, chill some more.
Celle
Hello I love the recipe!!! I had one problem though, I refrigerated them for at least 24 hrs but I was only able to roll like 8 balls because then it started getting too soft. Am I doing something wrong?
Jolina
Hi Celle! Sometimes that happens to me too esp when it’s warm and humid. I just put the dough back in the fridge and bring it out again when it’s easier to work with.
Mia
i would love to try this! where is the video?
Jolina
Hi Mia! Scroll up towards the top of the post, the video should appear under the headline that says “Check out this recipe video”. If that doesn’t work, you can check it out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6uISNU4mRM
Frinces
The taste is amazing, however I noticed that the confectioners sugar started to melt when it’s in the oven. How can I remedy this?
Jolina
Hi Frinces. The confectioner’s sugar is supposed to crackle but not completely melt off. I don’t have any special tricks though; I just make sure to coat the crinkles completely.
Rhea
How would I need to change this to make them with the purple sweet potato that is available here inTexasusually referred to as Japanese sweet potato, so maybe okaniwan? I’ve not seen any Ube jam, ever. I did make a purple sweet potato pie with coconut cream last thanksgiving. I really liked it. .
Jolina
Hi Rhea! I think in terms of texture they are close enough. It’s the taste that might differ more significantly.