Jollibee Ube Pie (Copycat Recipe)

This ube hand pie recipe is simple to make but so delicious. Ube halaya filling inside a buttery puff pastry crust. It’s very easy to customize too if you want to jazz it up and make ube macapuno pies or ube cheese pies.

(Looking for more ube recipes? I have a whole collection of them! Check out all the ube recipes here and find your new favorite.)

As you can see, this pie is not the kind you would usually serve on thanksgiving, like sweet potato pie or pumpkin pie (this ube pie recipe is the one you want for that).

It’s closer to the ube pie available in Jollibee – ube pie pockets filled with ube halaya.

The good news is, they’re easier to make. No fussing with the dough for the pie crust. No need to cook the filling separately. Just simple, scrumptious ube hand pies.

When I lived in Manila, Jollibee didn’t sell ube pies, only peach mango pies.

So I had to make the 30-minute drive to the nearest Jollibee store and line up another half hour in the cold to see what the fuss was about.

To be honest, I was underwhelmed and hugely disappointed. But these ube pies, they are legit. Pure ube halaya deliciousness inside a buttery, flaky puff pastry crust. So good.

So on second thought, you can totally serve these pies on Thanksgiving or any special occasion. Make sure to bake several batches because they will be gone in a hurry.

Let’s get to it. 

What is ube?

Ube is Filipino purple yam. No, it’s not the same as purple sweet potatoes or Okinawan purple yam. Neither is it taro.

There’s a whole world of yams and potatoes out there and ube is as distinct as the next.

When looking for it in the supermarket, make sure you’re buying legit Filipino purple yam because some places label them incorrectly (I suppose they might be confused too).

Its skin would be rough, sometimes hairy, and dark brown. Inside, it’s a vibrant purple.

A lot of TUB readers tell me it’s easier for them to find frozen ube or frozen grated ube. That’s fine too though I would choose to use fresh ube if I had the chance.

What does ube taste like?

It feels like a million years ago when I shared my first ube recipe, a recipe for ube cake. I tried to explain then what ube tasted like but didn’t really do a great job. 

Here I am, hundreds of recipes and many years later, and I still can’t properly describe ube flavour lol. It’s really something you need to experience to understand.

One thing’s for sure — it’s delicious! 

My ube cheesecake recipe (on a bed of coconut cookie crust and topped with coconut cream) is a reader favourite and I get a lot of lovely messages about it so if you want to try ube, I’d suggest you start there. 

Warning: you will be hooked.

How to make

Now back to this delicious ube pocket pies! It really is very simple to make.

You’ll need: ready-made frozen puff pastry, 1 egg mixed with milk, and ube jam (you can make your own like me, or buy a jar of your favourite brand from the store). That’s it!

1 BAKING PAN. Line a baking pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. You can also use a silicone baking mat, like the one I use in the photos.

2 EGG WASH. In a small bowl, prepare your egg wash by beating 1 large egg with milk. Set aside.

Expert baking tips and recipe FAQs

Easy peasy, right? Here are more baking tips to make this ube pie recipe even easier.

What kind of ube halaya to use

The ube halaya is the star of this show. So use the best one you can find. If you won’t eat it on its own, don’t use it for baking.

My gold standard is the Good Shepherd ube jam but that’s hard to come by here so I learned to make my own. My recipe for ube halaya is simple, straightforward and delicious. Try it!

What kind of puff pastry to use

Like ube halaya, I would recommend buying good puff pastry. Stay away from the discount brands and opt for all-butter puff pastry. You can really taste the difference.

And for simple recipes like this that has very few ingredients, the quality of an ingredient can make or break the final result.

Puff pastry baking tips

Puff pastry is one of the things I always buy in-store. It’s very complicated to make from scratch (for me) and since I can get high quality frozen puff pastry at the store, that’s what I always do. 

And it really is a wonderful ingredient to work with, when handled correctly. 

• Thaw it properly. It usually says how on the package.
• Puff pastry should never be warm to the touch or even room temperature. It should be pliable but still cool. 
• Don’t use puff pastry too soon, example: when it’s still frozen, or it will break.
• And remember that once you’ve thawed the sheets you can’t refreeze them so use those puff pastries up. 

How to store ube pies

The best way to store leftover pies is to freeze them. Just cool completely then place in a freezer safe container or Ziploc bag. They should last about a month.

To thaw, warm in the microwave for a few seconds then pop into your oven toaster to get back that crunch.

Hope you like these ube pies. Perfect with coffee, tea, in the morning, for snack time, merienda, special occasions. Enjoy!

Happy baking!

Did you make ube pies like the ones from Jollibee? 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.