Halayang Ube or Ube Halaya is a classic Filipino delicacy made of purple yam, coconut milk, and butter. Creamy, cheesy, and topped with golden latik, it's delicious as a snack or dessert.
Since frozen grated purple yam was on sale last weekend, I decided to stock up on a few packages and re-shoot the ube recipes I have on the blog. May I say, it was a good day today here at the Kawaling Pinoy headquarters.
The trays of ube kalamay, ube maja, and halaya I made using my precious loot were so good, they were all I ate all day. I probably didn't do my weight any service but am #sorrybutnotsorry.
What is Ube Halaya
Ube Halaya or is a type of Filipino jam made from purple yam. It's commonly served as a midday snack or after-meal dessert, but it's also used in bread, ube crinkle cookies, ube mamon sponge cakes, and other desserts such as peanut tikoy rolls, halo-halo, and ube ice creams.
Ingredient notes
- Purple yam- or locally known as ube. Similar to nilupak na cassava, halayang ube recipe starts by steaming or boiling the tubers until fork-tender and mashing until smooth and free of lumps. You can skip this step by using frozen, already-grated ube available at most Asian supermarkets.
- Milk, butter, and sugar- the mashed tubers are cooked in a mixture of coconut milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk, butter, and sugar until thick and creamy
- Cheese- use American processed cheese food like Eden or Magnolia brand for the best results. It gives the halaya extra creaminess and helps thicken the mixture more quickly.
- Ube extract- optional but a few drops do help boost color, aroma, and flavor. Use sparingly; note that the color of the mixture will be light but will deepen when cooked.
How to Make Ube Halaya
The process is pretty simple, but it does need a bit of patience and lots of elbow grease as it requires religious stirring to prevent from burning at the bottom. It takes a bit of time to cook the mixture into a thick concoction. Make the latik before or at the same time as you will need the rendered coconut oil to brush on the halaya.
- Combine grated ube, coconut milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, butter, and sugar in a wide pan. Whisk until smooth.
- Bring to a boil until sugar is dissolved, butter is melted, and ube is dispersed. Add ube extract, if using, and stir until mixture is evenly colored.
- Lower heat and simmer to a thick paste consistency, stirring regularly.
- Add cheese and stir until melted. Continue to cook until mixture is thick enough to cling to the back of the spoon and pulls slightly from the side of the pan.
- Lightly grease sides of a baking dish or llanera mold with coconut oil or melted butter. Spoon ube halaya into the prepared dish or mold and spread and flatten evenly using a lightly greased spatula. Allow to cool.
- To serve, invert halaya onto a serving plate. Lightly brush the top with coconut oil and garnish with latik, shredded cheese, toasted coconut flakes or sweetened macapuno.
Quick tip
The purple yam jam can be cooked into a spreadable consistency to store in jars or until thick enough to mold into shape. Just increase cooking time accordingly. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Serving suggestions
Give this classic Filipino delicacy a try! Rich, creamy and loaded with ube flavor, it's sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Top it with latik, shredded cheese, or sweetened macapuno strings for another layer of yum. You can also check out how to toast coconut flakes for a quick topping option.
Make it for a party or a special treat just for you! Enjoy!
How Long Does Ube Halaya Last
Properly stored, this nilupak na ube will last in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to one month. Keep in an airtight container or wrap tightly with cling wrap to prevent from drying out.
If you want to bottle the jam for longer shelf life, you can read more about safe canning procedures here.
More dessert recipes
Ingredients
- 1 package (16 ounces) frozen grated ube, thawed
- 1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
- ยฝ cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 to 3 drops ube extract (optional)
- 1 cup American processed cheese (Eden brand), shredded
For the Latik
- 2 cups coconut cream
Instructions
- In a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, combine grated ube, coconut milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, butter, and sugar.
- Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved, butter is melted, and ube is dispersed
- Add ube extract, if using, and stir until mixture is evenly colored.
- Lower heat and continue to cook, stirring regularly, for about 30 to 40 minutes or until a thick paste consistency forms.
- Add cheese and stir until melted. Continue to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture is thick enough to cling to the back of the spoon and pulls slightly from the side of the pan.
- Lightly grease sides of a baking dish or llanera mold with coconut oil or melted butter.
- Spoon ube halaya into the prepared dish or mold and using a buttered spatula, spread and flatten evenly. Allow to cool.
- To serve, invert halaya onto a serving plate. Lightly brush the top with coconut oil and garnish with latik, shredded cheese, toasted coconut flakes or sweetened macapuno.
To Make Latik
- In a pan over medium heat, add coconut cream and bring to a boil. Cook until it starts to thicken.
- Lower heat and continue to cook. As the oil starts to separate and solids begin to form, stir and scrape sides and bottom of theย pan to prevent from burning.
- Continue to cook and stir until curds turn golden brown.ย Drain latik from the oil and store in separate containers until ready to use.
Notes
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Lorna Rubion says
Hello po, ano po ang pinagkaiba ng halaya, jam, pudding at jelly?
Dalia says
This recipe is wrong.. with all the ingredients, 1 pack of purple yam is not enough so i made 2 packs with all the ingredients you listed and it turned out perfect as to consistency and sweetness. Kindly double check your posting. Thank you and Merry Christmas ๐
Joseph says
I love this beatuiful ube recipe
Rica says
mananam at masarap po dami kong order lagi thanks po!
Rosalie Corbett says
An you freeze haleya ube and how long can I keep it frozen
Bev. says
Hello Ms. Lalaine,
I tried this ube halaya recipe, and it is so delicious, however, it came out a little wet. Any tips to make it a little dry ? I followed exactly what your recipe says. Can I bake it?
Thank you!
anon says
The recipe is wrong- you need 32 oz of the ube not 16. Wasted a whole packet of grated ube ๐
Lalaine Manalo says
Hello. The recipe measurements are correct. The mixture needs a long time to cook until very thick for the best texture.
Marie says
Tried this recipe. So yummy๐ Plus the latik makes it more tempting to eat more๐๐
Dalia says
Lalaine, you have to double the pack of the purple yam or ube.. and everything will come out perfect ๐