Ube Crinkles are soft, moist, and bursting with Ube flavors. These classic cookies with a tropical twist are easy to make and perfect for coffee or tea time.
In recent years, purple yam has become a trending food on social media and the international food scene. Many restaurants and bakeries have embraced the trend and started incorporating this lowly tuber into their dessert selections, such as ube macapuno ice cream, ube mamon, doughnuts, ube cheese pandesal, and cheesecakes.
With its rise in popularity, other parts of the globe are taking a second look at Filipino food. I am not sure if Ube will remain a fad, but one thing is for sure: It will always hold a special place in our local cuisine.
What are Crinkle Cookies
Crinkle cookies are soft, chewy cookies coated with powdered sugar before baking to produce their unique crackled exterior. They are commonly made with chocolate but can be adapted to various flavors, such as lemon, vanilla, and red velvet.
Today, we will be giving this popular cookie a delicious Pinoy twist. We're making Ube Crinkles!
Ingredient notes
- Sugar- the cookies include two types of sugars, granulated and powdered.
- Oil- makes for a denser texture than butter. Use a neutral-tasting oil such as vegetable oil for the best results
- Egg- the recipe uses whole eggs for color, structure, and leavening
- Ube halaya- good Ube crinkles start with a good ube jam. Although extracts can help enhance the ube flavor, nothing beats the natural taste of pure purple yam jam. Good Shepherd Ube Halaya is our favorite, but other great brands are available. Of course, you can also make it from scratch if you like. ๐
- All-purpose Flour- provides structure
- Baking powder- leavening agent to help the cookies rise
- Salt- brings out the flavor of the cookies and helps with browning
- Ube extract- enhance flavor and color
- Violet food color- optional; can be used to boost color without additional flavor
How to make ube crinkles
- Cream sugar and vegetable oil in a large bowl using a hand mixer. Add the egg and beat until frothy and pale in color. Add the ube jam and ube extract and beat again until well blended.
- Gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until well combined. The dough will be very sticky. Add violet food color, if desired, to achieve a deep purple color.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight or freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Chilling the dough makes it easier to handle, and roll it into balls. It's also important to make the cookies tall and not flat.
- Scoop 1 ยฝ tablespoonfuls and drop them into a bowl of powdered sugar. Roll the dough in the powdered sugar to coat it thoroughly. If the powdered sugar is melting, especially in humid weather, coat the cookie balls lightly with granulated sugar before coating them heavily with powdered/confectioner's sugar.
- Arrange 2 inches apart on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for about 10 to 12 minutes or until they begin to form their signature cracks on top.
- Remove from oven and let stand on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Quick tips
- Do not skimp on the powdered sugar. It tends to melt especially in humid weather so go heavy on coating the dough balls.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough evenly to ensure uniform baking.
How to store
- These crinkle cookies stay soft and chewy even after a few days. Store them in airtight containers at room temperature.
- To freeze the baked cookies, store them in a resealable bag between sheets of parchment paper and freeze them for up to 3 months.
- To freeze unbaked, shape the dough into balls, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and freeze until frozen. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a resealable bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes, roll in confectioner's sugar, and bake according to the recipe.
More baked goodies
Ingredients
- ยพ cup sugar
- ยผ cup vegetable oil
- 1 piece egg
- 2 cups ube jam
- 2 teaspoon ube extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- violet food color, optional
- ยฝ cup powdered sugar, sifted
Equipment
- hand mixer
- scoop
- cookie sheet
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together sugar and vegetable oil.
- Add the egg and beat until frothy and color becomes pale.
- Add the ube jam and ube extract and beat again until well blended.
- Gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix using a spatula or electric mixer with dough attachment. The dough will be very sticky. Add violet food color, if desired, to achieve a deep purple color.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or overnight. Alternatively, place in the freezer for at least 2 hours.ย
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Scoop a spoonful, 1 to 2-inch in diameter, of chilled dough and drop into a bowl of powdered sugar. Roll dough in powdered sugar to thoroughly coat.
- Arrange at least 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let the cookies stand for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator to make it easier to handle, and roll it into balls. This is also important to make the cookies tall and not flat.
- If the powdered sugar is melting, especially in humid weather, coat the cookie balls lightly with granulated sugar before coating them heavily with powdered/confectioner's sugar.
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
Jinkee says
hi! any tip pls because mine didnโt rise well...they became flat like cookies..
Ashley says
These cookies are awesome! But one big batch is a little too much for just me and my husband. Is the dough freezable?
Thanks!
Cindy says
Great recipe and easy to follow. They were a hit with my nephews and the rest of the family. Thanks for the recipe.
Amber Nall says
Thank you for this recipe. My family loves it! What is the best way to store them? I put them in a zip loc bag and the next day, they were so soft (like muffin tops). Still good but I wish they didnโt soften so much over night.
Irene says
I have a question about the food coloring, will the cookie be less purple when baked without the food coloring?
GRACE G NAGUE says
Thanks for this recipe, it was a big hit last 2019 post Christmas. I used another recipe for the Christmas Ube Crinkles but it wasn't as good as this one. Added 3 drops of purple coloring, alongside with my homemade halaya & McCormick Ube extract....but cut back a little on the sugar. It was perfect!
Norma says
Kamusta Lalaine,
I love this cookies. I made it twice already and substitute the oil with unsalted butter and adjusted the sugar, hence the halaya ube I used is already sweetened. It was such a hit that I started selling it in my small cookie business and my customers love it! Salamat for sharing a great recipe! Note to those who uses a colored ube extract donโt need food coloring at all as this have deep purple color already. I make a big batch and store in the freezer which is great for anytime you crave it. It last a good 3 months in the freezer if you store it well. Of course my batch never last that long because it is my families favorite.
May says
Hello there! Can I ask what amount of sugar did you use for your reduced version? My sister loves this recipe but I would very much like to cut down on the sweetness a lil bit. However, I can't afford to experiment since it's quite hard to look for ube halaya. Thank you!
Jo says
How do you store cookies once baked?
How many days are they good for if left out or kept in fridge?
julie says
hi! thank you for this recipe. it was easy to follow and the cookies taste delicious. however, i didn't have enough ube jam (my son was eating it lol). i had 1/8 less than i needed so the cookies were like a cross between cake and cookies. not the texture i wanted (not the recipe's fault at all) but the taste was still good.
also there was no indication of what a serving size is. i didn't know until after baking that 1 serving size is 4 cookies. the recipe yielded 48 cookies.
erianna says
i tried making these and they tasted like oil ๐ what did i do wrong?
Lalaine Manalo says
We use oil in the recipe, but the taste shouldn't have been overpowering.
Jane says
Thank you so much for the recipe! I had to practice making it for the kids to bring to school for their thanksgiving. Theyโre supposed to bring a Philippine delicacy and this is perfect to showcase. Thank you again!!!
Lalaine Manalo says
Hi Jane!! This yummy treat is perfect for that event indeed.
Sharlene says
Do you have recipe for chocolate crinkles?thank you
Lalaine Manalo says
Working on one ๐
Susan says
Can you make these a day ahead? If so, how can we store these?
Kanica says
Do I have to chill the batter for 2hrs or can I bake right after like other cookies?
Cheryl says
Fantastic cook and I love your recipe I made also I recommend your recipe is good.