Recipe

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These ube pancakes are soft, fluffy, and packed with that nutty and sweet vanilla-like flavor that makes ube so irresistible.

The recipe uses authentic ingredients, and my quick video makes it a breeze to cook a batch of the famous purple ube pancakes at home.

Purple Ube Pancakes

Ube is a purple yam (like a sweet potato) from the Philippines known for its vibrant color and subtly sweet flavor that tastes a little like vanilla and slightly nutty like pistachio. Lately, this iconic flavor and color have been having a moment; from Trader Joe's ube ice cream to the viral Starbucks Ube Coconut Latte and Ube Macchiato drinks.

This pancake recipe keeps that fun purple color while still delivering the soft, fluffy texture everyone wants from a great pancake recipe. Plus, my kids think they're delicious and extra fun to eat.

Ingredients

These pancakes are made with classic pancake ingredients like all-purpose flour, baking powder for a fluffy texture, and a bit of salt. I like using canned coconut milk (regular milk works too), ube halaya jam (a thick puree) for authentic taste, ube extract for more color and flavor, a little vanilla for sweetness, coconut oil or butter for moisture, and eggs to bind the batter.

Where to Buy Ube Extract and Halaya

I found what I needed on Amazon, although in the US, some International markets carry ube yams (the actual purple yam), which you can cook and mash at home. Ube Halaya is a ready-to-go paste made with mashed purple yams and sugar. The ube flavor extract takes the batter to the next level in both color and flavor.

Can You Use Ube Powder

You can make these pancakes with ube powder by omitting the ube halaya (jam) and 1 egg from the recipe. You’d mix the powder with the dry ingredients and keep the extract (if you have it).

4 image collage of the steps to make ube pancakes. Top left is the wet ingredients in the bowl, top right is the batter showing texture, bottom left is cooking the first side of the purple pancakes, and bottom right is after flipping the ube pancakes

How to Make Ube Pancakes

If this is your first time making these purple ube pancakes, I show you how in the short video in the recipe card. Here is what you need to know about each step:

Make the batter.
Dissolving the thick ube halaya (the jam) with the coconut milk is essential so your batter is smooth and mixes easily. The dry ingredients are mixed separately, then added to the wet ingredients.
Cook the pancakes.
These cook best on medium-low heat for a little longer. Wait to flip until some bubbles form and cook the second side for about 2 minutes.
Stack them high and enjoy.
I explain below which toppings pair best with these. Leftovers keep for 4 days in the fridge, and they freeze well. Just heat them and enjoy!

stack of purple ube pancakes on a plate, with a piece on a fork to show their fluffy texture. They're topped with coconut whipped cream and toasted shredded coconut

How to top Ube Pancakes

Because ube pairs well with coconut flavor, I used whipped coconut cream (sold in cans in the refrigerated section), lightly toasted shredded coconut, and just a small drizzle of classic pancake syrup. Butter and syrup

Purple Ube Pancakes Recipe (+ Video)

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

These ube pancakes are soft, fluffy, and packed with that nutty and sweet vanilla-like flavor that makes ube so irresistible.

5 from 1 vote

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

½ cup ube jam, ube halaya
1 ¼ cups unsweetened canned coconut milk, shaken
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons ube extract, flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Make the batter

In a large bowl, add the ube halaya (ube jam) and canned coconut milk, then use a wire whisk to combine until they're well mixed. Then, add the eggs, the cooled and melted coconut oil (or butter), ube extract, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine all the liquid ingredients.
In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Then, add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix from the outside of the bowl in, until there's no visible flour left. It's important to mix the liquid ingredients well before adding the dry ingredients to prevent overmixing, which leads to chewy pancakes.
Let the batter sit on the counter for 5 minutes to rest. This helps the first pancake turn out as good as the last.

Cook the pancakes

Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat. Once hot, grease it with oil or butter. Immediately pour ¼ cup of batter per pancake and use the back of the scoop to shape it into a circle. The batter is thick, so it doesn't spread on its own.
Cook the first side for 2 minutes. When the edges begin to look defined and bubbles form, flip them over and cook the other side for 2 more minutes. Remove the pancakes from the pan onto a plate or in a 200F oven to keep them warm while you cook the rest.

Serve & storage

Toppings that pair well with ube pancakes include toasted coconut, whipped cream or whipped coconut cream, and syrup.
Refrigerate cooled pancakes in an airtight container or zip bag for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat them in the microwave, in 30-second increments, or toast them.

Notes

Using ube powder: omit the ube halaya (the jam) and 1 of the eggs from the recipe. Add 2 tablespoons (dehydrated) ube powder to the dry ingredients bowl. The ube powder will give the batter color, but not enough of the classic ube flavor. Keep the extract if you can.