Ube Pancakes

Soft, fluffy, flavorful ube pancakes made with Filipino purple yam and coconut milk. Serve with maple syrup, ube halaya, and macapuno strings!

Filipino Purple Yam Pancakes

Trader Joe’s is greatly responsible for the instant nationwide popularity of ube! Since the introduction of their ube ice cream summer of 2019, Trader Joe’s has been releasing all sorts of ube flavored treats.

You may be familiar with Trader Joe’s Ube Mochi Pancake and Waffle Mix. I have yet to get my hands on box.

Until then, here is my version of ube pancakes. This recipe is made with regular all-purpose flour.

Ingredients

This pancake recipe uses a combination of ube halaya, ube extract, and coconut milk for flavor.

What is ube?

Ube is a purple yam native to Southeast Asia. Ube is pronounced “ooo-bae” in Talalog (Filipino). It’s a popular tuber widely used in Filipino desserts.

Though often mistaken for taro root or Okinawan sweet potato, they are not the same. They are relatives, but not the same tuber.

Note: Taro is called gabi in Tagalog.

Ube halaya is usually served as a dessert. It can be enjoyed as is or spread on bread or crackers. It is often used as filling or flavoring for other desserts.

Make ube halaya using frozen ube or powdered ube (dehydrated ube powder). Or, simply purchase the jarred versions in store (like the ones in the image above).

Ube Extract

Ube extract is a potent ingredient that helps to enhance the ube flavors of any dessert. Use it for ube pound cake, ube pandesal, or ginataang bilo-bilo.

Be careful! This liquid will stain! Can you omit the extract? No, please don’t.

Ube extract provides that iconic “ube” flavoring while also adding color to the batter.

Without this ingredient, the resulting ube pancakes will not be a violet in color nor will the pancakes have a rich ube flavor.

NOTE: I stock up on ube extract whenever I visit the Philippines, where it costs about $1 per bottle. It is a bit more expensive to purchase in the United States.

Ube extract is available online (Amazon affiliate link). Find it for a more reasonable price in Filipino supermarkets and well stocked Asian supermarkets in the the baking section.

How to Mix Pancake Batter

This recipe starts off similar to traditional pancake batter. Whisk dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredient together. Then, combine the dry and wet.

1. In large bowl, whisk together ube halaya and half of coconut milk until mixture is smooth.
2. Add in ube extract, vanilla extract, melted butter, eggs, and remaining coconut milk. Whisk until eggs are thoroughly incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking power, and salt. Add dry mixture to large bowl with wet ingredients.
4. Fold until there are no longer any streaks of flour. Do not overmix. The batter will be slightly chunky like the image above.

Don’t Overmix Pancake Batter! Gently stir or fold batter just until there are no longer any flour streaks. The batter will be a bit lumpy. That’s OKAY!

Overmixing the batter will result in dense, gummy pancakes. Err on the side of undermixed to achieve soft, fluffy pancakes.

Cooking Tips

• Use a large nonstick skillet or griddle.
• Lightly brush skillet with butter or oil. Don’t add too much butter since butter quickly burns. Also, don’t pour in the oil. Either use a brush, or use a paper towel is absorb excess butter/oil.
• Warm skillet over medium heat. High heat will cause the pancakes to brown too fast.
• Flip the batter once you bubbles start to appear on the surface of pancake.
• Don’t flip that pancakes more than once.
• Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup or a similar sized cookie scoop (ice cream scooper) to produce even sized pancakes. Even size portions will cook at the same rate.

Can ube pancakes be cooked ahead of time?

Yes! These pancakes may be prepared ahead of time.

To keep warm, place cooked pancakes in a low temperature oven (between 250-300 degrees F) for up to 30 minutes before serving.

Or, cool cooked pancakes.

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
• Gently reheat in the microwave at half water for 30 second intervals.
• Alternatively, reheat stovetop over medium heat until warmed throughout.

How to Ensure Fluffy Pancakes

• Mix wet and dry ingredients separately. Then, mix together until JUST combined. It’s okay if the batter is a little lumpy.
• Use relatively fresh baking powder. To check whether your baking powder is still active, add 1 teaspoon baking powder to about 1/2 cup of boiling water. If the mixture reacts and bubbles, the powder is fine. If nothing happens, trash that baking powder and get a new container.
• Don’t overcook pancakes! Flip pancakes batter ONLY ONCE. Flip once bubbles appear on the surface. Cook on the second side for the half the time you cooked the first side.

Serving Suggestions

Serve ube pancakes warm fresh from the skillet. Garnish with a pat of butter, a scoop of ube halaya (ube jam), and maple syrup.

Pancake may be enjoyed hot, warm, or room temperature!

For an authentic Filipino dessert experience, add a couple spoonfuls of macapuno.

Macapuno is a genetic mutation of coconut. This mutation causes the coconut to have thicker meat with a nuttier flavor. Macapuno string is also labeled as coconut sport or gelatinous coconut string.

It is a common component of Filipino desserts such as halo-halo. Macapuno is popularly paired with ube.

More Pancake Recipes

• Protein Pancakes
• Cinnamon Apple Pancakes
• Sweet Potato Pancakes