How to make Ube Halaya at Home

Ube halaya is an ingredient I usually get at store, but it is so satisfying making this Filipino dish at home. Purple yam is combined with condensed milk, coconut milk, and a few other ingredients to create this vibrant purple jam. Add to desserts or spread it over some toast. I promise you’ll love everything about this spread.

One ingredient that I have loved using is ube halaya. Ube halaya is a Filipino spread that is made with purple yam. It is characterized by its purple color and vanilla/pistachio flavor. It is great eaten by itself as a spread or in desserts. Personally, I’ve loved using it in all kinds from desserts from rice krispie treats to cakes. That’s why today I wanted to put together my personal guide on how to make this yummy Filipino spread at home.

What is ube halaya?

Ube halaya is a Filipino dessert made with purple yam, coconut milk, condensed milk, and butter. It can be eaten as a snack or used in various Filipino desserts like halo halo and ube ice cream. I typically purchase my ube halaya jam at my local Filipino grocery store or on Amazon, but I thought it would be cool to learn how to make it. I want to preface this recipe by saying this is no way an authentic recipe. It is a recipe I came up with through testing. I also used Kawaling Pinoy’s ube halaya recipe as a starting point. Use it if you want an authentic recipe.

What is the difference between Japanese sweet potatoes and ube?

This was something I learned while researching this ube halaya recipe. Not all purple yams are considered ube. Only the purple yam that comes from the Philippines is considered ube. Ube is often confused with Japanese sweet potatoes which are also purple, but they have a few distinct differences.

1. First off, the best way to tell if you have ube is by the skin color. Ube has a light brown almost white color on the outside while Japanese sweet potatoes are a dark purple color (see picture above).
2. Japanese sweet potatoes have a drier texture than ube.
3. Taste-wise, ube is less than sweet than Japanese sweet potatoes, and it has a subtle vanilla/pistachio flavor. Japanese sweet potatoes don’t taste like that.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

• Purple yam (Ube) – This is the central part of the recipe, so there are really no substitutes for it. I have tested this recipe with Japanese sweet potato and it works texture-wise, but the taste is different. See above for a comparison between both.
• Evaporated milk and coconut milk – Both ingredients gives the jam a creamy texture. The coconut flavor also pairs well with the ube. You cannot substitute coconut milk for evaporated milk because evaporated milk has less liquid than coconut milk.
• Condensed milk – Adds sweetness and creaminess to the ube halaya.
• Light brown sugar – Adds sweetness to the ube halaya. Light brown sugar can be substituted with dark brown sugar, but it will make the ube halaya sweeter.
• Unsalted butter – Adds creaminess and a nutty flavor to the ube halaya.
• Ube extract (optional) – This ingredient is optional, but I found it improved the flavor and color of the final product.
• Salt for seasoning

How to make ube halaya at home

First, boil water and add the purple yams to the pot. Cook until a fork pierces the yam without any resistance (20-25 minutes). Once cooked, let them cool until you can safely handle them. Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks.

Use a potato ricer or potato masher to mash the potatoes. I typically pass the potatoes through a potato ricer into a large pot. Add 12 oz of evaporated milk, 10 oz condensed milk, 1 can coconut milk, 1/4 cup of light brown sugar, 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, 1/2 tsp of ube extract, and 1/4 tsp of salt to the pot. Turn the heat on to medium high and mix.

Once the mixture starts boiling, lower the heat to low. Cook for 25-30 minutes stirring every 5 minutes until the mixture pulls away from the edge of the pan and looks like creamy mashed potatoes. This is labor intensive, but stirring consistently helps the mixture cook evenly without burning. Scoop into a jar for safe storage! Enjoy!

Tips on how to make the smoothest ube halaya

Use a potato ricer for the smoothest ube halaya

This is something I learned making mashed potatoes. A potato ricer is more effective at mashing potatoes or yams than a potato mashed. Using a potato ricer results in a smoother final product.

Stir consistently for even cooking

This might seem very labor intensive, but stir consistently does produce a better ube halaya. This ensures that every part of the dish is evenly cooked. In testing, I left the ube halaya by itself for more than 5 minutes and parts of it started sticking to the side of the pot and some of it was burnt.

How do you store ube halaya?

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Homemade ube halaya does not last as long as store bought.

What can you do with ube halaya?

Ube halaya can be used as a spread over toast. It can also be added to desserts like halo halo or ube ice cream.

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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