Ube Halaya is one of the best ways you can enjoy Filipino ube. It’s rich, creamy, and sweet; perfect for dessert and so much better than store-bought!

I love ube. In fact, a majority of Filipinos do and we take huge pride in our native crop.

Ube is a Filipino yam with a distinct, vibrant purple color. It’s similar in tastes to taro, with a deeper, nuttier, somewhat vanilla-y, floral taste.

Ube Halaya (Ube Jam) with latik and croissants

Ube halaya processes that ube down into a concentrated jam, perfect for spreading on top bread, pastries, or as a base for desserts or frostings. My mom always makes fresh halaya and stores it in the fridge so that the whole family can snack on it using a spoon.

Some of our favorite ways to use halaya is to turn it into ube cake (the ube frosting tastes phenomenal with this), mix it in with Halo Halo on hot days, or to make a warm, comforting bowl of Ube Champorado.

Ube Halaya

I’m super particular with ube because, especially commercially, they almost never get it right.

Mass-produced or commercial ube jams tend to be watered-down in taste, sometimes ending up incredibly sugary with no trace of ube at all. Others end up tasting somewhat artificial, with a slight chemical taste that isn’t very pleasant.

That being said, I will say some brands do hit the spot. You really want to go for Filipino brands that clearly state “Halaya” to get that really intense and authentic ube flavor.

Luckily, making it at home isn’t all that difficult. Yes, you will be mixing for 30-40 minutes straight, but you can grab a friend to help out as well. If the moms and lolas of Philippines can do it, so can you!

Instructions for Ube Halaya

Melt the butter over medium heat until browned and foamy (take care not to burn the butter or the halaya will become bitter).

Add in the evaporated milk, coconut milk, and grated ube. Stir to combine.

Optional, but highly recommended: blend this mixture until smooth to break down any large clumps of ube. This will ensure a smoother jam with a less grainy texture.

Pour the blended ube mixture back into the pan. Add in the condensed milk, ube extract, and salt. Stir to combine.

Continue stirring for 35-40 minutes over medium heat, being sure to scrape the sides. At around 35 minutes, the mixture should thicken into a very thick jam that should still be slightly runny.

Taste the halaya. Add more condensed milk, if needed, to reach your desired sweetness.

Remove the ube halaya from the heat and let cool completely in a separate container. Top with toasted coconut curds (latik), if desired.

Common Q&A’s

Where can I find ube?

Fresh ube is rarely imported to the west, and so I typically use the pre-grated frozen packs of ube that you can purchase in the freezer section of most Asian/Filipino groceries.

Note that people often mistake the Okinawan sweet potatoes as Ube in grocery stores due to their similar purple colors. Okinawan potatoes are more common in grocery stores than ube is, but make no mistake since they’re two completely different crops.

How much Ube Halaya does this recipe make?

This recipe makes around 4-5 cups of ube halaya.

Feel free to scale the recipe by half if you don’t plan on making a full batch!

How long should Ube Halaya be cooked?

For a standard ube halaya, I find the sweet spot to be around 35-40 minutes. It gives the halaya a firm texture, yet it’s soft enough to be spreadable.

You can go for 25-30 minutes if you prefer your halaya to be more on the runnier, thinner side.

Alternately, if you want to go for a solid, firm halaya, cook for around 50 minutes.

How long does Ube Halaya last?

We store our halaya in an airtight container in the fridge. They’re best enjoyed within 5 days, but it should last for up to 1-2 weeks refrigerated.

You can also freeze the halaya for up to 2-3 months. Just be sure to defrost them in some warm water prior to using.

How do I use Ube Halaya?

Think of this as a jam or a concentrated ube that you can use for a multitude of other recipes.

Some ideas where you can use ube halaya for include:

Ube Champorado (Filipino Ube Rice Porridge).
Ube Pie (Jollibee Copycat)
For spreads on bread or other pastries.
As a base for icing/filling/frosting in cakes, brownies, macarons, etc.
As a base for flavoring drinks or other baked goods.

Looking for more tasty desserts? Here’s a couple that you might enjoy: