UBE Brownies - a simple and easy purple yam recipe - AmusingMaria (2024)

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Get your baking bowls ready for these Ube Brownies – a simple and easy purple yam recipe. It’s so deliciously delicious, it’ll knock your pastry hats off.

Ooooh-Bae Brownies! These treats should be called Ube Blondies since we’re not using any kind of chocolate. Purple-ies might be the right term to use because of the Ube/Purple Yam’s color but no one’s going to know what I’m talking about. We’ll stick to the word brownies, for now, since the term is familiar to everyone.

What is Ube/Purple Yam?

It’s a root crop used in the Philippines mainly for desserts though we also eat plain Ube roasted/steamed/boiled or slathered with butter and sugar.

What does Ube/Purple Yam taste like?

It’s flavor is mildly sweet and nutty. In fact, the taste of Ube is difficult to enhance on it’s own when used in desserts. Therefore, it’s common for Filipinos to add Ube extracts or flavorings and even purple/violet food coloring when making cakes, cookies, and ice cream.

Where can I find Ube/Purple Yam in the USA?

You don’t need fresh Ube in this recipe but in case you’re curious,Asian grocery stores in larger cities have the yams readily available. In smaller cities, it’s appearance in Asian stores is sporadic. Ube is a novelty root crop in the USA so specialty/deli brands like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and our local gourmet/organic grocery have started selling it.

Where do I buy Ube extracts or flavorings?

Here are the brands I use, how much, recipes per bottle, andlinks to purchase:

Since I’m an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchasesat no cost to you.

Butterfly Ube Flavoring = 1 ounce – 3 recipes = purchase here

McCormick Ube Flavor Extract = 20 ml = 2 recipes = purchase here

Two McCormick Ube Flavor Extract = 40 ml = 4 recipes = purchase here

What ingredients are in Ube/Purple Flavoring/Extracts?

I hate to break it to you but Ube desserts – specially ones that have the rich purple color – are not usually all-natural or organic. Since purple yam’s flavor is so mild, it’s been a practice to add Ube extracts or flavorings and even purple/violet food coloring when making cakes, cookies, and ice cream.

The flavorings or extracts are a mix of sugar and red and blue food coloring. If this is a concern, well, I’m not sure what to tell ya.It’s just how it’s done in the Philippines and we’ve enjoyed royal-purple-scrumptiously-delicious Ube/Purple Yam desserts for many, many years.

How to make Ube Brownies – a simple and easy purple yam recipe

Ingredients for Ube Brownies

• 1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
• 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons ube extract/flavoring

Instructions on how to make Ube Brownies

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
• Lightly grease 11×7 inch baking pan then line with parchment paper
• Sift dry ingredients together
• Mix with a whisk or spatula to combine, set aside
• Add sugar and melted butter in a bowl
• Mix with a whisk
• Keep mixing until until thick and lighter in color
• Add egg and ube extract
• Mix until smooth and drips evenly from whisk
• Set whisk aside and start using spatula
• Add flour gradually and fold until no traces of flour is visible
• Transfer mixture to baking pan
• Spread surface evenly with spatula
• Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until tester is clean
• For fudgy Ube brownies, bake 14-15 minutes, tester should have a few fudgy crumbs

Helpful tools to make your scrumptious Ube Brownies.

*as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchasesat no cost to you.

Want more Ube?

Here’s a recipe for Easy Ube Cake

Here’s a Delicious Ube Jam or Halayang Ube Recipe by Betty Ann Besa-Quirino of Asian in America