Ube Hopia

Try this easy Filipino Ube Hopia recipe that is a sweet, delicious, and addicting treat! It’s a thin flaky Filipino pastry that can be eaten for dessert or snack and is perfect for any season!

Love Ube flavored desserts? Try my Ube Buchi, Ube Biko, Ube Beignets, Ube Champorado!

What is Hopia?

Hopia is a popular Filipino bean-filled moon cake-like pastry that has Chinese origins. It was originally introduced by Fujianese immigrants in the early 1900s in urban centres of the Philippines.

In Hokkian, a dialect spoken in Southern Fujian and Taiwan, the word hopia means “good pastry”. It is also popular in Indonesia which is widely known as bakpia pathok, named after a suburb of Yogyakarta which specialises in the pastry.

Traditionally, hopia is filled with mung bean paste (munggo) but nowadays, there are many variations when it comes to the filling just like pineapple, cheese, chocolates and custard. In this recipe, I used the sweet ube halaya or purple yam jam filling which gives a unique, vivid violet colour and sweet taste.

Ube hopia was first introduced in the 1980s by Gerry Chua of Eng Bee Tin, a Chinese Filipino deli chain in the Binondo district of Manila, Philippines which is known for their mixed Chinese and Filipino culinary traditions. This delicious pastry becomes a relatively inexpensive and delicious treat, gift or souvenir for families, friends and relatives all year round.

Learn how to make this easy dessert or snack recipe right at the comfort of your home because homemade pastries made with love are still the best!

Tips and Procedures:

• Feel free to use other fillings of your choice just like mung bean paste, pineapple and even durian.
• To save time, you may use the ready-made Ube (Purple Yam) Jam for the filling.
• Use a frying pan if you don’t have an oven. Just cook the hopia in a pan over a low heat for 10 minutes on each side or until slightly purplish-brown in color.
• Make sure to apply egg wash whether you are using a pan or an oven. The egg wash acts an adhesive to keep the pastry from cracking.
• Storage: It can be stored at room temperature for 1-2 weeks. It can also be frozen for up to 6 months. To thaw: do not reheat or defrost. Leave at room temperature until it is ready to be eaten.

How to Make Ube Hopia:

Listed below are all the ingredients you will need:

Filling 

• ube halaya 

Dough #1 

• bread flour 
• brown sugar 
• cold milk 
• vegetable shortening 
• salt 

Dough #2 

• all-purpose flour 
• vegetable shortening 
• egg

Using a fork or spoon, mix the ingredients for dough #1. Knead just a couple of times until they stick and just combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside:

In another bowl, combine the ingredients for dough #2. Mix well until smooth dough forms. Dust the working surface with a little bit of flour:

Roll dough #1 into a rectangular shape with a half-inch thickness. Place dough #2 on the center top of dough # 1, covering two-thirds of dough #1:

Fold the third uncovered part like folding a letter. Roll the dough to form a log. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes:

Cut each dough into 12 equal pieces. Take a piece of a portioned dough and flatten it with a rolling pin:

Scoop out a teaspoonful of the ube halaya filling and place it in the middle of the flattened dough. Gather the sides and pinch together to seal:

Use a cookie cutter to shape and form it in equal pieces. Place the hopia dough in a baking pan. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling:

Bake the hopia in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Take out the baked hopia and brush with egg wash.  Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool at room temperature:

You may serve this with your favorite milk drink or tea. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions: