These Ube Pancakes Recipe are soft, fluffy and delicious pancakes made with ube halaya (Filipino purple yam jam), coconut milk and ube extract, then topped with a slice of butter and maple syrup.
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What is Ube Pancake?
Ube (pronounced as "ooh-beh" in Tagalog) is a purple yam that has origins in Southeast Asia but it is widely used in Filipino cuisine for desserts. It is often boiled and mashed with condensed milk then served as a sweet treat. It’s high in vitamins, fiber, healthy carbs and antioxidants which can promote overall health.
Ube is often mistaken for Taro but the two are distinct. Taro (or "Gabi" in Filipino) is often used in savory dishes while ube is commonly used in sweets. The use of ube in foods became popular in United States when a widely-known food chain, Trader Joe, introduced their ube ice cream summer of 2019, and has been releasing all sorts of ube flavored treats.
This easy ube pancake recipe is a healthy and delicious combination of all-purpose flour, ube halaya (purple yam jam), ube extract, coconut milk and other simple ingredients. It can be topped with a slice of butter, macapuno strings and/or any sweetener of your choice.
It's a great recipe for a quick, simple and healthy breakfast, brunch and even snacks with the whole family!
Top Tip
- Make sure that the pancake looks almost solid before flipping it over.
Variations
- Ube Cream Cheese Pancakes: Swirl cream cheese into the pancake batter before cooking to create a creamy and tangy contrast to the sweet and earthy ube flavor.
- Ube Lemon Pancakes: Add lemon zest or lemon juice to the pancake batter to brighten up the flavors and provide a refreshing citrusy kick to the ube pancakes.
Substitutions
- Use ube powder and purple yam flavoring as an alternative to ube halaya.
- Feel free to use other starchy ingredients as a substitute such as potatoes, cassava and kamote (sweet potatoes).
- Mix mashed taro root into the pancake batter along with the ube for a double dose of purple goodness and a unique twist on traditional pancakes.
Storage
- Storage: After cooking the pancakes, freeze in a tightly sealed plastic container for 2 to 3 weeks. Reheat in the microwave before serving.
Ingredients
Listed below are all the ingredients you will need:
- all-purpose flour
- brown sugar
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- whole milk
- coconut milk
- large eggs
- butter
- ube halaya
- ube extract
- vegetable oil
- maple syrup
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
In another large bowl, whisk together milk, coconut milk, eggs, melted butter, ube halaya, ube extract and mix until thoroughly combined:
Combine the dry and wet ingredients using a whisk until no lumps are visible:
In a skillet over medium heat, add a bit of oil and pour a quarter cup of batter into the pan. Cook until you see bubbles on top of the pancake, then flip the pancake and cook for another minute then transfer to a plate. Continue with the rest of the pancake batter:
Serve with a slice of butter and a splash of maple syrup then enjoy a sweet and healthy meal!
Hint: To ensure your ube pancakes turn out fluffy and flavorful, make sure to properly cook the pancakes over medium-low heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ube (purple yam) is a starchy root vegetable that is rich in carbs, potassium, and vitamin C.
Ube has a sweet, mellow, nutty, and vanilla-like flavor. Others also describe it as creamy and almost coconut-like.
Yes, eating fresh yams are definitely good to eat during pregnancy. Just avoid eating the wild yams because they can be harmful to expecting mothers, as well as the leftover yams that are refrigerated because it can cultivate bacteria which can result in food poisoning.
Ube Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 2 large eggs
- ⅛ cup butter melted
- 3 oz ube halaya
- 2 teaspoons ube extract
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- maple syrup
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- In another large bowl, whisk together milk, coconut milk, eggs, melted butter, ube halaya, ube extract and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients using a whisk until no lumps are visible.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add a bit of oil and pour a quarter cup of batter into the pan.
- Cook until you see bubbles on top of the pancake, then flip the pancake and cook for another minute then transfer to a plate.
- Continue with the rest of the pancake batter.
- Serve with a slice of butter and a splash of maple syrup.
Jane says
Another delicious recipe! I froze a bunch and it still tasted fresh!
Lainey says
Hello, Jane. Thank you for making my recipes. I appreciate all your kind words. Feel free to try my other recipes. Enjoy!