Need a vegan ube halaya recipe that is authentic and easy to make? Look no further because this recipe is what you’ll need! All you need is a few ingredients and a little patience, and you’ll make the best vegan ube jam ever. Add this to your ube pandesal, or halo-halo, or even eat it on its own! It’s so delicious and full of delightful ube flavor.
What is ube halaya (halayang ube)?
Ube halaya (ha-lah-yah) is a Filipino delicacy, a sweetened purple yam treat with a jam-like consistency. Basically, it’s made of mashed purple yam, evaporated milk, condensed milk, and butter combined into one delicious dessert. Yes! Believe it or not, ube halaya on its own is traditionally a dessert! Occasionally, you’ll see them topped with some grated cheese or latik (toasted coconut milk curds). Nowadays, ube halaya can be used to make anything, such as bread, cakes, cookies, and even ice cream! However, I can eat ube halaya just on its own. Especially now that I can make it vegan, I’m never gonna stop taking a spoonful of it!
What is Ube?
Pronounced as: “OO-BEH”, ube is a purple yam and is a staple ingredient for Filipino desserts. Boiled, mashed, and often used as jams or to color sweet treats. It has a mild and sweet flavor, which some have said is a cross between vanilla and pistachio. Another thing, most people confuse it with taro, and the short answer is, no, they are not the same. While taro is for savory cooking, and ube is used for sweets.
Ingredient notes
Dehydrated ube powder – Dehydrated ube powder is more accessible and commonly seen at stores than frozen grated ube, which is why I opted to use it.
Vegan evaporated milk – Vegan evaporated milk gives this recipe a rich flavor and thickens up quite nicely, which is what we want in our ube halaya.
Vegan condensed milk – This provides a concentration of sweet milky flavor without adding excess moisture to the dish. When cooked it sets to a near-solid consistency, perfect for ube halaya.
Ube extract – Using extract helps boost the ube flavor, color, and aroma.
Top tips for making vegan ube halaya:
Prep yourself for success. Making ube halaya is going to be time-consuming. You will need to stir this mixture until the moisture has evaporated continuously. Continuously stirring the mixture will help ensure that the bottom of the mixture doesn’t burn. So block off some time for this, get yourself something nice to watch, and ask someone to help if you if your arms start to tire.
Do not turn up the heat. I know what may be thinking, “wouldn’t it be easier to turn up the heat to make this process go by faster?”. The answer is no. Your ube halaya can easily burn. So stick to medium heat, and be patient! Slow and steady goes it.
How to make ube halaya?
Rehydrate the ube powder. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the dehydrated ube powder and hot water, and let it sit for 30 minutes to rehydrate.
After 30 minutes, blend the water and rehydrated ube in a high-speed blender. Blending helps the mixture become smoother. This is optional. Start cooking. Turn the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
Next, pour in the vegan evaporated milk (or full-fat coconut milk), condensed milk, sugar, ube extract, and purple food coloring (if using). Mix to combine.
This is the point where you will need to continuously stir for about 1 – 1 1/2 hours, depending on your stove. This is to prevent the mixture to burn at the bottom and getting any uneven lumps. Do not leave this mixture unattended! If needed, ask someone to help you stir, if you need to be away from the stove.
If you want this to be a spreadable jam, cook it for less time, around 35-45 minutes.
Once the mixture boils down to a thick, paste-like consistency, add in your butter, and continue to stir.
The ube halaya will be done when the mixture is thick and easily pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and prepare your container by lightly greasing it with softened butter. I like to use a liyanera (Filipino mold), but you can also use any container you’d like.
Pour your ube halaya mixture into your greased containers, level them off, and spread a little bit more butter at the top. Allow them to cool before serving! Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
How long does ube halaya last? Store any leftover ube halaya in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or up to one month in the freezer.
Can I use frozen grated ube? Yes! You can use 1 pound for this recipe. You might need to use a little bit more butter, use about 4 tablespoons if you do. I find dehydrated ube powder more accessible and commonly seen in stores.
Do I need to use ube extract? In this recipe, yes. Using dehydrated ube powder alone does not give off any ube flavor. So using ube extract will help boost the ube flavor, aroma, and color.
If you tried this recipe, let me know what you think in the comments below. You can also share it with me on Instagram, just tag @flouredframe. I would love to see your recreations! Happy cooking!
If you liked this ube recipe, check out these other ube treats:
Making this recipe is simple, but very time-consuming. It consists of you constantly stirring the mixture for about an hour and a half. So block some time to cook this! Just as a warning, your arm will start to hurt by doing this. Ask someone to help you stir if you need a break. Also, prep yourself by having something to watch! 😀
Rehydrate the ube powder. In a pot, combine the powdered ube and water, and let it sit for 30 minutes to rehydrate.
After 30 minutes, stir the mixture to incorporate the ube and water together.
Start cooking. Turn the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Next, pour in the vegan evaporated milk (or full-fat coconut milk) and condensed milk, sugar, 1 teaspoon of ube extract (if needed add an additional teaspoon), and purple food coloring (if using). Mix to combine.
This is the point where you need to stir for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours continuously. This is to prevent the mixture to burn at the bottom and getting any uneven lumps. Do not leave this mixture unattended! Ask someone to help you stir if you need to be away from the stove.
If you want this to be a spreadable jam, cook it for less time, around 45 minutes to an hour.
Once the mixture boils down to a thick, paste-like consistency, add in your butter, and continue to stir.
The ube halaya will be done when the mixture is considerably thick and easily pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and prepare your container by lightly greasing it with softened butter. I like to use a liyanera (Filipino mold), but you can also use any container you’d like.
Pour your ube halaya into your greased containers, level them off, and spread a little bit more butter at the top. Allow them to cool before serving! Enjoy!
Notes
Powdered purple yam. You are looking for dehydrated powdered ube, see the ingredients list for the product link. I know there are ube flavored powders out there but do not get those! Those are not the same and will not work the same!
Why dehydrated powdered ube? I find that powdered ube is more accessible and commonly seen at stores than frozen grated ube, especially here in the U.S.
Vegan evaporated milk. I’m actually lucky enough that I live in an area where my grocery store makes its own soy evaporated milk. But lucky for you, it’s not that hard to make! Especially if you don’t want to use coconut milk.
To make your own vegan evaporated milk, take 4 cups of unsweetened soymilk and pour it into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer, uncovered for approximately 2 hours, occasionally stirring, until the milk is reduced by half. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Use right away or refrigerate in an airtight container. If you plan to make you’re own evaporated milk, do this a day before making your ube halaya.
Prep yourself for success. Making ube halaya is going to be time-consuming. You will need to continuously stir this mixture until the moisture has evaporated. Continuously stirring the mixture will help ensure that the bottom of the mixture doesn’t burn. So block off some time for this, get yourself something nice to watch, and ask someone to help if you if your arms start to tire.
Do not turn up the heat. I know what may be thinking, “wouldn’t it be easier to turn up the heat to make this process go by faster?”. The answer is no. Your ube halaya can easily burn. So stick to medium heat, and be patient! Slow and steady goes it.
This should last about a week or so in the fridge. Because there are no preservatives in this ube halaya, it doesn’t last as long as the jarred products. So, if you’re not planning to use/eat it right away, you can store it in the freezer, and when ready you can easily defrost it in the fridge for a day. Hope this helps!
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How long will this last ?
This should last about a week or so in the fridge. Because there are no preservatives in this ube halaya, it doesn’t last as long as the jarred products. So, if you’re not planning to use/eat it right away, you can store it in the freezer, and when ready you can easily defrost it in the fridge for a day. Hope this helps!
What are the uses of ube jam?
★★★★★
In Filipino culture, we use them in a variety of ube-flavored desserts or they can be even on its own!