These vegan ube pancakes are a great way to kick off the weekend! Soft, fluffy, and packed with delicious ube flavor, and topped with homemade ube syrup along with vibrant tropical fruit! They are super easy to make, and only need a couple of special ingredients. So why have regular pancakes, when you can have ube pancakes?
The Inspiration
Well, if you live in the states, you'll know that Trader Joe's is probably the biggest reason why ube is such a big thing. From their ube mochi pancakes to their ube ice cream, which I have not tried because they're not vegan-friendly. But, considering I am Filipino and grew up in a Filipino household, I don't exactly need to know what these taste like to know that they are delicious. As for this recipe, it isn't like mochi pancakes, but it is made with grated ube, ube extract, and regular all-purpose flour! Still just as delicious, trust me.
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.
Specialty Ingredients for Vegan Ube Pancakes:
- Frozen grated ube - Found at most Asian supermarkets and at any Filipino-specialty store.
- Ube extract - Another item that you can find at Asian supermarkets/Filipino stores. It will give the pancakes a boost of ube flavor and color.
- Ube Halaya - Also known as ube jam. Found at most Asian/Filipino stores. Be sure to read the ingredients, as some are not vegan-friendly!
- Coconut condensed milk (or any vegan condensed milk) - this is the base for our homemade ube syrup. Don't fret! It isn't really that sweet when combined with the pancakes.
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 like this recipe, check these use ube recipes!
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Ube Pancakes
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Thin spatula
- Large frying pan or griddle
- Sharp knife
- Chopping Board
Ingredients
Ube syrup
- 1 can Vegan sweetened condensed milk (sweetened coconut condensed milk)
- 1 tablespoon ube extract
Pancakes
- 300 grams non-dairy milk, I used soy
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar (or fresh lemon juice, not from concentrate)
- 90 grams frozen grated ube (defrosted, see notes for substitutions)
- 1 tablespoon ube extract
- 225 grams all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 80 grams granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
Optional Toppings
- Ube halaya
- Dragonfruit
- Fresh mango
- Banana
Instructions
Ube Syrup
- In a small bowl, combine the coconut condensed milk and ube extract, and mix until well combined. Set aside until ready to serve!
Pancakes:
- Make the buttermilk. In a small bowl, combine the non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside to curdle.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In the same bowl as the buttermilk, add the grated ube, ube extract, and oil. Mix until well combined.
- Make the batter. Next, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until JUST combined. LUMPS ARE OKAY! Do not over-mix.
- Cook the pancakes. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately ⅓ cup for each pancake. Allow the pancakes to cook until the bubbles rise to the surface and burst, and the edges start to set. About 1 to 2 minutes.
- Carefully flip with a thin spatula, and continue to cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer the cooked pancakes to a baking sheet or platter and continue to cook the rest batter. Serve warm, pour the homemade ube syrup, and with your desired toppings.
Notes
- Measure your flour properly. A common reason baked goods fail is incorrectly measured flour. I always recommend using a scale for accuracy when baking. This greatly improves your chance for success and lessens room for error. My recipes are 100% tested in grams.
- If you’re measuring by cups, avoid scooping the measuring cup directly into the flour. This tends to pack the flour into the cup, resulting in too much flour and a very dense or gummy finished product. Instead, aerate your flour (fluff it with a fork or spoon) and then spoon it into your measuring cups, leveling it with your finger or the back of a butter knife. Keep in mind though, that this method is not guaranteed to be accurate.
- Watch this video from King Arthur on how to properly measure your flour if you don’t have a food scale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUSovVHpqsU
- Substitutes for grated ube
- Vegan-friendly ube halaya https://amzn.to/3Op8DAI
- Powdered ube https://amzn.to/3mVBXTN
- You can find these at your local Filipino store, or at any Asian Supermarket.
- If using ube halaya. Replace the grated ube with the same measurement/amount, and reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons.
- If using powdered ube. Combine 3 tablespoons of ube powder with ½ cup of hot water in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat, and stir the mixture together until the ube powder has been properly rehydrated. It should be smooth and have a mashed potato-like texture. Remove from heat and set aside to cool until ready to use.
- What if I can’t find frozen grated ube, ube halaya, or powdered ube? You can simply just use ube extract! Adjust the non-dairy milk to 1 cup (240g) and the flour to 1 cup (140g).
- Can I make this batter into waffles? Yes! Make the recipe as is and cook in a waffle maker. The amount will vary on the size of your waffle maker.
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