For those unfamiliar, ube crinkle cookies is a delicious Southeast Asian variation on the classic crinkle cookie. They’re made with ube extract and jam for a vibrant purple color and a subtle pistachio-vanilla flavor. Combining the two ingredients gives these cookies a fantastic flavor that will tingle your taste buds!
These cookies are perfect for any occasion, from birthday parties to holiday celebrations. You can even make them and store them in the freezer to enjoy later on. And if you’re feeling creative, why not try mixing up some of your favorite flavors and colors?
What is Ube?
Ube—pronounced “OO-beh”—is a purple yam from the Philippines that is often used in desserts and other sweet dishes. Its texture sets ube apart—it’s a lot creamier than other yams and can be used in various dishes, from ice cream to cakes. It has a mild, slightly sweet taste with hints of nuttiness and vanilla, and its lovely purple color can make treats more vibrant.
What are ube crinkles?
Ube crinkle cookies are soft and chewy with delicate cracks that form on the cookie’s surface when baking—hence their name! The flavor of ube comes through with each bite, making these cookies a true delight. Not only are they delicious, but they look beautiful, too, especially when coated in powdered sugar and served at parties or family gatherings.
Ube and Taro: How do you tell them apart?
When it comes to ube and taro, it can be tricky to tell them apart at first glance. While both are sweet and great for adding flavor to drinks, snacks, and meals, you can easily distinguish them based on their visual cues.
Ube has a light-brown exterior with a hint of purple, giving it a distinct look. Its texture is also usually relatively coarse.
On the other hand, taro has thin white lines across its outer skin, which helps differentiate it from other similar root vegetables. Its exterior is typically hairy and brown, and its texture tends to be much coarser than the ube.
At first glance, ube and taro might look quite similar but take a closer look, and you’ll spot the difference. Ube’s flesh is a vibrant purple, while taro is a creamy white with small purple speckles. To remember this, think of it like this: ube is uber purple, and taro, though without the same color, is still purple in spirit.
Why should you make the ube crinkle recipe?
What makes Ube crinkle cookies so special? They are made with ube extract for an extra hint of sweetness and flavoring and a vibrant purple hue! The dough is rolled into balls and chilled before baking, giving them their signature crinkled look. They look beautiful and taste amazing—with hints of vanilla and ube flavor, they’re sure to be a hit with your friends and family. There’s nothing quite like homemade Ube crinkle cookies!
The following reasons will convince you to make these ube crinkle cookies:
1 It’s a delicious and unique twist on traditional cookies
Why do you call these crinkle cookies a unique twist on traditional cookies? It’s because they’re made with ube, a type of purple yam that gives the cookies a unique flavor. The combination of sweet and savory make these treats an irresistible choice!
2 They are easy to make
Ube crinkle cookies are perfect for baking beginners or those with little time. The cookies are straightforward to prepare, as you only need some ube and an oven! With just a few simple steps, you can have homemade treats in no time at all.
3 They are visually stunning.
These cookies will do the trick if you’re baking for a special occasion or want to impress guests! The cookies bake up with a deep purple color, and the cracked, crinkled effect makes them look like little works of art. The beautiful purple hue of these crinkle cookies will be a showstopper at any event.
4 They are so delicious!
Ube crinkle cookies have a unique flavor that combines sweet and savory in one bite. Whether you make them for a gathering or just for yourself, your family and friends will thank you for the delicious treat! No matter your taste, you’ll indeed find these cookies mouth-watering.
5 They are ideal for gift-giving
Want to show someone you care? Give them a batch of delicious ube crinkle cookies! Not only will they be overjoyed by the tasty treat, but it’s also a thoughtful way to show you care. Bake a batch to give away for birthdays, holidays, or just because! Everyone will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
6 They store well.
Ube crinkle cookies are best enjoyed the day they’re made, but if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container. They’ll stay just as soft and sweet for up to seven days after baking! This makes them ideal for mailing to someone far away, too; these ube crinkle cookies will arrive fresh and flavorful no matter where you send them.
Ingredients you need:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup ube jam (or ube halaya)
- 1 teaspoon ube flavoring (I used the McCormick Ube Flavor)
- 1 teaspoon ube extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
I want to highlight some of its key ingredients for making ube crinkles and where you can purchase them.
1 Ube Jam or Ube Halaya
This is the star of the show – Ube Jam (or ube halaya, popularly known in the Philippines) can be found in most Asian stores and adds a delightful sweetness and a beautiful purple hue. It is a sweetened spread made from purple yam (ube), butter, sugar, and milk. It’s a vibrant deep purple color, thicker than regular jam but not quite jelly-like consistency. Ube jam is a staple ingredient in Filipino kitchens and can be enjoyed on its own or used to flavor cakes, ice cream, halo-halo, and other desserts.
Where to buy ube jam?
Ube halaya jam is one of the most common ingredients for making Filipino dishes, but it can be hard to find in some areas. Fortunately, there are a few places where you can easily purchase ube halaya jam.
- Search for “Filipino” or “ube halaya jam,” and you’ll find a wide selection of options. Almost all Asian supermarkets have a “Filipino” aisle. This is where you can find jams made from ube halaya, jackfruit preserves, macapuno (shredded coconut strings in a sweet syrup), and other unique Filipino ingredients.
- You can also buy ube halaya jam online, where many specialty food companies will ship it to your door.
- Finally, you can make your own ube halaya jam at home with simple ingredients (like mashed ube, condensed milk, and butter) and patience. Consider this option if you can access freshly harvested ube.
2 Ube Food Flavoring
Ube Food coloring is a vibrant, purple-hued natural dye from the ube plant. It is used to create beautiful and eye-catching dishes, making it popular among chefs looking to add a splash of color to their culinary creations. Ube Food coloring can be found in markets worldwide, making it a popular ingredient for cooks looking to experiment with unique flavors and colors.
Where to buy:
This is a more accessible ingredient – you can buy the McCormick Ube Flavor in some grocery stores or order it online.
Does ube crinkle cookie batter require purple food coloring?
The answer is: it depends. While you don’t need to use purple food coloring, if you want your ube crinkle cookies to have a lovely, vibrant purple hue like mine – then yes, you need to use food coloring. Ube halaya and ube extract may be purple but only have a small amount of pigmentation.
Note:
Without the food coloring, the cookies won’t turn out as a deep violet like mine; they will likely come out as a light brown color with hints of purple tones. I know it’s disappointing, but the food coloring makes all the difference in making these cookies look like classic ube crinkles.
3 Ube extract
What exactly is ube extract? Well, it’s a concentrated form of ube flavor that you can use to create delicious ube-flavored baked goods. How does it work? The extract helps to bring out the subtler notes of ube in your food. It also gives your desserts a lovely purple hue thanks to the food coloring (often made from natural sources) that is usually added during preparation.
Where to buy ube extract?
The best place to purchase ube extract is at an Asian supermarket or online (like Amazon). In my search for this unique and flavorful product, I discovered that most supermarkets don’t carry it. You can find ube extract in the baking aisle of any specialty Asian market.
When I’m looking for ube extract, McCormick is my go-to brand. Their extract has a deep purple color and a sweet aroma that brings out the true flavor of ube. It’s also made with natural ingredients and free from preservatives, so you know you’re getting quality.
How to make ube crinkle cookies
My family has been making ube crinkle cookies for generations, an absolute classic in our house. Although they might look intimidating, they are surprisingly easy to make!
Step 1 Prep the dry ingredients.
In a bowl, assemble the team of dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix them until well combined. Then sift the mixture into another bowl to ensure all the clumps are gone.
Step 2 Prep the dough.
In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until it’s well combined with the butter mixture. This creates air pockets in the dough, resulting in a more tender and lighter cookie.
Step 3 Mix the wet with dry ingredients.
After that, add in the ube jam and ube extract flavoring. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing with a spatula or an electric mixer with a dough attachment. The dough will be sticky at this stage, but don’t worry—it’s supposed to be that way!
Step 4 Color it purple (optional).
To give your ube crinkle cookies a deep purple color, gently knead in some violet food coloring. I love the hint of color, which makes them look even more beautiful!
Step 5 Chill!
Cover the bowl with cling wrap and chill for 2 hours or overnight. Why do you need to chill? This step is vital for those beautiful crinkles! It firms up the dough, so it’s easier to work with and keeps the cookies from spreading too much when baking.
Step 6 Roll out the dough.
Once your dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F. Using a .25 oz (1 ½ teaspoon) ice cream scoop, roll the cookie dough into balls and coat it with powdered sugar. After scooping the dough balls, I place them into a shallow bowl of confectioners’ sugar which helps to keep my hands from getting too sticky.
Why coat the crinkle balls with powdered sugar?
It’s because it gives the cookies a subtly crispy sugary exterior, and it also helps give your ube crinkle cookies those iconic crinkles. In other words, the sugar helps to create the signature crinkles in the cookie.
Quick tips:
- Before rolling the dough into balls, chill it in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. This will give you a firmer consistency that’s easier to work with.
- Plus, if the weather is humid and warm, lightly coat the cookie balls with granulated sugar before dunking them into powdered/confectioner’s sugar. This will help keep the sugar from melting, ensuring your cookies look and taste perfect every time!
Step 7 Bake!
Carefully place the balls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving some space between them. It makes sure the cookies have enough room to spread.
Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown and the centers look soft. The edges will set, but don’t worry if the cookie looks a little undone in the middle—that’s exactly what we’re going for! Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
How to store ube crinkle cookies
1 When storing ube crinkle cookies, the best option is in an airtight container at room temperature. This will ensure the cookies stay soft and chewy for three days.
2 If you want to freeze the baked cookies, place them between parchment paper sheets in a resealable bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
3 To freeze unbaked cookie dough, shape them into balls and place them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
4 When ready to eat, thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes and then roll in the confectioner’s sugar before baking according to the recipe.
How to freeze ube crinkles cookie dough
If you want to save your ube crinkles cookie dough for later, freezing them is a great way to keep them fresh. Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1
Using an ice cream scooper or a spoon, form the cookie dough into individual balls and place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Do not roll the dough balls in the powdered sugar before freezing them.
EXtra Tip:
If you plan to freeze your ube crinkle cookie dough, it is best to avoid coating it in confectioners sugar. The science behind this is that the freezer’s environment will cause moisture from the confectioner’s sugar to accumulate within the dough and create a soggy texture when the cookies are baked. This can ruin your cookies’ chewy, crackled texture and make for an unpleasant eating experience. It’s best to add the confectioner’s sugar right before baking. This ensures that each cookie has its sweet, crispy crust without compromising texture or quality!
Step 2
Securely cover the baking tray with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for 60 minutes or until the cookie dough balls are frozen. Afterward, transfer them to a sealed container or a zip-top bag and freeze them for three months.
Step 3
Once the oven is preheated, it’s time to start baking! Take each cookie dough ball from the sheet pan and roll them in the confectioners’ sugar. This adds a sweet, crunchy exterior with a chewy soft center. Place each ball back onto the sheet pan spaced out to allow room for spreading. Bake for 8 minutes or until the edges have set, but the centers are still soft. Enjoy your freshly baked cookies!
Ingredient tips:
1 Sifting confectioners’ sugar before adding it to a recipe is essential for creating a smooth and creamy texture. When baking, I always take the extra step of sifting my confectioners’ sugar to ensure the finished product is as delicious as possible. This simple technique helps me achieve perfect results every time!
However, when it comes to these ube crinkle cookies, I don’t bother sifting the confectioners’ sugar. The lumps of confectioners’ sugar help coat the cookie more evenly and give it an eye-catching crinkly texture after baking – no sifting required!
Why is that?
Well, believe it or not, the lumps help to create a more even coating for your cookies. Plus, when these lumps break up in the oven, they create some beautiful crinkles that give your cookies an interesting texture – of course, make them look amazing! So don’t bother sifting your confectioners’ sugar for these cookies – it’s unnecessary, and you’ll be rewarded with an even coating and some delicious crinkle texture!
2 These cookies come out looking perfectly crinkly – as I want them! I like to use a spoon to sprinkle the confectioners’ sugar on each cookie dough ball. I make sure to be generous – no skimping here! It’s crucial to ensure that no purple spots show through the sugar. Otherwise, they won’t look as pretty when they come out of the oven. I also consider that the cookies will absorb some of the sugar as they bake, so I make sure to be extra generous with the coating.
Bonus tip: it helps to place a sheet of wax paper beneath the cookie dough balls while you coat them with sugar. This saves a lot of time on the cleanup afterward! Enjoy your perfectly crinkly cookies!
Ube Crinkles Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
Wet ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1 egg
- ½ cup ube jam (or ube halaya)
- 1 tsp ube flavoring
- 1 tsp ube extract
Coating:
- 1 cup confectioner sugar
Instructions
Prep the dry ingredients.
- In a bowl, assemble the team of dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix them until well combined. Then sift the mixture into another bowl to ensure all the clumps are gone.
Prep the dough.
- In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until it’s well combined with the butter mixture. This creates air pockets in the dough, resulting in a more tender and lighter cookie.
Mix the wet with dry ingredients.
- After that, add in the ube jam and ube extract flavoring. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing with a spatula or an electric mixer with a dough attachment. The dough will be sticky at this stage, but don’t worry—it’s supposed to be that way!
Color it purple (optional).
- To give your ube crinkle cookies a deep purple color, gently knead in some violet food coloring. I love the hint of color, which makes them look even more beautiful!
Chill!
- Cover the bowl with cling wrap and chill for 2 hours or overnight. Why do you need to chill? This step is vital for those beautiful crinkles! It firms up the dough, so it’s easier to work with and keeps the cookies from spreading too much when baking.
Roll out the dough.
- Once your dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F. Using a .25 oz (1 ½ teaspoon) ice cream scoop, roll the cookie dough into balls and coat it with powdered sugar. After scooping the dough balls, I place them into a shallow bowl of confectioners’ sugar which helps to keep my hands from getting too sticky.
Bake!
- Carefully place the balls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving some space between them. It makes sure the cookies have enough room to spread.Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown and the centers look soft. The edges will set, but don’t worry if the cookie looks a little undone in the middle—that’s exactly what we’re going for! Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
How to store ube crinkle cookies
1. When storing ube crinkle cookies, the best option is in an airtight container at room temperature. This will ensure the cookies stay soft and chewy for three days. 2. If you want to freeze the baked cookies, place them between parchment paper sheets in a resealable bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. 3. To freeze unbaked cookie dough, shape them into balls and place them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. 4. When ready to eat, thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes and then roll in the confectioner’s sugar before baking according to the recipe.Also known as “ube” to Filipinos, purple yam has rougher, darker skin. They also grow from a vine above ground. This yam is one of the important sources of food and livelihood in the Philippines.
It is often used in making native desserts. If you have a Filipino grocery store in your area, you might be able to acquire purple yam.
Sweets in the Philippines, such as “halo-halo”, “sorbetes”, or “pastillas”, are incomplete without ”ube.” That is why every Filipino version of various desserts has purple yams.
Ice cream, mooncakes, pies, and even candy bars all have purple yam versions in the Philippines. It seems like the flavor of this yam is part of every Filipino child’s memory growing up.
When you know it has “ube,” it is definitely a special dessert.
A native of the Philippines, the purple yam (Dioscorea alata) is a unique rope with bright purple coloration. Purple yam is already starchy and bright purple. It doesn’t need a lot of treatment as an ingredient.
Add a few simple ingredients and transform them into “ube” jam. I remember a Fil-Am friend of mine. She said that her grandmother always brought “ube jalea” whenever she visited for Christmas.
It’s a special dessert during important occasions back in the Philippines. The holidays, weddings, christenings, and reunions always have purple yams there.
“Ube jalea” is always made with a huge cast iron wok or a “kawa” over direct flames. As the “ube” cooks, coconut and condensed milk are added. It involves vigilant stirring and folding.
This constant movement is necessary so the condensed milk will thicken without burning. Once the sweet, purple paste is thick enough, it is placed in containers to cool.
Jars are good if you want to give them as preserves. If you want it to cool more quickly for the ongoing feast, place it in shallow bowls or large platters.
Many bakeshops and pastry shops in the United States now include purple baked goodies on their list of products. Thanks to their access to purple yams, more people are now appreciating the delicious flavor of this root crop.
I have Filipino friends, and they have introduced me to the purple yam a few times. They made me taste “ube” in the form of “halaya” or a thick, creamy, sweet purple yam jam.
We usually just ate it right out of the jar with spoons.
Since it’s the holiday season, colors abound in decorations and food. I always made colorful cookies for my family and friends.
This year, I decided to change things up and went with purple. When I made a batch of my soft, “ube” crinkles, I noted the following techniques to make the process smoother.
Quick Tips:
- Cool the purple dough before scooping and rolling them in powdered sugar. This makes it more workable.
- Oil your ice cream scoop if you are using one.
- Oil your hands if you plan to be more tactile in shaping them before rolling them in powdered sugar.
- Make sure to arrange them about an inch apart on the prepared baking tray.
Here is my easy recipe for ube crinkle cookies. I hope it adds more sweet holiday magic to your gatherings at the year’s end.
1 To make the ube crinkles, we start by mixing all the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and salt.
Whether you want to sift it or dry whisk it, it’s all up to you. For this recipe, I dry whisked. Worked for me.
2 In a mixing bowl, cream together sugars (white and brown) and butter until light and fluffy.
3 Mix the ingredients. Beat in the egg and mix well.
4 Now for the fun part – add in the Ube!!! Both the jam and the flavoring.
Mix well until the batter looks like this.
5 Now, add the dry ingredients. Cover the crinkle cookie dough with cling wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator. I chilled mine overnight, but the four hours will do if you can’t wait.
6 Cover with powdered sugar. Ohhh!!! Another fun part! Place the powdered sugar in a medium-sized bowl. There will be lumps in the sugar, but it really doesn’t matter. We’ll just be using it as a coat.
7 Now, get the dough from the ref and get an ice cream scooper. I used a .25 oz (1 ½ teaspoon) sized scoop. I like small cookies; they’re pretty nice.
8 Roll the dough into a ball and coat it with powdered sugar. Place them on the cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake for 7 minutes at 350F.
You can make approximately 76 yummy ube cookies from this recipe.
The finished product. That bright ube color? I love it!
Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about 30 minutes before transferring them to the cooling rack or your tummy. Your cooling rack or your tummy? Your choice.
Ube Crinkles Recipe
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Yield: 36 cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup ube jam / halaya (I used Ube Jam from Mountain Maid Training Center)
- 1 teaspoon ube flavoring (I used the McCormick Ube Flavor)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Assemble team dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.
- Add in ube jam and ube flavoring, then gradually add in the dry ingredients.
- Cover the bowl with cling wrap and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
- Using a .25 oz (1 ½ teaspoon) ice cream scoop, roll the cookie dough into balls and coat it with powdered sugar.
- Bake at 350F for 7 minutes or until done.
Notes
Cookies are okay to store at room temp for a week.