Hot or Iced Ube Latte Recipe (Easy Ube Coffee)

This homemade vegan Ube Coffee, also called an Ube Latte, is exactly the sweet pick-me-up your afternoon needs. With just 4 ingredients and a handful of ice (or a quick trip to the microwave), you'll have a fantastic purple yam latte in less than five minutes.

If you love coffee drinks, try my coffee soju cocktail and my yuzu coffee.

Ingredients

Milk: you can use any type of milk; I like coconut or macadamia milk for a dairy-free ube latte (and to lessen the lactose level, so I take fewer lactase pills!).

Ube Halaya: this delicious purple sweet potato jam gives Alternately, you could use half a teaspoon of ube extract.

Double Espresso: this is the coffee element of the ube coffee drink, though you could also use up to 4oz. of strongly-brewed coffee instead.

Heavy Cream or Coconut Cream: this adds both creaminess and heft to the ube latte, though you could also whip it and use it to top your drink.

Condensed Milk: this is optional, but you can add dairy-free coconut-based or regular condensed milk to taste, for a more sweet ube latte.

How to make ube coffee: step-by-step instructions

Step 1. Add the milk and ube halaya to a mug or glass and microwave it for one minute (or heat it lightly on the stovetop), until hot but not too hot to touch. If making an iced ube latte, only heat it for 45 seconds.

Then use a milk frother or a spoon to stir the mixture until it's all a uniform deep purple color. You could also just use ½ teaspoon of ube extract in the milk, but I always prefer the real thing (though the texture of the two is definitely different).

Step 2. This is when you'll want to taste the ube milk and make sure it's both strong enough in flavor and sweet enough for you. If it needs more ube flavor, stir in another tablespoon of ube halaya. For more sugar, start with a half tablespoon of condensed milk and just keep stirring in more until it's to your taste.

Step 3. Once the purple yam drink for the base tastes right, add ice (if using), and pour on the cream. On top of that layer the espresso or coffee; alternately you can whip the cream rather than add it directly, and layer the whipped cream on top of the ube latte (this works whether it's hot or iced).

Then add a straw and enjoy! I like to rim mine with a bit of condensed milk for sweet sipping, but you could also add sprinkles.

Ube Coffee FAQ

Ube Latte Recipe Card (Ube Coffee)

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📖 Recipe

Quick Ube Coffee (Ube Latte Recipe)

An easy ube latte made with ube halaya or ube extract, perfect for serving hot or over ice!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Cuisine: Filipino

Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 2 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 ube latte

Author: Max

Ingredients

• ▢ ⅔ cup milk
• ▢ ¼ cup ube halaya alt. ½ teaspoon ube extract
• ▢ 1 double espresso 2oz.
• ▢ 2 tablespoons heavy cream or coconut cream
• ▢ condensed milk to taste optional

Instructions

• Add the milk and ube halaya to a mug and microwave it for one minute (or heat it lightly on the stovetop), until hot but not too hot to touch. If making an iced ube latte, only heat it for 45 seconds.
• Then use a milk frother or a spoon to stir the mixture until it's all a uniform deep purple color. You could also just use ½ teaspoon of ube extract in the milk, but I always prefer the real thing (though the texture of the two is definitely different). This is when you'll want to taste the ube milk and make sure it's both strong enough in flavor and sweet enough for you. If it needs more ube flavor, stir in another tablespoon of ube halaya. For more sugar, start with a half tablespoon of condensed milk and just keep stirring in more until it's to your taste.
• Once the purple yam drink for the base tastes right, add ice (if using), and pour on the cream. On top of that layer the espresso or coffee; alternately you can whip the cream rather than add it directly, and layer the whipped cream on top of the ube latte (this works whether it's hot or iced). Then add a straw and enjoy! I like to rim mine with a bit of condensed milk for sweet sipping, but you could also add sprinkles.

Notes

Mixing the Purple Milk: for an easy ube latte you’ll want to blend the microwaved mixture with a spoon or a high-powered milk frother, the latter of which I use in my kitchen every week without issue.

Alternatives to Heavy Cream: to make a vegan purple yam coffee, you can either skip the heavy cream or use coconut cream or another high-fat vegan creamer. This is just added to make the drink creamier and give it better texture.

Why Use Ube Halaya?: while you can make this purple latte with ube extract, all of the purple yam extracts out there are artificially flavored & colored with some strange fillers.

To each their own, but I love the heft and texture offered by using real purple yam jam, known in the Philippines as ube halaya. It also gives the drink a lovely & natural lavender hue, and makes it a real purple yam coffee— not just a purple latte.

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