Ube pancakes done right taste like breakfast and dessert at the same time - mellow purple yam, lightly sweet, faintly nutty, with that color that makes everyone at the table stop and look. Think McDonald’s pancakes, but softer and more special, with a warm ube flavor and a creamy topping instead of plain syrup. This recipe uses ube halaya in the batter for real depth of flavor, whipped egg whites for extra fluff, and a quick white chocolate ube ganache on top that comes together in five minutes. I first had ube pancakes at the Island Country Market in Kapolei, Hawaii - this is my version of that stack, made at home on a weekend when there's time to do it right.
If you love ube treats, try my Ube taho, Ube Champorado, Ube Crinkles or Ube Cinnamon Rolls next—they’re just as easy and just as cozy. And if you’re craving something creamy and coconutty, my Maja Blanca Pancakes are a fun twist too.
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Jump to:
- What Are Ube Pancakes
- The Ube Ganache - What Makes This Version Different
- Ingredients You Need
- Swaps and Add-Ins
- How to Make Ube Pancakes (Step-by-Step)
- Topping Ideas
- Rose's Quick Tips
- Meal Prep & Make-Ahead Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- More Breakfast Ideas To Try
- Did you try this recipe?
- Easy Ube Pancake with Ube Ganache
What Are Ube Pancakes
Ube pancakes are fluffy breakfast pancakes made with ube - the Filipino purple yam that has a mellow, nutty, slightly vanilla-like flavor distinct from taro or purple sweet potato. The ube gives both the flavor and the color, though for the deepest purple you want both ube halaya (the jam) and ube extract working together.
They've become popular well beyond Filipino communities over the last several years, partly because of the color and partly because the flavor is actually good - sweet enough to feel like a treat, subtle enough to work at breakfast. The Trader Joe's ube mochi pancake mix introduced a lot of people to the concept. This homemade version uses real ube halaya and has better flavor and texture than any boxed mix.
The Ube Ganache - What Makes This Version Different
Most ube pancake recipes top the stack with a coconut condensed milk sauce. This version uses an ube ganache made with white chocolate and heavy cream for a smoother, more dessert like finish.
White chocolate boosts the ube flavor without overpowering it, and the cream keeps the ganache silky and pourable. It comes together in about 5 minutes and thickens as it cools so it coats the pancakes instead of running off.
Want the classic option? A coconut condensed milk sauce also works great with these ube pancakes.
Ingredients You Need
For the Pancakes
- All-purpose flour is the base. Standard, reliable, no substitutions needed for a good result.
- Ube halaya (purple yam jam) is the most important ube ingredient in the batter. It contributes real ube flavor plus moisture that keeps the pancakes soft and tender longer than extract alone can. Use store-bought or homemade ube halaya - either works. If your ube halaya is very sweet, reduce the added sugar slightly.
- Ube extract works alongside the halaya to deepen both color and flavor. On its own it adds color and a concentrated ube taste; combined with halaya you get full flavor and that vivid purple that makes the stack visually striking. Start with the amount in the recipe and add more if you want a deeper color.
- Milk - whole milk works well. For a more authentic ube flavor, substitute full-fat canned coconut milk.
- Egg - separated. The yolk goes into the wet ingredients; the white gets whipped separately. This is the technique that makes these pancakes noticeably fluffier than standard recipes. See the section below.
- Baking powder - make sure it's fresh.
- Sugar - white sugar. Just enough to sweeten the batter without making it cloyingly sweet before you add toppings.
- Salt - a pinch. Enhances all the other flavors.
- Butter - melted. Adds richness and helps the pancakes release cleanly from the pan.
Ube Ganache
- Heavy Whipping Cream: For a smooth, velvety texture.
- White Chocolate Chips: Adds sweetness and creaminess to the ganache.
- Ube Extract: Enhances the flavor and color of the ganache.
Swaps and Add-Ins
- Coconut milk instead of regular milk - the single most impactful swap for deeper ube flavor in the batter.
- Buttermilk - adds a slight tang and reacts with the baking powder to create extra lift. A good option if you want an even fluffier result.
- Dairy-free: Use almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk and vegan butter. The pancakes still work well.
- No ube halaya? Substitute 3 tablespoons of ube powder mixed with 3 tablespoons of hot water, cooled, plus an extra tablespoon of sugar. The flavor won't be as deep but it works.
- Ganache alternative: Coconut milk (½ cup) simmered with condensed milk (2 tablespoons) and ube extract (1 teaspoon) until slightly thickened. The classic Filipino-style ube sauce.
How to Make Ube Pancakes (Step-by-Step)
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- In a small, dry, and clean mixing bowl, separate the egg white and yolk, leaving the egg white in the bowl.
- In another bowl or measuring cup, mix the egg yolk with all the other wet ingredients. Add more ube extract if you want a deeper purple color.
- Gradually combine the dry and wet ingredients, mixing until just blended.
- Using a hand mixer or wire whisk, beat the egg white until it becomes fluffy.
- Gently fold the beaten egg white into the batter using a spatula, being careful not to overmix.
- Heat a griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat and lightly grease it with cooking spray or a small amount of oil. Pour ½ cup of batter onto the hot griddle for each pancake. Use an ice cream scoop to easily pour the batter.
- Cook until bubbles form on the surface, then flip and cook the other side until golden brown.
- Repeat until all the batter is used, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent burning.
This recipe yields 5 pancakes, each approximately 6 inches in diameter.
How to Make Ube Ganache
- In a small saucepan, heat the heavy whipping cream over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Make sure it doesn't come to a boil.
- Place the white chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl.
- Pour the hot heavy whipping cream over the white chocolate chips. Let it sit for about 1-2 minutes to allow the chocolate to soften.
- Gently whisk the mixture until the white chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth and well combined.
- Add the ube extract to the ganache and continue to whisk until the extract is fully incorporated.
- Let the ganache cool slightly before using it. It will thicken as it cools. You can check out this tips in making the perfect chocolate ganache!
- Once the ganache reaches your desired consistency, you can use it to drizzle over the pancake.
Topping Ideas
- Ube ganache (this recipe) - white chocolate, smooth, pourable, the version that lets the ube flavor shine cleanest.
- Ube halaya - spoon a generous dollop of extra ube jam directly onto the stack. Rich, intensely ube, the simplest topping if you have halaya already open.
- Macapuno strings - sweetened young coconut strips sold in jars at Filipino grocery stores.
- Grated cheese - specifically the mild, slightly salty Filipino cheeses like Eden or a mild cheddar.
- Coconut jam (matamis na bao) - sweet toasted coconut spread instead of maple syrup. Complements the ube flavor naturally.
- Condensed milk drizzle - a thin drizzle of sweetened condensed milk over the stack. Simple, very Filipino, very good.
- Toasted coconut flakes - scattered on top for crunch and a coconut note that amplifies the ube's natural coconut-adjacent flavor.
- Whipped cream and maple syrup - the non-Filipino approach that works just as well. Nothing wrong with keeping it simple.
Rose's Quick Tips
- Don't overmix. Once the wet and dry ingredients meet, mix only until the flour streaks disappear. Overmixing activates gluten development and produces dense, tough pancakes instead of light and fluffy ones. A lumpy batter is correct.
- Medium heat, not high. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks through. Medium heat gives even browning and a fully cooked center. If your first pancake comes out unevenly browned, lower the heat slightly before the next one.
- Flip only once. Wait until bubbles cover at least half the surface and the edges look set before flipping. Cook the second side for about half the time of the first. Flipping multiple times deflates the pancake.
- Butter burns - use oil or a mix. Pure butter on a hot griddle burns quickly and gives uneven browning. Use cooking spray, a neutral oil, or a mix of butter and oil. A paper towel wiped across a barely-oiled pan gives the most evenly browned result.
- Coconut milk for more ube flavor. Swapping regular milk for full-fat canned coconut milk in the batter noticeably deepens the ube taste. The coconut notes complement the purple yam flavor in a way regular milk doesn't.
- Fresh baking powder matters. Dead baking powder produces flat, dense pancakes that no technique will fix. Test it before you start.
Meal Prep & Make-Ahead Tips
- Store cooked pancakes for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Freeze individually with parchment between layers.
- Reheat in toaster, air fryer, or pan.
- Ganache rewarms beautifully in 10–15 seconds.
Recipe FAQs
Ube has a mild, nutty, slightly vanilla-like sweetness that's subtle rather than intense. It's often described as a cross between vanilla and coconut, with an earthy quality. The flavor is much more delicate than its vivid color suggests - it tastes like a gentle, tropical dessert rather than anything aggressively sweet or unusual.
For the best result, yes. Ube halaya adds real ube flavor and moisture to the batter. Extract deepens the color and intensifies the flavor. You can use just halaya (the color will be slightly lighter) but you get better results with both.
Yes, and it's worth doing. Coconut milk enhances the ube flavor in a way regular milk doesn't - the tropical notes in coconut complement the purple yam naturally. Use full-fat canned coconut milk for best results.
Almost always overmixing or dead baking powder. Overmixing develops gluten and makes pancakes tough - mix only until the flour streaks disappear. Test your baking powder in hot water before starting. Also check that your pan isn't too hot, which can set the outside before the inside has time to rise.
Yes. Add the whole egg with the wet ingredients if you're short on time. The pancakes will be good but slightly less fluffy. The whipped white adds maybe 3-4 minutes and is worth it for a weekend batch.
More Breakfast Ideas To Try
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Easy Ube Pancake with Ube Ganache
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowls
- 1 griddle or non-stick pan
Ingredients
Pancake
- 1 cup All purpose Flour
- 2 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 whole egg white and yolk separated
- 2 tablespoon Ube Halaya/ Ube Jam
- 1 cup milk (whole milk, 2%, coconut milk)
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon ube extract
- oil spray
Ube Ganache
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- ¼ teaspoon ube extract
Instructions
Pancake
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.1 cup All purpose Flour, 2 tablespoon white sugar, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a small, dry, and clean mixing bowl, separate the egg white and yolk, leaving the egg white in the bowl.1 whole egg
- In another bowl or measuring cup, mix the egg yolk with all the other wet ingredients. Add more ube extract if you want a deeper purple color.2 tablespoon Ube Halaya/ Ube Jam, 1 cup milk (whole milk, 2%, coconut milk), 2 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon ube extract, 1 whole egg
- Gradually combine the dry and wet ingredients, mixing until just blended.
- Using a hand mixer or wire whisk, beat the egg white until it becomes fluffy.
- Gently fold the beaten egg white into the batter using a spatula, being careful not to overmix.
- Heat a griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat and lightly grease it with cooking spray or a small amount of oil. Pour ½ cup of batter onto the hot griddle for each pancake. Use an ice cream scoop to easily pour the batter.oil spray
- Cook until bubbles form on the surface, then flip and cook the other side until golden brown.
- Repeat until all the batter is used, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent burning.
Ube Ganache
- In a small saucepan, heat the heavy whipping cream over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Make sure it doesn’t come to a boil.½ cup heavy cream
- Place the white chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl.1 cup white chocolate chips
- Pour the hot heavy whipping cream over the white chocolate chips. Let it sit for about 1-2 minutes to allow the chocolate to soften.
- Gently whisk the mixture until the white chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth and well combined.
- Add the ube extract to the ganache and continue to whisk until the extract is fully incorporated.¼ tsp ube extract
- Let the ganache cool slightly before using it. It will thicken as it cools.
- Once the ganache reaches your desired consistency, you can use it to drizzle over the pancake.
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Notes
- Make sure your baking powder is active. This essential in making your pancake rise. To make sure your baking powder is still kickin', just pour ¼ cup of boiling water over ½ teaspoon of it. If it bubbles up, you're good to go! But if it's not showing any fizz, it might be time to grab a fresh batch.
- Use lukewarm milk.
- You can adjust the ube extract. Brands differs in colors. Sometimes, you have to add more to achieve the color you desire. Just add it slowly.
- The ganache might seem watery at first! Wait until it cools down a bit.
- This recipe yields 5 pancakes, each approximately 6 inches in diameter.
