Craving ube ice cream but can't find it at your local grocery store? Or maybe you tried Trader Joe's version and want something even better (and higher in protein)? Good news, you can make incredible ube ice cream at home with your Ninja Creami, and it only takes 5 simple ingredients.
Ube is a Filipino purple yam with a naturally sweet flavor that tastes like a cross between vanilla, white chocolate, and pistachio. The vibrant purple color is 100% natural, and the creamy texture rivals any artisan ice cream shop. This recipe skips the pudding mixes and stabilizers, using cottage cheese instead for extra protein and the smoothest texture.
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Jump to:
- What is Ube? The Filipino Purple Yam
- Why You'll Love This
- Ingredients
- Swaps & Add‑Ons
- How to Make Ube Ice Cream Using Ninja Creami
- Recipe Notes & Storage Tips
- Mix-Ins & Serving Ideas
- Recipe Variation
- Equipments You’ll Need
- Recipe FAQs
- More Ube Desserts You'll Love
- Did you try this recipe?
- Ninja Creami Ube Ice Cream
What is Ube? The Filipino Purple Yam
If you've never heard of ube (pronounced "ooh-beh"), you're in for a treat. This vibrant purple yam is native to the Philippines and has been a beloved ingredient in Filipino desserts for generations. The word "ube" comes from Tagalog and literally means "tuber."
The flavor is hard to describe until you taste it. Most people say it's like a combination of vanilla, white chocolate, and roasted pistachio, with a subtle nuttiness that makes it perfect for ice cream.
Ube shows up in tons of Filipino desserts like ube halaya (a sweet purple yam jam) and halo-halo (a shaved ice dessert). It's also become super popular in the US, with everyone from bubble tea shops to trendy bakeries featuring ube-flavored everything.
Ube vs. Taro vs. Purple Sweet Potato
People mix these up all the time, so here's the quick breakdown:
- Ube (Purple Yam): Deep purple inside and out, sweet and dessert-like, tastes like vanilla and white chocolate. This is what we're using.
- Taro: Light purple or white with speckles inside, more earthy and nutty, used in both sweet and savory dishes (like taro bubble tea).
- Purple Sweet Potato: Similar color to ube but it's actually a sweet potato (not a yam), slightly less sweet, more like regular sweet potatoes.
For ice cream, you want ube. The naturally sweet flavor and creamy texture when blended are perfect for frozen desserts.
Why You'll Love This
- Simple 5 Ingredients: No complicated ingredient lists or trips to specialty stores (well, except for the ube powder, but you can get that on Amazon).
- High Protein: Cottage cheese is the secret ingredient here. It adds creaminess and boosts the protein without any weird texture.
- No Gums or Pudding Mixes: A lot of Ninja Creami recipes use instant pudding or xanthan gum. This one doesn't need them.
- Customizable: Want it sweeter? Add more condensed milk. Want it lower calorie? Cut back on the sugar. Want it dairy-free? There's a variation for that below.
- Better Than Store-Bought: Seriously. The texture is smooth, the flavor is authentic, and you control everything that goes in it.
Ingredients
- Half and Half: Contributes to a rich, creamy consistency while balancing the sweetness and flavor, creating a perfect base for your ube ice cream.
- Condensed Milk: Adds rich sweetness and a creamy texture, making the ice cream smooth and indulgent.
- Cottage Cheese: Provides a light, creamy base and enhances the overall texture without being too heavy.
- Ube Powder: This is the most common form you'll find in the US. It's made from freeze-dried purple yams and gives you that vibrant purple color plus ube flavor. The powder needs to be mixed with liquid (which we're doing by blending it with the other ingredients).
- Where to buy: Amazon, Asian grocery stores (especially Filipino markets), or online specialty stores.
- Brands to look for: Butterfly brand, McCormick ube extract and powder, or any Filipino brand.
- Ube Extract: This is a concentrated liquid flavoring that intensifies both the ube flavor and the purple color. A little goes a long way usually just 1-2 teaspoons. The extract is what keeps your ice cream that gorgeous purple shade even after freezing.
- Ube Halaya (Optional): Ube halaya is a traditional Filipino dessert made from mashed ube, condensed milk, and butter. It's thick, sweet, and jam-like. Some ube ice cream recipes use halaya instead of powder because it gives a more authentic, intense flavor.
Swaps & Add‑Ons
- Swap Half & Half → equal parts heavy cream + whole milk
- Use Greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese for tang
How to Make Ube Ice Cream Using Ninja Creami
- In a blender, combine half and half, cottage cheese, condensed milk, ube powder and extract. Pour the blended mixture into a Ninja Creami pint container, making sure it does not exceed the max fill line.
- Place the pint container in the freezer and freeze for at least 18-24 hours.
- After freezing, remove the pint container from the freezer and place it into the Ninja Creami ice cream machine. Attach the pint holder lid and lock it into place. Select the "Lite Ice Cream" setting and let the Ninja Creami process the mixture. *see notes
- Scoop the ube ice cream into bowls and top with your favorite toppings
Recipe Notes & Storage Tips
- Make it sweeter: Add another 2-3 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk or a tablespoon of sugar to the blender.
- Make it less sweet: Reduce the condensed milk to ⅓ cup and add 2-3 tablespoons of milk to make up the liquid.
- Boost the ube flavor: Add an extra ½-1 teaspoon of ube extract, or stir in 2-3 tablespoons of ube halaya if you have it.
- Storage: Keep the ice cream in the Ninja Creami pint with the lid on. It will last 1-2 weeks in the freezer. For the best texture, store it flat (not upright) to make re-spinning easier and to protect the Ninja Creami blade.
- Re-serving after storage: Let the pint sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before scooping, or do a quick respin in the Ninja Creami to bring back that fresh texture.
Mix-Ins & Serving Ideas
- Toasted coconut flakes
- Cubed cheddar or Eden cheese (sweet and salty combo)
- Macapuno (sweetened coconut strips)
- Fresh or canned jackfruit
- White chocolate chips
- Crushed Oreos
- Toasted pistachios or almonds
- Sweetened red beans (another Filipino favorite)
- Ube halaya swirl (drizzle on top)
Recipe Variation
- Dairy-Free Ube Ice Cream. Swap 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (for half and half), ½ cup dairy-free condensed coconut milk, and ½ cup dairy-free cream cheese or coconut cream (for cottage cheese). Keep the ube the same.
- Ube Coconut. Add ½ teaspoon coconut extract. Top with toasted coconut, or stir in 2–3 tablespoon sweetened coconut flakes after the final spin.
- Ube Cheese. After the final spin, fold in ½ cup frozen cheese cubes (cheddar or Eden). Sweet ube + salty cheese = classic combo.
- High-Protein. Blend in 1 scoop protein powder. Add 2–3 tablespoon extra milk if it gets too thick.
- Less Sugar. Use ⅓ cup condensed milk + 2–3 tablespoon milk + 1–2 tablespoon monk fruit (or your sweetener). Slightly less sweet and may freeze a bit firmer.
Equipments You’ll Need
- Ninja CREAMi Deluxe 11-in-1 Ice Cream & Frozen Treat Maker: The star of the show, perfect for creating creamy, smooth ice cream.
- Blender: To blend the peaches and ingredients into a silky base.
- Ninja Creami Pint Container: The pint container is essential for freezing and churning your peach and cream ice cream mix.
Recipe FAQs
Ube has a naturally sweet, nutty flavor that's similar to vanilla, white chocolate, and pistachio combined. It's creamy and slightly earthy, but not as earthy as taro. The flavor is mild and pleasant—not overpowering at all.
Ube is a purple yam with a deep purple color inside and out, and it's naturally sweet. Taro is a different root vegetable with light purple or white flesh (with speckles), and it's more earthy and less sweet. Taro is used in both sweet and savory dishes, while ube is mostly used in desserts.
This is totally normal, especially with lighter recipes. Hit the "Respin" button and it should smooth out. If it's still crumbly, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or half and half and respin again. Sometimes it takes 2-3 respins to get perfectly creamy ice cream.
Yes! Use about ¼ cup ube halaya in place of the ube powder. Since halaya is already sweetened, you might want to reduce the condensed milk by a few tablespoons. You'll still want to add the ube extract for that vibrant purple color.
Absolutely. Use full-fat coconut milk instead of half and half, dairy-free condensed coconut milk instead of regular condensed milk, and coconut cream or dairy-free cream cheese instead of cottage cheese. The coconut flavor actually pairs really well with ube.
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Ninja Creami Ube Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 Blender
- 1 Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker
- 1 Ninja Creami Pint Container
Ingredients
- 1½ cups Half and Half or heavy cream
- ½ cup Condensed Milk adjust to your sweetness preference
- ½ cup Cottage Cheese or cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon Ube Powder substitute with (½c Ube jam or halaya)
- 1 teaspoon Ube Extract add more if needed
Instructions
- In a blender, combine half and half, cottage cheese, condensed milk, ube powder and extract. Pour the blended mixture into a Ninja Creami pint container, making sure it does not exceed the max fill line.1½ cups Half and Half, ½ cup Condensed Milk, ½ cup Cottage Cheese, 1 tablespoon Ube Powder, 1 teaspoon Ube Extract
- Place the pint container in the freezer and freeze for at least 18-24 hours.
- After freezing, remove the pint container from the freezer and place it into the Ninja Creami ice cream machine. Attach the pint holder lid and lock it into place. Select the "Lite Ice Cream" setting and let the Ninja Creami process the mixture. *see notes
- Scoop the ube ice cream into bowls and top with your favorite toppings
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Notes
- Crumbly after the first spin? No worries. Just press Respin (you may need it more than once) until it turns smooth and creamy. If you want it to come together faster, add 1 tablespoon milk or cream before respinning.
- Want to skip the extra spins? Let the pint sit on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes after freezing. A quick rest usually makes the texture creamy on the first spin.
Poppi says
Hi, do recommend something to replace the cottage cheese?
Rose Sioson says
Hi Poppi! You can use cream cheese instead or omit it. It wont be as creamy because the cottage cheese or cream cheese acts as a stabilizer. If you dont mind guar gum. You can add a pinch.