Ube Leche Flan

If you love classic Filipino leche flan, this ube leche flan is the creamiest upgrade ever — purple, silky, and melt-in-your-mouth good. Just four ingredients and you get the perfect custard every time.

And since my kitchen has been full of holiday flavors lately (hello, Eggnog Flan!), I’ve been leaning even harder into ube.

And if you love ube during the holidays, try my Ube Halaya — it’s perfect on its own and so fun to transform into even more ube desserts like ube crinkles, ube cassava cake, and ube cinnamon rolls.

Slice of ube leche flan on a plate, showing its vibrant purple color and creamy, silky custard texture.

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I’ve made so many versions of ube flan, flan cake, and leche flan cakes over the years—some with only egg yolks, some without cream cheese. But the texture was never exactly what I wanted.

Too firm. Too eggy. Not creamy enough.

And don’t even get me started on being stuck with leftover egg whites (what am I supposed to do—omelets for a week?).

But THIS batch? Game changer.

Using whole eggs (yes, all five) + the cream cheese gave it the soft, luscious custard I’ve been chasing for years. And the ube condensed milk brings the color, the flavor, and that gorgeous vibrant purple hue—no additional food coloring needed.

Ube leche flan highlighting its smooth, creamy purple custard and glossy finish.

This ube leche flan recipe is simple, reliable, and tastes like the Filipino dessert we all grew up with… but with a fun purple twist that makes it feel extra special.

Jump to:

Why You’ll Love This Ube Leche Flan
Ingredients You’ll Need
Substitution and Additions
How to Make Ube Leche Flan
Easy Variations You Can Try
Serving Ideas
Rose's Top Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Filipino Recipes To Try
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Ube Leche Flan

Why You’ll Love This Ube Leche Flan

Melt-in-your-mouth texture — no bubbles, no graininess
Only 4 main ingredients
Uses whole eggs — zero waste, no extra egg whites sitting in your fridge
Naturally vibrant purple from ube condensed milk
Perfect for holidays, parties, potlucks, or Sunday merienda
Beginner-friendly but looks like it came from a bakery

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here's what you'll need:

Ube leche flan ingredients laid out, showing the four main items: whole eggs, evaporated milk, ube condensed milk, and cream cheese.

Whole eggs – the base of the custard, giving it structure and that classic silky flan texture.
Evaporated milk – adds creaminess and keeps the flan smooth and rich.
Ube condensed milk – the magic ingredient that brings sweetness, ube flavor, and that gorgeous purple hue so you dont have to add ube extract.
Cream cheese – just a little bit makes the flan extra velvety and melt-in-your-mouth soft.
Caramel (sugar + water) – melts into a glossy, buttery layer that coats the flan when flipped.

See recipe card for quantities.

Substitution and Additions

Regular condensed milk – works if you can’t find ube condensed milk; just add a little ube extract for flavor and color.
Evaporated milk – replace with half-and-half can be used in a pinch.

How to Make Ube Leche Flan

Caramel coating the bottom of an 8×8 round baking pan, ready for the ube leche flan custard.

Step 1: Make the Caramel. Heat sugar with a splash of water until it turns all sugar is melted and light amber. Swirl to coat the bottom of your pan and set aside.

Blending evaporated milk, ube condensed milk, cream cheese, and eggs together in a blender for smooth ube leche flan custard.

Step 2: Blend the Flan Mixture. Combine the evaporated milk, ube condensed milk, cream cheese, and whole eggs.

Straining the purple custard mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove lumps

Step 3: Strain (Don’t Skip This!). Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove any tiny lumps and keep the custard silky. Pour the mixture through the strainer one more time directly into the caramel-coated pan for that ultra-smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Step 4: Cover and bake. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, then place your 8×8 pan inside a larger tray filled with hot water (bain-marie). Bake until the center is just slightly jiggly.

Step 5: Cover and bake. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, then place your 8×8 pan inside a larger tray filled with hot water (bain-marie). Bake until the center is just slightly jiggly.

Easy Variations You Can Try

Classic Leche Flan – Swap the ube condensed milk for regular condensed milk and skip the cream cheese for a more traditional Filipino custard.
Ube Flan Cake (Leche Flan Cake) – Pour the flan mixture over a thin layer of ube cake batter and bake together for a gorgeous two-layer dessert.
Ube Halaya Flan – Add a few spoonfuls of ube halaya to the blender for a richer, thicker ube flavor and a deeper purple hue.
Cream Cheese Flan – Increase the cream cheese for a cheesecake-meets-flan texture that’s extra creamy and decadent.
Eggnog Cream Cheese Flan - Swap the evaporated milk with eggnog and keep the cream cheese for a holiday-inspired flan that tastes like Christmas in custard form.
Coconut Ube Flan – Swap evaporated milk with coconut milk for a lightly tropical twist that pairs beautifully with ube.
Macapuno Flan – Add macapuno strings into the mixture or sprinkle on top before serving for extra chew and sweetness.

Serving Ideas

Pair with halo-halo for a purple dessert dream
Slice thick and serve chilled
Top with whipped cream or macapuno
Serve with ube cake, turning it into a full ube flan cake

Rose's Top Tips

Always strain for a smooth finish
Soften the cream cheese for easy blending
Don’t overbake—stop when the center is slightly jiggly
Chill for at least 4 hours for the best texture
You can steam or bake the flan in a gentle water bath — both methods give you that melt-in-your-mouth texture

Recipe FAQs

Can I use a loaf pan instead of a traditional llanera or 8×8 pan for my Ube Leche Flan?

Yes. You can use a loaf pan or any oven-safe dish, as long as it’s deep enough for the custard. Just keep in mind the baking (or steaming) time may vary slightly if the pan is larger or thinner than standard. A shallower pan will set faster, and a deeper one might need a few extra minutes.

Why did my Ube Leche Flan get little bubbles or air pockets on the surface, and how can I fix it next time?

That usually happens if the mixture was whisked too vigorously or there was too much air incorporated, and/or the heat was too high during baking/steaming. To avoid it: blend or whisk gently (using a blender on low is great), strain the mixture twice, bake/steam in a gentle water bath (bain-marie) at moderate heat, and don’t rush the process.

Can I freeze Ube Leche Flan for later, and what’s the best way to thaw it?

Yes, you can freeze it, though the texture might be slightly different when thawed (it may lose a little of that ultra-silky feel). Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap + foil, freeze flat. To thaw: move to the fridge overnight. Serve chilled but allow 10-15 minutes at room temp for best texture.

How do I know when my Ube Leche Flan is perfectly set, not underdone nor overcooked?

The center should still have a gentle jiggle (like a lightly set pudding) when you carefully shake the pan — it will continue to firm up as it chills. If it’s completely firm and has lost that jiggle, it may be over-cooked (which can lead to a rubbery texture). Undercooked will be very liquid and won’t hold shape when flipped.

Does using whole eggs (instead of just yolks) significantly change the flavour or color of the Ube Leche Flan?

Using whole eggs gives you more efficient use of ingredients (no leftover whites) and a slightly lighter texture (not quite as ultra-rich as only yolks). It doesn’t significantly change the vibrant purple color (that comes mostly from the ube condensed milk) or the flavour of ube + caramel. The difference is in texture and waste-minimization.