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.
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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.
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.
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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:
- 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
- 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.
- Step 2: Blend the Flan Mixture. Combine the evaporated milk, ube condensed milk, cream cheese, and whole eggs.
- 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
More Filipino Recipes To Try
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Ube Leche Flan
Equipment
- Blender
- 8×8 baking round pan
- Larger tray for the water bath (bain-marie)
- Fine mesh strainer
- Aluminum foil
- Small saucepan or skillet (for caramel)
- MIxing Bowl
Ingredients
For the Caramel
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
For the Flan
- 5 whole eggs
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 can ube condensed milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) while you’re making the caramel and blending the custard.
- Combine ⅓ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a small pot and cook until it turns a deep amber. Carefully pour the caramel into your 8×8 pan — it will be extremely hot — and swirl quickly to coat the bottom before it solidifies. Set aside to cool.⅓ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon water
- Add the evaporated milk, ube condensed milk, cream cheese, and whole eggs to a blender. Blend on low just until smooth.5 whole eggs, 1 can evaporated milk, 1 can ube condensed milk, 8 ounces cream cheese
- Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove any lumps.
- Strain again directly into the caramel-coated 8×8 pan for an ultra-smooth custard.
- Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, then set the 8×8 pan inside a larger tray filled with hot water. Bake in this bain-marie for 45–60 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center still has a slight jiggle.
- Let it cool completely, then chill for several hours. Run a thin knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the flan, then flip it onto a plate to release that glossy caramel top.
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Notes
- Caramel hardens fast, so swirl the pan immediately after pouring.
- Use room-temperature cream cheese to help it blend smoothly into the custard.
- Blend on low speed to avoid whipping in air, which can cause bubbles in the custard.
- Straining twice is the secret to an ultra-smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Bake low and slow — high heat can make the flan grainy or create holes.
- Use hot water for the bain-marie to help the custard cook evenly from the start.
- Cover tightly with foil to prevent the top from overcooking or forming a skin.
- Check early around the 45-minute mark since oven temperatures vary.
- Don’t skip chilling — the flan needs several hours to fully set and develop its creamy texture.
- Run a thin knife around the edges before flipping to ensure a clean release.
Stacey Mrozinski says
Where do you buy ube condensed milk?
Rose Sioson says
Hi Stacey! I got mine from a Filipino grocery store. If you can’t find ube condensed milk, you can use regular sweetened condensed milk and add a little ube extract instead. McCormick has one that adds both ube flavor and color, and Butterfly brand is good too. Hope that helps!
Rose Sioson says
I’ve tried so many ube flan recipes and this is the first one that actually melted in my mouth. Using whole eggs + cream cheese is genius!