Ube crinkle cookies are the ones that look too pretty to eat, soft, fudgy, and dusted in powdered sugar so they sparkle like little purple snowballs. They're one of my favorite things to bake whenever I've got a stash of ube halaya on hand, and they're just as at home on a holiday cookie tray as they are next to the classic chocolate version.
They taste as good as they look: rich, buttery, and full of that sweet, nutty ube flavor Filipinos, and anyone who's tried it once, can't get enough of.
If you love this, try my Classic Chocolate Crinkle Cookies next, same crackly look, rich cocoa flavor, and just as easy to whip up.
Watch how these ube crinkle cookies come together, it's easier than it looks.
I've made chocolate crinkles more times than I can count, but with a stash of frozen ube halaya in my freezer, I couldn't resist an "ubefied" version. These cookies came out soft with a subtle crisp edge and that vibrant purple color that just makes you smile. I loved them so much I baked another batch the very next day.
Ube desserts are my weakness. Between my Ube Cassava Cake and Ube Pancakes, these crinkles officially complete my purple dessert trifecta.
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What Is Ube?
Ube (pronounced oo-beh) is a purple yam popular in Filipino desserts. It has a sweet, earthy flavor, kind of like vanilla with a hint of pistachio. Watch out for purple sweet potato at the grocery store, it's often mislabeled as ube, but the two have different flavors and textures and aren't interchangeable.
In this recipe, ube gives the cookies their rich flavor and vibrant purple hue. We use ube halaya (purple yam jam) plus ube extract to pack in that signature color and taste.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Fast: Mix everything in one bowl with a mixer, scoop, bake, done.
- Bold Color: That vivid purple stands out on any cookie tray.
- Texture Win: Soft and fudgy middle with just a hint of crisp on the outside.
- Minimal Fuss: No overnight chill required.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Great for dessert tables, cookie swaps, or just treating yourself.
🥘Ingredients
- Ube Halaya (Purple Yam Jam): The star of the show, providing rich ube flavor and color.
- Ube Extract: Boosts the ube flavor and deepens the purple color.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base of the dough, giving it structure.
- Baking Powder: Helps the cookies rise and create those signature crinkles.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the flavor of the ube.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps with the cookie's texture.
- Egg: Helps bind the ingredients together and gives the cookies structure.
- Neutral Oil (Vegetable or Canola): Keeps the cookies moist and gives them a soft texture.
- Confectioner's/Powdered Sugar: For rolling the dough and creating that iconic crinkle look.
Swaps & Add-Ins
- No Ube Halaya? Use ube powder plus a little milk to make a paste.
- Want Richer Flavor? Swap the oil for melted butter.
- Want a More Vivid Purple? Add a drop or two of purple gel food coloring along with the ube extract. Ube halaya and extract alone can sometimes lean more brown-purple than vivid purple, depending on the brand.
- Add-Ins: White chocolate chips or shredded coconut work well folded into the dough.
- Gluten-Free Version: Use a gluten-free flour blend in place of all-purpose.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat and mix wet ingredients:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In your mixer bowl, beat together granulated sugar and oil (or melted butter) until smooth. Add the egg, ube halaya, and ube extract, and mix on medium speed until everything is well combined and evenly purple.
- Combine the dry ingredients:
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until fully blended.
- Bring it all together:
With your mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix just until combined — the dough should be thick but slightly sticky. Don’t overmix.
- Chill: Chill the dough for 20–30 minutes if it feels too soft or sticky to handle. This helps keep the cookies from spreading too much.
- Scoop and roll: Scoop about 1 heaping tablespoon (around 40 grams) of dough per cookie and roll each portion into a smooth ball.
- Coat in sugar: Roll each dough ball generously in powdered sugar until fully coated. The thicker the coating, the better the crinkle pattern.
- Bake: Arrange dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still soft.
- Cool and enjoy: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2–3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Variations
- Stuffed Version: Press a small dollop of ube halaya into the center of each dough ball before rolling in sugar.
- Coconut Add-In: Fold ¼ to ½ cup shredded coconut into the dough.
- Chocolate Chip Version: Fold in ½ cup white or dark chocolate chips before rolling.
Serving Ideas
- Enjoy warm with a mug of hot chocolate, a nice contrast to the sweet, nutty ube.
- Pair with a glass of taho (Filipino silken tofu with syrup and sago) for a nostalgic merienda vibe.
- Sandwich two cookies with a scoop of ube ice cream for a purple-on-purple dessert.
- Serve alongside coffee or milk tea, or tuck them into a halo-halo dessert bar for a full Filipino spread.
Rose's Tips & Troubleshooting
- Use Your Mixer. With the paddle attachment, beat sugar and oil (or butter) until smooth, then add the egg, ube halaya, and extract. Dry ingredients go in last.
- Chill the Dough if It's Warm. Even 20 to 30 minutes makes it easier to handle and helps keep the cookies from spreading too much.
- Roll Generously in Powdered Sugar. The thicker the coating, the better the crinkle effect.
- Don't Overbake. Edges should look set, center still soft, they'll keep setting as they cool.
- Cookies Spreading Too Much? The dough was likely too warm. Chill it a bit longer before baking.
- Crinkles Not Forming? Roll thoroughly in powdered sugar, and double-check your baking powder is fresh, old baking powder won't give you the rise needed for a good crack.
- Flavor Too Mild? Use a higher-quality ube halaya and add a bit more ube extract.
Storage / Meal Prep
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- You can freeze unbaked dough balls (un-sugared) for up to 3 months. When ready, thaw ~15 minutes, roll in powdered sugar, bake 1-2 minutes more than fresh.
- Idea: Bake ahead and freeze for parties or holiday trays.
Recipe FAQs
Think of classic chocolate crinkle cookies, the ones that bake up with those pretty powdered-sugar cracks, but made with sweet, nutty ube instead. As they bake, the sugar coating splits open into that signature crinkle, showing off the soft, fudgy purple center underneath.
Yes. Boil, mash, and sweeten fresh ube or purple sweet potato to mimic ube halaya. Just double-check you're actually getting ube and not purple sweet potato sold under the wrong name, the two aren't interchangeable in flavor or texture. The color will be lighter and the flavor milder this way, so a few drops of ube extract help bring back that signature purple.
Overbaking or too much baking soda can dull or shift ube's color. Stick to baking powder, use quality ube extract, and add a drop of purple gel food coloring if you want a more vivid result.
Yes. See the Storage section above for full freezing instructions for both unbaked dough and baked cookies.
More Ube Desserts You’ll Love
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Ube Crinkle Cookie
Equipment
- 1 MIxing Bowl
- 1 ice cream scoop
- 1 large baking sheets
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup ube halaya
- 1 pc large egg beaten, room-temperature
- ½ cup neutral oil canola, vegetable, avocado oil
- 2 teaspoon ube extract
- ¾ cup confectioner’s/ powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat and Mix Wet Ingredients. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In your mixer bowl, beat together granulated sugar and oil (or melted butter) until smooth. Add the egg, ube halaya, and ube extract, and mix on medium speed until everything is well combined and evenly purple.½ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup ube halaya, 1 pc large egg, ½ cup neutral oil, 2 teaspoon ube extract
- Combine the Dry Ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until fully blended.2 cups All-Purpose Flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Bring It All Together. With your mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix just until combined, the dough should be thick but slightly sticky. Don't overmix.
- Chill if Needed. Chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes if it feels too soft or sticky to handle. This helps keep the cookies from spreading too much.
- Scoop and Roll. Scoop about 1 heaping tablespoon (around 40 grams) of dough per cookie and roll each portion into a smooth ball.
- Coat in Sugar. Roll each dough ball generously in powdered sugar until fully coated. The thicker the coating, the better the crinkle pattern.¾ cup confectioner’s/ powdered sugar
- Bake. Arrange dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still soft.
- Cool and Enjoy. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Notes
- If your dough feels warm or sticky, chill it for 20 to 30 minutes before scooping, it makes shaping much easier and helps prevent spreading.
- The thicker the powdered sugar coating, the better the crinkle effect once baked.
- Pull the cookies while the centers still look soft, they'll continue to set as they cool on the baking sheet.
- Watch out for purple sweet potato labeled as ube at the store, they're not the same ingredient and won't give you the same flavor or color.
- Want a more vivid purple? Add a drop or two of purple gel food coloring along with the ube extract.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freeze unbaked dough balls (without the sugar coating) for up to 3 months. Thaw about 15 minutes, roll in powdered sugar, and bake 1 to 2 minutes longer than fresh.
