Fudgy, buttery, nutty, and sweet, these Ube Brownies are uniquely delicious and fun to make! Made with the sweet purple Filipino yam, ube, and featuring a vibrant purple interior and a crinkled top, these purple brownies are perfect any time of year!
Table of Contents
What is Ube?
Ube is a purple Filipino sweet yam. With a nutty, vanilla-like flavor and a deep and rich purple color, this yam featured in many Filipino desserts and is growing in popularity in the United States.
You can bake with ube in many different forms: ube extract, ube powder, ube jam (also known as ube halaya), and mashed cooked ube. Here in the United States it can be hard to find fresh ube, so often the extract, powder, or jam are used in baking recipes.
Why You'll Love Ube Brownies
- Fudgy and Rich. Butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and ube combine for a unique flavor experience that will have you salivating long after the pan of brownies is finished.
- A One-Bowl Recipe. Because who said that delicious desserts have to be require much fuss?
- Great for Kids. With the easy preparation older kiddos can help make the brownies, too! They will love watching the purple batter mix up, and of course, will be enamored with the end result.
- Showstopping Color. Though these brownies are, admittedly, a huge hit with the kids, adults will also be taken by the deep purple hue.
Ingredients
- Ube Powder: Made with dried ube, this powder is key for adding the classic ube flavor and the jewel tone to the purple dessert. Find ube powder online or at your local Asian market.
- Ube Extract: Contributes additional ube flavor but also adds concentrated purple color to the ube pastry. Similar to the powder, you can purchase the extract online or at your local Asian grocer.
- Unsalted Butter: An essential ingredient for any brownie recipe!
- Brown Sugar: Packed tightly to measure. Choose light brown sugar for a light caramelized sweetness and dark brown sugar for deeper molasses notes.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar.
- All-Purpose Flour: Adds structure to the ube brownies recipe and creates the perfect neutral canvas for the ube flavor notes.
- Large Eggs: Binds the batter together and adds depth of flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: For the best results, use pure vanilla extract.
- Cornstarch: Lightens up the flour mixture, keeping the brownies fudgy and rich but not heavy.
- White Chocolate Chips: The fresh milky flavor profile of these chips complements the nutty vanilla-essenced brownie batter like a dream. Substitute a chopped white chocolate bar for the chips for a rustic finish to the brownies.
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut (Optional): For an additional tropical element to the ube dessert recipe!
- Baking Powder and salt: For leavening or rising the brownies and accentuating the flavors of the ingredients (respectively).
How to Make Ube Brownies
For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray non-stick cooking spray or grease with butter.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, large eggs, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla extract, and ube extract until combined.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, ube powder, baking powder, and salt) to the wet ingredients. Whisk well to combine.
Step 4: Fold in the white chocolate chips and shredded coconut (if using) until thoroughly combined.
Step 5: Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 32-36 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top of the brownies looks shiny.
Step 6: Cool the brownies on a wire cooling rack until they have reached your desired temperature. Enjoy!
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Measure the Flour Carefully to ensure perfectly fudgy and buttery brownies. For the most accurate measurement, weigh the flour using a food scale. Otherwise, measure the flour by scooping it into the measuring cups and leveling off the tops.
- Testing the Brownies for Doneness. The tops of the brownies may look shiny and like they aren't fully cooked when they are. The best way to test is by inserting a toothpick into the center of the pan. When the toothpick comes out clean, the brownies are done.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this ube dessert as-is or à la mode with freshly brewed hot coffee, black tea, or go for a double ube delight and serve the brownies with ube boba tea. Purple ube brownies are great for birthday parties, makes a fantastic housewarming gift, will disappear at potlucks, and always is popular with kids!
Dietary Adaptations
- Gluten-Free: To make this ube recipe gluten-free, simply substitute the same amount of 1-to-1 gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour.
- Dairy-Free: Make this recipe dairy-free by substituting vegan butter for unsalted butter.
- Vegan: These purple brownies can be made vegan by using vegan butter and substituting two flax eggs for large eggs.
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Ube brownies keep covered in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Freezing: The brownies can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Cut the brownies into individual pieces and layer pieces of parchment paper between them before storing them in a ziptop bag. Defrost the brownies at room temperature for 45 minutes - 1 hour, or until thawed through.
FAQs
Ube has a sweet, nutty, and vanilla-like flavor, meaning that flavors like coconut, white chocolate, walnuts, and almonds all go well with ube.
Ube extract is a liquid, similar to vanilla extract, that has a concentrated ube flavor and purple color in it. Ube powder, on the other hand, is the dried and ground-up purple yam itself. In this recipe, both ube extract and ube powder are used for a full and dimensional ube experience.
Tools Needed to Make This Recipe
More Ube and Baking Recipes
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Recipe Card
Ube Brownies
Email FacebookIngredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup brown sugar light or dark
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ube extract
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (135g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup ube powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8 x 8-nch baking dish with parchment paper and spray non-stick cooking spray or grease with butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, large eggs, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla extract, and ube extract until combined.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, ube powder, baking powder, and salt to the wet ingredients. Whisk well to combine.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips and shredded coconut (if using) until combined.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 32-36 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top of the brownies looks shiny.
- Cool the brownies on a wire cooling rack until they have reached your desired temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigeration: Ube brownies keep covered in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Freezing: The brownies can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Cut the brownies into individual pieces and layer pieces of parchment paper between them before storing them in a ziptop bag. Defrost the brownies at room temperature for 45 minutes - 1 hour, or until thawed through.
- Gluten-Free: To make gluten-free ube brownies, simply substitute the same amount of 1-to-1 gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour.
- Dairy-Free: Make this recipe dairy-free by substituting vegan butter for unsalted butter.
- Vegan: These purple brownies can be made vegan by using vegan butter and substituting two flax eggs for large eggs.
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