These ube brownies are a definite crowd pleaser. It is a dessert that's both easy to make and packed with delicious purple yam flavor!
Made with a rich, fudgy brownie base and a generous helping of sweet, nutty ube flavor, these brownies are sure to be a hit with anyone who loves the combination of chocolate and purple yam. And best of all, they're incredibly easy to make, so you can whip up a batch anytime you're in the mood for something sweet.
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❤️Why you will love this recipe
- These ube brownies are easy to make. Unlike traditional ube desserts, which often require the time-consuming process of making ube halaya or ube jam from scratch with real ube, these brownies can be made with just a few simple ingredients.
- In addition to the typical ingredients you need to make brownies, i.e. flour, eggs, butter and sugar, the extra ingredients you need are ube powder and ube extract, which can be easily found at most Asian grocery stores.
- Additionally, the use of white chocolate in the recipe helps the brownies to retain their attractive purple color, making them a visually stunning dessert that's sure to impress your guests.
What is Ube?
Ube, also known as purple yam, is a root vegetable that is widely used in Filipino cuisine and is gaining popularity in other parts of the world. It has a distinctive deep purple color that comes from its natural pigments.
In terms of taste and texture, ube is similar to other types of yam and sweet potato, but with a slightly nutty and earthy flavor that is often described as being "caramel-like." Its unique color and flavor makes it a popular ingredient in a variety of dishes, including desserts like cakes, ube ice cream, ube milk tea and pastries (ube rolls), as well as savory dishes like soups, stews, and casseroles.
A very popular delicacy made using ube is the ube halaya (also known as purple yam jam). It is a classic Filipino dessert that is made by cooking ube with coconut milk and condensed milk until it becomes a thick, smooth paste. This rich and creamy dessert is often served on its own, but can also be used as a filling for cakes and pastries, or as a topping for shaved ice. You can make this on your own (with fresh ube) or purchase it from your local Asian supermarket or local Filipino grocery store.
📋Ingredients
- Butter - use salted butter. Unsalted butter will also work fine.
- White chocolate - use good quality chocolate for best results.
- All purpose flour + salt - combine these together and sift with the ube powder. Use fine salt.
- Granulated sugar (white sugar) - use fine sugar. Coarse sugar will leave you with sugar specks on the top surface of the brownies after baking.
- Ube powder (Purple yam powder) - this can be purchased from any Asian supermarkets.
- Egg - use large eggs.
- Vanilla extract - add a lovely flavor to the brownies.
- Ube extract - gives the color and taste of ube to the brownies.
- White chocolate chips - these are optional but definitely contribute to the deliciousness of the brownies.
*Refer to the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and exact quantities. For best results, use a digital kitchen scale where applicable*
🧾Substitution and Variations
- If you do not have or cannot find ube powder, you can omit it from the recipe. Simply increase the all purpose flour in the recipe from 50g to 60g and increase the amount of ube extract used. In other words, replace the ube powder with all purpose flour and increase the extract from 1 teaspoon to 3 teaspoons.
- Do note that using the ube extract will give you a more vibrant purple color and therefore, brownies made entirely using ube extract would be brighter colored compared to brownies made using both ube powder and the extract.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you do try, please let me know in the comments section below!
👩🍳How to Make
Mixing the batter - Step 1
- Add the butter into a small saucepan. If the butter is cold, cut it into small cubes for easy melting. Use low heat. If you leave the butter on heat for too long, it will become brown (browned butter) and it that happens, don't worry, you can still use it.
- Once the butter is melted, add the chopped white chocolate. Make sure the heat is adjusted to a minimum level and let the chocolate melt. Stir to expedite the melting and to ensure the chocolate does not burn. Remove from heat as soon as the chocolate melts.
- Next, add the granulated sugar into a large bowl. Pour the melted chocolate and butter mixture into the bowl and give the butter and sugar a good whisk (with a hand whisk) for approximately one minute. You will notice that the butter and sugar remain separated at this stage and that is fine.
- Next, add the whole egg into the butter and sugar mixture. Whisk it in until it is well incorporated into the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
Mixing the batter - Step 2
- In a separate bowl, combine the all purpose flour, salt and ube powder. Sift these dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold until well combined, but do not over mix.
- Next, add the ube extract. Mix it into the ube brownie batter until well combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan (6 inches square pan lined with parchment paper). Level the top.
- Sprinkle the top of the brownies with the white chocolate chips. Use a toothpick or skewer to push some of them into the batter.
- Bake the ube brownies in a preheated oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.
- Remove the baked brownies from the oven and let it rest in the tin for approximately 5 minutes. Transfer it onto a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
- This next step is optional, but it will help ensure you get neat brownie bars. Place the uncut brownie block in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Only then you cut it into smaller bars. The refrigeration will help the brownie firm up and will give you much neater pieces when cut.
- The ube brownies can be stored at room temperature after cutting.
🍽️Serving & storage
- These brownies are best stored at room temperature, in an airtight container. Stored this way, they can last for a good 4 to 5 days.
- If you wish to keep them longer, refrigeration will help. Ensure they are kept in airtight containers or wrapped with plastic wrap. This way, they can last about 2 weeks.
💡Expert Tips
- To prevent dry and cake-like ube brownies, it is important not to over bake them. Follow the baking time and temperature recommended in the recipe to achieve the best results.
- About 5 minutes before the suggested baking time ends, check the brownie by inserting a toothpick in the center. If the toothpick comes out clean without any wet batter, the brownie is ready and can be taken out of the oven.
💭FAQs
The primary distinction between regular brownies and blondies lies in their ingredients. While chocolate (either white or brown), is a crucial component of traditional brownies, it is absent in blondies although chocolate in the form of chopped or chips are added as add-ons in blondie recipes.
Another obvious difference is that blondies are made with brown sugar, which contributes to their caramel-like taste. Brownies on the other hand, are made with white sugar.
Using natural ube powder will only give your brownies a slight tinge of purple. It is the ube extract that helps intensify the color.
If you want a more vibrant purple color for your ube brownies, simple double the amount of extract used. And if that is still not enough, you also have an option of using purple food coloring.
Technically, you can and that is how brown colored brownies are made.
For these ube brownies, however, using dark chocolate will overtake the purple color in your brownies and you will end up with dark brown brownies with ube flavor.
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📖Recipe
Ube Brownies (Fudgy Purple Yam Brownie Recipe)
For best results, use the metrics measurements. US customary measurements have not been tested and are only meant for guide.
Ingredients
- 90 g butter
- 60 g white chocolate
- 50 g all purpose flour
- 10 g ube powder
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 30 g white chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon ube extract
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 160°Celsius.
- Grease and line a 6 inches square cake tin with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Measure butter into a small pot or saucepan. Melt it over low heat until it has melted completely.
- Add the chopped white chocolate melt it in the hot butter over very low heat. Stir to expedite the melting and make sure the chocolate does not burn. Remove from heat as soon as the chocolate has melted.
- Measure granulated sugar into a separate bowl.
- Pour the melted chocolate and butter into the sugar and whisk by hand for approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Next, add the egg. If the butter and sugar mixture is hot, let is cool down first before adding the egg.
- Whisk in the egg until it is well incorporated.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
- Combine the flour, salt and ube powder in a separate bowl. Stir lightly to mix.
- Sift in the flour mixture into the wet ingredients in 2 or 3 batches. Fold the flour only until it is well combined. Do not overmix.
- Next, add the ube extract and mix again until well combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the ube brownie batter into the prepared tin. Level the top.
- Sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips. Use a skewer or toothpick to push some of the chocolate chips into the batter.
- Bake the brownies for 20 minutes.
- Remove the tin from the oven and let the brownie rest in the tin for about 5 to 10 minutes before lifting out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Place the brownie block in the fridge for about 30 minutes to cool further before cutting for neater pieces.
Notes
- To prevent dry and cake-like ube brownies, it is important not to over bake them. Follow the baking time and temperature recommended in the recipe to achieve the best results.
- About 5 minutes before the suggested baking time ends, check the brownie by inserting a toothpick in the center. If the toothpick comes out clean without any wet batter, the brownie is ready and can be taken out of the oven.
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