About These Ube Crinkle Cookies
Ube crinkle cookies are a beautiful, Filipino-American twist on the classic crinkle cookie! But first—what is ube?
Ube is a purple yam frequently used in Filipino and other Southeast Asian desserts. It is naturally purple in color, with a subtle flavor that tastes like both pistachio and vanilla. These ube crinkle cookies get their vibrant color and flavor from both ube halaya jam and ube extract!
Although I make ube crinkle cookies for the holidays almost every year (the tradition started in 2016, and has been going strong since then), this year, they are extra special. Why? I typically spend Christmas with my family in the Philippines. And Christmas in the Philippines is a really special time! You can read more about my tropical Christmas celebration in my blurb for these cookies in The Kitchn. They recently featured this recipe in their “Quarantine Cookies” series!
Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, I will be skipping the 16+ hours flight to Manila. But these ube crinkle cookies will at least bring a bit of the Philippines to my kitchen in Portland, Oregon.
Is ube and taro the same?
A lot of folks get ube confused with taro. Not only do they taste pretty similar, but taro also can come in a light lavender color (although it mostly comes in white). But they’re actually just completely different plants. Although both ube and taro are tubers, taro is cultivated from the taro plant. Unlike ube, it’s not classified as a “yam”. In the Philippines, taro is often used in savory cooking, while ube is reserved for sweets.
And finally, it’s important to note that both ube and taro are also different from the different varieties of purple sweet potatoes available. And it turns out that some of those sweet potatoes, like the Okinawan sweet potato, aren’t even technically sweet potatoes either. It’s confusing, I know. So for the purposes of this recipe, I’ll keep it simple: these ube crinkle cookies are made with UBE. Not taro, and not any kind of purple sweet potato, lol.
Why You Should Make The Recipe
Here are all the reasons to make this ube crinkle cookie recipe:
These ube crinkle cookies are a unique twist on a classic, holiday cookie recipe.
These soft, cakey cookies have a slightly earthy, subtle flavor from the ube. If you are looking for a change from butter or chocolate cookies that are popular this time of year, make these cookies. You won’t regret it!
Additionally, their vibrant purple color is really unique and special. Every time I share these ube crinkle cookies, people always compliment their color first. These cookies truly are showstoppers and will stand out in a box of goodies.
The cookies store well.
These cookies deepen in flavor the longer they sit. The ube flavor becomes even more pronounced the day after it’s made. In fact, the ube in the cookies means that the crinkle cookies stay soft and flavorful for days. These ube crinkle cookies would work well as a homemade present delivered over mail!
The cookies are inspired by the New York bakery, Brooklyn Kolache.
When I lived in New York City, I befriended Autumn, the owner of Brooklyn Kolache, a bakery in my neighborhood that specialized in kolaches. Her bakery sold UBE kolaches. It turned out that her husband Dennis is Filipino. He had gotten her hooked on ube. So much so that she developed an ube crinkle cookie recipe to sell at his bar, Swell Dive.
To this day, I maintain that her cookie is one of the best ube crinkle cookies I’ve ever eaten. So I was eternally grateful when she shared her recipe with me. It’s become a tradition for me to make them for the holidays. And every time I do, I get flooded with folks asking me for the recipe. I get it! It’s hard to resist the the call of the ube crinkle cookie, lol. Unfortunately, Autumn made me swear not to share her bakery’s recipe with anybody else. And I refuse to break her promise.
But eventually, I decided to develop my own recipe. And that’s the one I’m sharing with you guys today. These cookies are very, VERY similar to Autumn’s original recipe. Autumn’s cookies are very soft and cakey. My ube crinkle cookies are slightly chewier and denser. Are Autumn’s better? Oh, absolutely. But mine are still pretty darn good. I promise.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Now that I’ve convinced you to make these ube crinkle cookies, here’s your shopping list for the recipe:
Shopping List for Ube Crinkle Cookies
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- kosher salt
- unsalted butter
- large eggs
- ube halaya (ube jam)
- purple food coloring
- ube extract
- pure vanilla extract
- confectioners’ sugar
And let’s talk about some its key ingredients and their substitutions:
Ube Halaya (Ube Jam)
You need ½ cup ube halaya (ube jam) to make ube crinkle cookies.
What is ube halaya?
Fun fact: it is actually really hard to buy fresh ube (that is, ube still in its tuber form). That’s because ube is really hard to process: it needs to be peeled, boiled for a long time, then grated and mashed into its signature texture. So typically, most ube is bought frozen or processed into a powder, extract, or jam. In the Philippines, the jam is called “ube halaya” and is typically what people mean when they say “ube” in recipes.
Where To Buy Ube Halaya
Ube halaya jam is typically found in the “Filipino” aisle of any Asian supermarket, close to jars of preserved jackfruit, macapuno (a coconut hybrid much beloved in the Philippines), and other fruits commonly found in the country. In the US, the brand I most commonly see is Monika. It’s what I use anytime I make anything ube (Portlanders—Monika ube halaya is available at Fubonn, H-Mart, and Uwajimaya). You can also buy ube halaya (as well as its powdered counterpart) on Amazon, but I don’t recommend doing so. They are much more expensive than they should be, especially the jam!
I can’t find ube halaya. Can I still make these ube crinkle cookies?
Sadly, no. Ube halaya is a key ingredient to making these ube crinkle cookies. Without it, the cookies wouldn’t be ube at all. It would be a bit like making chocolate cake without any chocolate or cocoa powder. Or banana bread without any bananas. Or blueberry muffins without any blueberries. Okay, I’ll stop now (lol).
Can I use fresh ube to make these ube crinkle cookies?
Yes! However, you’ll need to process the ube before you use it in the recipe. To process the ube, peel it and boil it until soft. Then, puree it into a jam texture. It’s similar to the process you would undertake if you wanted to make pumpkin puree from scratch as opposed to buying it canned.
Can I use powdered ube to make these ube crinkle cookies?
I’m sorry, but I don’t know. Powdered ube is really hard to find where I live! As a result, I’ve never used it in any of my baking recipes. I don’t have much experience with it at all. So if you do make these ube crinkle cookies with powdered ube, please leave a comment telling me how you did it!
Purple Food Coloring
You need 1 teaspoon purple food coloring to make ube crinkle cookies.
What kind of purple food coloring did you use for your ube crinkle cookies?
For these cookies, I used a purple from this “Nifty Fifty” Americolor food coloring set. You can also buy as an individual bottle online.
Do I really need to use purple food coloring to make ube crinkle cookies?
Technically, you don’t need to use purple food coloring to make these cookies. But your cookies won’t come out the same color as mine. In fact, they won’t be purple at all!
That’s because although both ube halaya and ube extract are purple, they don’t have enough natural pigment to really dye the cookies purple. So you definitely need to boost the cookies with food coloring. Without it, your cookies will turn out a very light brown color with purplish tones.
Okay, but what if I just *can’t* with food coloring? Can I skip it anyway?
Hm, it depends. Are you skipping it because you don’t want to source food coloring? If so, go ahead and make the cookies! Just know that, while they’ll be plenty tasty, they won’t look anything like mine.
But are you skipping the food coloring because you’re allergic/sensitive to food dye? If so, I have bad news: don’t make this recipe. Almost every brand of store-bought ube halaya jam and ube extract use purple food coloring, too.
Help! I couldn’t find purple food coloring. What can I use instead?
No worries! In the United States, this food coloring set by McCormick is readily available at most major supermarkets. The set typically consists of four colors: red, yellow, green, and blue.
You can make your own purple food coloring by combining a few drops of red with a few drops of blue in the cookie dough. Play around with it until you get a shade of purple similar to the purple of the ube jam and extract. Pinterest typically has really awesome charts with exact recipes for getting the colors you want.
Ube Extract
You need 1 teaspoon ube extract to make ube crinkle cookies.
What is ube extract?
Ube extract is similar to vanilla extract. However, instead of flavoring baked goods with vanilla, it flavors them with ube! Pretty cool, right? Most ube baked goods rely on ube extract for flavor. That’s because ube on its own is so subtle—you really need the extract to boost the flavor.
And in addition to giving baked goods ube flavor, the ube extract also helps color them. Most ube extract is dyed with purple food coloring. This food coloring in the extract helps enhance your baked good’s purple color.
The Best Ube Extract for Baking
In the United States, there’s only a handful of brands that make ube extract. McCormick and Butterfly. I’m partial to McCormick because they’re a huge company that also makes other high-quality spices, herbs, and extracts. I’ve never used the Butterfly brand, so I can’t personally vouch for it.
Where To Buy Ube Extract
Although most McCormick spices and extracts are available in most supermarkets, you need to go to a specialty Asian market to source the ube extract. Most Asian supermarkets have a baking aisle. In this aisle, you’ll find extracts for “Asian” flavors like coconut, durian, jasmine, and ube.
If you don’t have an Asian supermarket in your city, you can buy ube extract online on Amazon.
And if you live in my city of Portland, Oregon, get excited. You have a lot of options! Both McCormick and Butterfly ube extract is available at Fubonn and the H Mart on Belmont.
I can’t find ube extract. Can I still make these ube crinkle cookies?
You technically can. However, I don’t recommend it. Why? I mentioned earlier that ube has an incredibly subtle flavor. Without the extract, I think you’d find these cookies bland! Yes—even if you used ube halaya jam.
How To Make Ube Crinkle Cookies
Here are the basic steps to make ube crinkle cookies from scratch:
- Prep the ingredients. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
Unless you’re making ube halaya jam from scratch, prep for this recipe is fairly easy! Simply measure out all the ingredients. Make sure that they’re all at the temperature needed for the recipe, too. That’s it! - Make the cookie dough. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
This ube crinkle cookie recipe follows most standard cookie recipes. First, cream the butter and sugars, then add the egg, ube jam, extracts, and dry ingredients. - Assemble the cookies. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
Use a 3-Tablespoon cookie dough scoop to portion out the dough quickly and evenly. In the recipe, I instruct you to scoop the dough balls directly into a shallow bowl of confectioners’ sugar. That’s because the dough will be fairly soft! Scooping it directly into the sugar helps prevent your hands from getting too messy.
But if you find that the dough is *TOO* soft and difficult to work with, no worries! Simply refrigerate the dough for an hour before scooping and baking. - Bake the cookies. (Bake Time: 12 minutes)
The ube crinkle cookies need 12 to 15 minutes in the oven. When done, the edges should be set. However, the centers will still look a little soft. That’s normal! In fact, that’s the secret to a perfect cookie with a chewy center.
Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ
FAQ: Troubleshooting Unexpected Results
Help! My ube crinkle cookie dough was too sticky. It was hard to assemble the cookies. What did I do wrong?
Don’t panic! You probably didn’t do anything wrong. The cookie dough can come out too soft if your ingredients were too warm. While it won’t be an issue to bake them as is, they can be a little difficult to assemble with soft dough. Simply cover the bowl with the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up the dough.
Help! My ube crinkle cookies came out patchy. They don’t look anything like yours! Instead, they absorbed a lot of the confectioners’ sugar while baking and have big purple spots. What did I do wrong?
Ah, yes. To get the signature crinkle cookie look, you need to coat the ube crinkle cookies in a LOT of confectioners’ sugar. Like a lot, lot. There should be no visible purple spots. You should be uncomfortable with the amount of confectioners’ sugar around each dough ball! This is the secret to the classic crinkle cookie look!
FAQ: Storing The Cookies
How To Store Ube Crinkle Cookies
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Can you freeze ube crinkle cookies?
Yes! You can freeze ube crinkle cookie dough.
To freeze the ube crinkle cookie dough, follow the instructions to scoop the cookie dough into balls. However, don’t drop them into the confectioners’ sugar! You won’t freeze them coated. Instead, scoop them onto a lined quarter sheet pan. If you’re not planning on baking them right away, there’s no need to space the dough apart.
Loosely wrap the sheet pan with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour, or until the cookie dough balls are solid. Place the frozen cookie dough balls in an airtight container or zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, there’s no need to thaw the dough balls! Simply place on a lined sheet pan to thaw slightly as you preheat the oven. Then, once the oven is preheated, toss each cookie dough ball in the confectioners’ sugar. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges have set but the centers are still soft.
Best Recipe Tips
Best Ingredient Tip
- Most baking recipes instruct you to sift confectioners’ sugar before using in the recipe. Confectioners’ sugar tends to clump when stored; sifting removes these lumps. However, you don’t need to sift the confectioners’ sugar for these ube crinkle cookies. Why? I find that the lumps in the confectioners’ sugar help coat the cookies more thoroughly. The lumps also break up into interesting crinkles when baked!
Best Technique Tips
- In the recipe, I instruct you to scoop the cookie dough with a cookie dough scoop. I then instruct you to drop the dough balls directly into the confectioners’ sugar and toss to coat. Don’t skip this step! If you drop the dough onto a sheet pan without coating them first, it’s likely that they’ll stick to the sheet pan. If you don’t plan on coating them immediately, I recommend chilling the dough for an hour first. Chilling the dough will make it easier to work with.
- Coat the cookies generously with confectioners’ sugar. I mean it. Ideally, you don’t want any purple spots showing on the cookie dough balls. These show up as “bald spots” on the cookies, ruining their crinkle effect. Additionally, the cookies will absorb some of the confectioners’ sugar as they bake. So err on the side of caution and cover them with a THICK layer of confectioners’ sugar!
Video Tutorial for Ube Crinkle Cookie Recipe
Use the video player below to watch my Instagram Story tutorial on how to make ube crinkle cookies! The arrows to the left and right of the frame allow you to skip through the different recipe steps. You can also hit the “pause” or “enlarge” buttons on the upper right hand side of the frame to pause or enlarge the frames accordingly.
Alternatively, head to my Instagram profile to watch these Stories on mobile! The circles underneath my bio indicate saved Instagram Story highlights for various recipes. Click on one of the circles to play the video tutorial for the recipe. You may need to swipe left or right to find this ube crinkle cookie recipe.
Ube Recipes on Hummingbird High
Filipino Recipes on Hummingbird High
- Cassava Cake
- Ensaymada (Filipino Brioche Rolls)
- Leche Flan
Holiday Cookie Recipes on Hummingbird High
- Buttered Rum Shortbread Cookies
- Brown Butter Cookie Cups
- Caramel Stuffed Brownie Cookies
- Dulcey White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
- Flourless Chocolate Cookies
- Lavender Earl Grey Cookies
- Neapolitan Cookies
Get the Recipe: Ube Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
For the Ube Crinkle Cookies
- 1 ¾ cups (7.85 ounces or 223 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (7 ounces or 198 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ½ cup (4 ounces or 113 grams) ube halaya jam, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon purple food coloring
- 1 teaspoon ube extract
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (4 ounces or 113 grams) confectioners' sugar
Equipment
- a 3-Tablespoon cookie dough scoop
Instructions
For the Ube Crinkle Cookies
- Prep your oven and pans. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Make the cookie dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium-high until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer to low and add the egg; beat until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low, add the ube halaya jam, purple food coloring, ube extract, and vanilla extract, beating until combined and completely purple, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, and beat on low for an additional 30 seconds.
- Coat the cookies. Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium, shallow bowl. Use a 3-Tablespoon cookie dough scoop to portion the cookie dough into balls, dropping them directly into the bowl with confectioners' sugar. Toss until the cookie dough balls are completely and generously coated. Place the cookie dough balls at least 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans.
- Bake the cookies. Bake one pan at a time for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges have set but the centers are still soft.
- Serve and store. Serve warm, or at room temperature. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Most baking recipes instruct you to sift confectioners’ sugar before using in the recipe. Confectioners’ sugar tends to clump when stored; sifting removes these lumps. However, you don’t need to sift the confectioners’ sugar for these ube crinkle cookies. Why? I find that the lumps in the confectioners’ sugar help coat the cookies more thoroughly. The lumps also break up into interesting crinkles when baked!
- In the recipe, I instruct you to scoop the cookie dough with a cookie dough scoop. I then instruct you to drop the dough balls directly into the confectioners’ sugar and toss to coat. Don’t skip this step! If you drop the dough onto a sheet pan without coating them first, it’s likely that they’ll stick to the sheet pan. If you don’t plan on coating them immediately, I recommend chilling the dough for an hour first. Chilling the dough will make it easier to work with.
- Coat the cookies generously with confectioners’ sugar. I mean it. Ideally, you don’t want any purple spots showing on the cookie dough balls. These show up as “bald spots” on the cookies, ruining their crinkle effect. Additionally, the cookies will absorb some of the confectioners’ sugar as they bake. So err on the side of caution and cover them with a THICK layer of confectioners’ sugar!
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Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule
Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.
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Please leave a comment and rating for the recipe using the form below!
Your ratings make it easier to find the recipe online, and I’m always looking for ways to improve Hummingbird High.
Hi Michelle, I plan to make the Ube cookies soon. But do have a somewhat different but related question. How do you think these would turn out using pistachio paste and pistachio extract in these cookies as a variation? I realize most likely have tried this, but I value your opinion on if you think they would come out well by trying this version. Anxious to make the Ube version, however. I think my daughter in law would love these.
Hi!
I think a pistachio crinkle cookie with pistachio paste and extract sounds AMAZING. However, I’m not sure this would be the right cookie to experiment those flavors with. Ube halaya has a really different “makeup” than pistachio paste. It’s pretty low in fat and starchy, whereas pistachio paste is high in fat and protein. My intuition tells me that you’d be better off finding a peanut butter blossom cookie or peanut butter crinkle cookie and swapping out the peanut butter with pistachio paste (since peanut butter and pistachio paste are more similar in fat/protein profiles).
Thanks! The peanut butter blossom cookie sounds like a good idea. My initial thought was the green color color coming through the white for a fun Christmas cookie. I’d still get the color with your idea though. Appreciate your input.
Hi Michelle! Could I make this with frozen ube? I couldn’t find ube halaya jam at the grocery store. Appreciate your input!
Hi! Hm, it depends on the frozen ube to be honest. Do you have a link? What kind of ube is it? Does it say if it’s just plain ol’ ube (without any added sweeteners, etc) or ube halaya (which typically has sugar, extract, and sometimes even milk added to it)?
I made these over the weekend and they are fantastic. Such a unique flavor! I had no trouble finding the ingredients at my Asian market. I used red and blue food coloring to make purple. I really love these and plan to make them again (since I have the stuff!). Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
This cookie was so delicious and the purple color so fun. The ube jam and extract were easy to find at our local Asian market. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hello! I plan on making these this weekend and was wondering if there are any changes when it comes to high altitude. I live in Colorado Springs, a little above 6,500 ft.
Yes! You’ll likely need to adjust the amount of flour and leavener, as well as the Bake Time. Check out King Arthur Baking Company’s table on high altitude baking to help out: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
I haven’t lived anywhere high altitude since 2012 so I’m really rusty!
These cookies were overly sweet but otherwise delicious. I baked for 13 min for a slightly underbaked center that was chewy. I highly recommend reducing the sugar in the dough by 1/3 or even 1/2 as there is sugar in the ube halaya and the powdered sugar on the outside as well.
my coworkers are always excited when i bring these in. a favorite!
I got really excited when Michelle posted this on her instagram!!! I’ve been baking ube pandesal for my family because it’s their favorite & I happen to have an extra tub of ube jam! I didn’t know what to do with it so I decided to try this one out! Perfect timing! These turned out great! They’re super delicious & easy to make! I can’t wait to make these again & give them as gifts to family & friends so they could try it! Yummm 💜
I have loved every ube flavored dessert I’ve tasted so far in life, so I absolutely had to try these cookies. Result: Amazing! Soft and puffy, with crisp edges and a slightly crunchy sugar crinkle top, with a lovely not-too-sweet ube-forward flavor. I can’t remember, but I may have used a little more of the ube halal when I made mine, just to use the entirety of the container I had purchased. Regardless, they were delicious, and well received by everyone I shared them with. And they keep very well.
loved these cookies!! the purple is beautiful and the ube delicious, with a great texture to round it out 🙂
These cookies were pretty simple to make once I found all of the ube ingredients. I was unable to locate the jam, but found powdered ube and was able to easily make a batch of jam myself! It was an extra step, but really fun to create something I had not tried before.
The cookies were a huge hit with me and all of my friends. The flavor is subtle and sweet! I will definitely be making a lot of crinkle cookies from now on.
Rachel, did you rehydrate the ube powder?
The cookies are moist, tasty and pretty with the purple and white color. The ube flavor is subtle. I’m going to make them again and add more ube or more ube flavoring. But for someone new to ube, it’s a great recipe to try. Thanks for sharing Filipino recipes. I miss my mom’s baking so seeing you with your mom and other recipes you share makes me feel “at home.”
Hi,
I made these this past weekend and they were delicious!!! I’m always looking for new Ube recipes specifically dessert!
The cookies came out great but I found the powdered sugar on top melted on all the cookies which didn’t leave them with that powdery snow look on top. I completely covered the cookies with plenty of sugar and even chilled the dough for about an hour beforehand. Would you recommend I just bake at a temperature of 325 – If I do that how long would you recommend the bake time be? Other than the sugar on top the cookies came out perfect!
Oh no! Honestly, I find that sometimes chilling the dough beforehand is not good for the sugar. It makes the cookies kind of wet on the outside, which dissolves the powdered sugar and can lead to the patchy, melted look.
You can try baking at 325F, but I haven’t done it myself so I’m not sure what the Bake Time would be. I’d maybe check for doneness at 15 minutes instead of 12?
If you don’t want to refrigerate the dough, you can let the dough rest at room temperature for a few minutes and the dough will firm up enough to scoop. Scoop the dough into a bowl of granulated sugar and lightly coat, then coat generously in powdered sugar. It not only makes it easier to shape into balls, but no waiting! It also prevents the powdered sugar from melting away or the color dulling keeping that crackle look and vibrant purple color, and gives the cookie a nice crisp outside while keeping the cookie moist on the inside.
This is a great and easy recipe once you can get your hands on some Ube jam. I used
McCormick Ube Flavor Extract, which has the added bonus of food coloring as well! I added a bit more extract since I wouldn’t be using any additional food coloring. 3 batches all turned out well.
Michelle’s advice to be uncomfortable with the amount of confectioner’s sugar – is spot on! You really want to get A LOT of sugar on the cookie to create the crinkle.
What a great Filipino take on an American classic Christmas cookie.
Yum!!! I made this yesterday with all the same ingredients (Mccormick ube extract, Monika Ube Halaya, AmeriColor Violet). I didn’t have a 3 TBSP scoop so I just put two 1.5 balls together and it was huge (probably bigger than 3 TBSP), but I just added extra minutes of baking.
I did decrease the sugar by 1/4 cup and it was still really sweet. Delicious nonetheless! Directions were super clear and easy to follow. Next time, I will try the Butterfly brand ube flavoring . I’m curious how that will turn out! Highly recommend!!!!! 5/5 stars!
Love the detailed instructions, made making these cookies a breeze. Popped the dough outside for an hour to chill and it was much easier to work with. Also you will definitely need more powdered sugar than you think 🤣
Ube halaya made all the difference for the ube crinkles! Religiously follow the recipe and make sure to read all the tips. My first try making the ube crinkles was a success. My family loved it!
I made one tweak in the end though. I dipped the crinkles balls in caster sugar before dipping it in the confectioner’s sugar. It made the confectioner hold more, and did not melt. No, the caster sugar did not make the crinkles too sweet. 😊
These crinkle cookies are sooooo yummy. I doubled the recipe (which I made a day ago) and they are almost gone! 😋 I love that you don’t have to refrigerate the dough and the recipe calls for butter instead of oil.
I lived in Japan as a kid and would get ube ice cream as my reward for good behavior. 25years back in the states and I finally found it and ube extract in our Asian supermarket. I had to make these cookies and truly they are AMAZING. They really do get better the longer they sit. It’s hard not to eat all of them at once. They’re so chewy and moist.
Finally was able to find a jar of ube jam and the Ube Crinkle Cookies were delicious! Went back to get another bottle and they were all out (again)!
I made this recipe exactly as it’s written and the cookies turned out wonderfully! The key, as noted, is not skimping on the powdered sugar so that they crinkle and come out as pictured. I love this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
I’ve been wanting to make these cookies after trying them at a local bakery. This recipe is so good – thanks so much for sharing! They are addicting, the crispy outside and dense, chewy interior. I did have to add about 10 minutes to my baking time because it was still too soft at 15 minutes.
I followed your instructions to the letter and the ube crinkles came out pretty well. I just have to find a more vivid purple food color. Also need a little more of the ube flavor. Will try to tweak a little when I bake this again on Friday. Hopefully, the Americolor Soft Gel Paste Food Color, 4.5-Ounce, Regal Purple I ordered will get here in time.
I was searching for creative recipes to incorporate my homemade ube halaya. Followed this recipe’s instructions exactly and it turned out great. So moist and delicious, beautiful vibrant color. Thank you so much for sharing.
I made these with frozen ube not jam. I probably should have jamed the ube but i didn’t. Anyway, they were still delicious after baking. I added like 2 tablespoons more flour to “soak up” some of the frozen ube juice lol. Still made a cakey cookie that was delicious! A ton of my friends, family, and followers loved it. Thank you for the recipe. Follow me? MariaGotArt on IG, I’ll tag you.
Pretty good! But too sweet? I tried these tonight and while I really like them, they’re a bit too sweet for me. I didn’t consider the amount of confectioners sugar + the sugar in the jam. Definitely want to make these again though! Would even be curious to know they’re like without the confectioners sugar on the outside. Though I guess that means they’ll no longer be “krinkles”. Also will probably put a tad bit more flavoring next time. The amount of purple from my McCormick ube flavoring did the trick for the color. It’s not the most vibrant purple, but you know it’s purple.
Will this recipe work if I omit the jam?
No.
Absolutely delicious! I made the recipe exactly as written and it turned out great, not too sweet, cake-like center with a beautiful purple color, I will definitely make these again!
I just discovered Ube this summer. My daughter is half Filipino and had no idea anything this delicious existed! I feel like it was hidden from me for years! I am so glad I discovered it. She will be home tomorrow and I can’t wait to share what we have missed for many many years.
Thanks so much!!! ❤
I made these cookies and they are delicious! However…..I had a problem with the three tablespoons of dough per cookie. I’ve tried that before and had cookies the size of a dinner plate. I did two tablespoons, tried some one tablespoon, and think two is best to get the crispy outside and chewy inside while not being so big no one wants to commit in case they don’t like it. lol Also, my last pans went in the oven with the timer set for 20 minutes. Your 12-15 just didn’t get them done. These were made as a treat for a grandson who loves ube ice cream and who had surgery for a smashed finger. They won’t be a regular because the ube jam costs $20 from Amazon. But they were fun for a special treat.
Hm, I wonder if your oven is under-temperature and runs too cool! Everything you described above is usually a symptom of that…
Thank you for this great recipe!
My family loved this – my husband, our twin girls, parents-in-law, sis-in-law, brother-in-law, and their kids! 💜
I just omitted the food coloring, since the ube extract I used already has color, which was bought by my husband from an Asian store 😊
I’m keeping this recipe 💜
Made homemade Ube jam and found your cookie recipe. It’s the perfect chewy, cakey purple cookie! I coated it with a generous amount of powdered sugar..oops but darn it’s good. Thank you again for sharing the recipe!
Can I use fresh frozen grated ube?
I’m sorry, I don’t know—I’ve only used ube halaya to make these cookies.
I love ube! I have loved the flavor for years, but I have never had it in a cookie! I am a baker and love making confections that aren’t seen or shared too often. I whipped up this recipe to add to my list of Christmas cookies to share with family and friends and they were a HUGE hit!! The purple color is very eye catching and beautiful and the flavor is mellow and nutty. I have saved this recipe and will be using again and again!
First of all, I cut dawn the sugar in the batter to one cup and it was still way too sweet due to all that powdered sugar.
Second, the cookie was bland. May be it needs more extract.
Thirdly, I totally covered the cookies with powdered sugar, but once baked they still did not look that great. On the positive note the purple color is nice and the dough was not too difficult to work with.
All and all it looks better than it tastes. 01/19/22
Wait, this recipe only has 1 cup of sugar in the dough. Does that mean you didn’t use any for the dough at all? Perhaps that’s why you found the cookies to be bland.
In fact, I’m surprised you even ended up with anything edible or remotely similar to my original recipe—sugar, in addition to adding flavor and sweetness to doughs and batters, has structural properties when it comes to baking. It is one of the ingredients that is primarily responsible for the cookies’ texture, causing the dough to spread and rise in the oven! Were your cookies just little purple lumps that didn’t spread properly? Perhaps that’s why they didn’t look great.
I am on a grain-free diet currently so I subbed a blend of almond and coconut flour instead of AP flour. The results were a beautiful light and amazing cookie! I used a homemade ube halaya sans coconut milk and I got a notable ube flavor out of these cookies (sometimes the ube flavor can be overpowered by coconut). The only thing is that my cookies did not soften or melt down as much as yours did. What can I do differently? I sometimes have the same issue with chocolate chip cookies where they just stay in a mound even after baking.
Your cookies not spreading might have something to do with the almond and coconut flour you used instead of AP flour. Both almond flour and coconut flour have different hydration qualities than AP flour; in particular, coconut flour tends to absorb a LOT of moisture from other ingredients, leading to less spreading in baked goods in general. You’d need to alter ingredients like egg and butter to adjust for this quality. Unfortunately I don’t know the exact ratios myself—I don’t love working with coconut flour for the very reason I just described to you.
These crinkled nicely and were a really lovely purple color, but the cookies themselves were sickly sweet. I thought maybe my jam brand was the culprit, but then I looked up other ube crinkle recipes and found several that use about half this amount of sugar in relation to their butter and flour quantities.
For next time I’d cut the sugar down by 30-50% and add a bit more ube extract.
SO good and has become a family favorite! It’s the perfect, not-too-sweet treat!
Hi! Thank you so much for the recipe! But next I plan to skip the sugar since the halaya is sweet enough plus the conf sugar. Watching my sugar intake 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. However, mine lacked enough ube flavor . I’m thinking its the ube jam I used. Can i add more ube extract to get more ube taste?
Yep, feel free to add more ube extract. Maybe an additional teaspoon?
Made these for my sister’s birthday…turned out great! And I love that I didn’t have to chill the dough
When i adjusted recipe for the amount of cookies, the grams for flour and confectioners sugar stays the same while everything else changed. Didnt realize this until after and the cookies were more cakelike
I’m so sorry! It’s a bug on my website that I’ve been working on. Should be fixed soon!
Made these today and absolutely love all your detailed instructions!! I wish it made more. Hehe. Next time, I might try making them smaller and maybe cutting down cook time.. Have you tried making them smaller? Thank you so much for this amazing recipe..
Wish I could post a picture as they look perfect.
I have! I have made them with 1- and 2-Tablespoon scoops, but found they were cutest at 3-Tablespoons. You can easily double the recipe tho, or use a smaller scoop too! Just check for doneness 1-2 minutes earlier.
I went to The Big Island oof Hawaii recently and tried Ube crinkle cookies for the first time. They were delicious but at $9 a bag, I thought surely I could find a good recipe on line. Sure enough, I found this recipe on Hummingbird High.
These cookies are delicious. They are easy to make and I have done them both fresh and then frozen. Both turned out beautifully with no difference in texture or taste. with a great ube flavor. I did reduce the sugar in the recipe by 1/4 cup to make it a little less sweet. The kosher salt adds texture and a little surprise to the cookies since the granules are still intact after baking ( mine were anyway). I roll my balls in granulated sugar first and then the powdered sugar so that the powdered sugar does not melt while cooking. I have friends and family who are from the Philippines and they appreciate a little touch of home.
Thanks for a great recipe.
Just made these today! I followed the recipe and only got 12 cookies using a 2.75 tbsp scoop. My cookies were on the thicker side though so I may try to squish them a little for the rest of the dough. I did not douse them in powdered sugar as suggested because I was feeling sick of the amount lol, but I still got little tinge of crinkle.
I cut down the sugar by 30% after tasting the ube jam I had, which worked out well! Also did not use the food coloring as it was already a deep beautiful purple. Mine were baked with brown bottoms at 15 minutes, so I may do closer to 13-14 minutes and let them rest.
Hi Michelle! I got a problem with the cookies. It turned too flat 😅🥹 It tastes very good. I have made a big batch. I tried baking 12 crinkles. What can I do to save the rest?
Please help 🙏🏻🤗
Oh no! I saw this comment too late. I was going to suggest turning the remaining dough into blondie bars!
I don’t have purple food coloring.. Is it ok not to use it? Will it affect the flavor?
Technically, you don’t need to use purple food coloring to make these cookies. But your cookies won’t come out the same color as mine. In fact, they won’t be purple at all!
That’s because although both ube halaya and ube extract are purple, they don’t have enough natural pigment to really dye the cookies purple. So you definitely need to boost the cookies with food coloring. Without it, your cookies will turn out a very light brown color with purplish tones.
Hi Michelle, i baked this few times now and taste so good. Only the icing sugar melts and doesn’t stay like the choco ceinkles. Could i use oil instead of butter?
Hi! Are you using the recommended amount of confectioners’ sugar? You have to really cover them in the sugar to get them to stay!
I loved this recipe!! I have had the traditional chocolate version of this cookie many times and my boyfriend is Filipino so I thought this would be a perfect way of combining our households. I made it a few times and I am still perfecting it to what we can find, and of course our oven. My first round I made it just as listed and I found it a little too sweet, but the ube flavor was spot on. I made a second batch with half the sugar and the sweetness is where I want it, but I seem to have lost the ube flavor. I will try to make another batch in the next few days and leave a follow up comment.
I am using the butterfly ube flavoring because it is what I have in my pantry and it is dark enough in color to not need the additional food coloring. Wonder if the McCormick has a stronger flavor? When you cut the sugar in half your cookies don’t fall so they are more like little snowballs vs flat cookies which I think is quite cute.
Hi, I was just wondering how long you could store the cookie dough in the fridge before baking? I made a big batch of dough and baked half but refrigerated the other half and wanted to know how long I had until it was necessary to bake it. Thank you! I’ve baked this recipe several times and they’ve been a hit every time! I cut the sugar and added coconut white chocolate chunks and everyone has gobbled them up! Thank you for the recipe 😀
I would refrigerate maybe for 1-2 days? As long as it’s in an airtight container, it should keep. But the raw egg will likely need to be baked after 2 days.
These cookies are amazing, a huge hit! I have had trouble finding purple food coloring so I use a combination of blue+red gel or coloring and they still get a nice purple color. The ube flavoring I use also contributes a lot to the color.
Seriously, I get requests to make these all. the. time.