a photo of hands picking up a stack of ube brownies from a wire rack

About These Ube Brownies

These ube brownies are perfectly chewy and fudgy, with a vibrant purple color and delicious flavor thanks to ube halaya jam and extract! And just like your favorite chocolate brownie recipes, these ube brownies have a paper thin sugar top that crinkles when sliced.

For more ube recipes, check out Hummingbird High‘s full collection of ube recipes including one of the most popular recipes on the blog—ube crinkle cookies!

Why You Should Make The Recipe

Here are all the reasons to make these chewy and fudgy ube brownies:

The New York Times recently released its predictions for what we will eat in 2023, and included ube!

If you’re unfamilar with ube, check out this blog post in which I deep-dive into this popular Filipino ingredient often used in Asian desserts. I answer frequently asked questions like “What does ube taste like?” and “Where do I buy ube?” As a Filipino, I’ve been eating ube all my life and am excited to see it become more commonplace!

The recipe comes together by hand quickly—no stand mixer required!

You don’t need a stand mixer or any other specialty baking equipment to make these brownies! They come together by hand, with just a few bowls, a whisk, and a spatula.

The ube brownies store well.

Because they’re so fudgy, these ube brownies stay fresh and moist for days. In fact, I like them best the day after they’re made. Why? Overnight, the ube flavors really develop and stand out. This is important because ube can be a pretty subtle flavor. Overnight, you can really taste ube’s subtle pistachio and vanilla flavors in these bars!

photo of ube brownies on a gold wire rack on a marble tabletop

Ingredients and Substitutions

Now that I’ve convinced you to make these ube brownies, here’s everything you need to make the recipe:

Shopping List For Ube Brownies Recipe

  • unsalted butter
  • white chocolate
  • ube halaya jam
  • large eggs
  • ube extract
  • granulated sugar
  • light brown sugar
  • all-purpose flour
  • kosher salt

And let’s talk about some key ingredients and potential substitutions:

Common Ingredient Substitutions For The Recipe

Here are common substitutions for the ingredients in the recipe:

photo showing stack of ube brownies on a small white plate

How To Make Ube Brownies

Here are the basic steps to make these delicious ube brownies from scratch:

  1. Prep the ingredients for the ube brownies. (Prep Time: 10 minutes)
    When chopping the white chocolate, make sure to follow the recipe instructions to chop it into smaller ¼- to ½-inch pieces. Any larger than that, and you’ll have a hard time melting the white chocolate. Check out the reference photos below to see what your chopped chocolate should look like!

  2. Melt the butter and white chocolate. (Work Time: 5 to 10 minutes)
    White chocolate tends to scorch easily and seize if the pieces are too large and/or the heat source is set too high. If you’re inexperienced with working with white chocolate, err on the side of caution. Cook the chocolate and butter over medium-low heat instead of medium. Although it will take longer to melt the ingredients, the gentler heat will help prevent any potential issues.

  3. Mix the ingredients to make the ube brownie batter. (Work Time: 5 minutes)

  4. Bake the brownies. (Bake Time: 30 minutes)

Reference Photos

The recipe instructs you to chop your chocolate into smaller ¼- to ½-inch pieces:

photo showing the ideal size and shape of chopped white chocolate needed for ube brownies recipe

The brownie batter will be a thick, vibrant purple after you’ve mixed together all the ingredients. It will be a little thicker than cake batter, with a texture more similar to cookie dough:

photo showing ube brownie batter after ingredients have been mixed before being baked

Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ

FAQ: Troubleshooting Common Mistakes and Cooking Errors

Help! My brownie batter came out lumpy. What did I do wrong?

This recipe instructs you to pour melted white chocolate and butter into a mixture of eggs and sugar. If the melted chocolate and butter is too hot, it can potentially scramble the eggs, causing a lumpy batter and bad brownies!

To prevent this from happening, melt the white chocolate and butter first. Set it aside on a wire rack to cool slightly while you prep the rest of the ingredients. This will give the melted chocolate and butter enough time to cool slightly. If you want to be extra safe, pour the melted chocolate and butter into a separate bowl than the pan or bowl it was melted in, too. Doing so will help the mixture cool faster!

The ideal temperature of the melted chocolate and butter will be similar to that of a warm bath. Dip your finger in it—it should feel warm and comfortable like a hot bath. It should not burn or scald you!

Help! My brownies don’t have the shiny paper crinkle top like yours do. What did I do wrong?

It’s likely that you either:

a) used too much flour
b) used too little sugar
c) baked the brownies for too long and/or used the wrong type of pan to make them

First, let’s talk about measuring ingredients. A lot of people don’t have the right technique when using measuring cups. It’s easy to use too much flour when using volume measures. Don’t use the measuring cup to scoop the flour in the bag and pack it down into the cup. Instead, set the measuring cup on the counter and then spoon the dry ingredients into it. Once it’s formed a small mound, don’t pack it down. Use a butter knife or bench scraper to level it off.

While this technique works best for ingredients like flour, you’ll need to do the exact opposite for measuring brown sugar. Spoon the brown sugar into the measuring cup or tablespoon. Once it’s formed a small mound, pack it down, then add more brown sugar until it is level with the top of the measuring cup.

Next, if you used the techniques above OR used weight measures (which I always recommend, since you won’t need to fuss with the techniques I just outlined) and are STILL experiencing issues, it’s likely that the brownies were overbaked. Check out the FAQ above on why you should always use a metal pan when baking brownies, as well as the baker’s notes below on how to test brownies for doneness.

Help! My brownies came out tough. What did I do wrong?

It’s likely that you either a) overmixed the batter or b) baked the brownies for too long and/or used the wrong type of pan to make them.

When mixing the dry ingredients into the rest of the batter, simply mix just until the flour disappears! If you mix beyond that, your brownies will come out dense and tough. I will legit cry for you.

If you’re convinced you didn’t overmix the batter, it’s likely that you overbaked them. First, make sure to use a metal pan when baking brownies. Glass pans tend to overbake brownies!

Finally, when testing for doneness, stick a skewer in the dead center of the brownies. Pull it out—it should still have a few crumbs attached. If it’s wet with batter, the brownies still need more time. If the skewer is completely dry, uh-oh! You’ve overbaked the brownies.

FAQ: How To Store Ube Brownies

How To Store Ube Brownies

The ube brownies can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Can you freeze ube brownies?

Yes! You can freeze the baked ube brownies.

To freeze the ube brownies, individually wrap any leftover bars in two layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. The aluminum foil will prevent the bars from absorbing any other flavors or odors in the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months.

When ready to serve, transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. You can eat the brownies straight from the fridge, or rewarmed in the microwave.

Best Recipe Tips

Ingredient Tips

  • The recipe states that you need 4 ounces (113 grams) of chopped white chocolate to make the brownie batter. If you don’t have a digital kitchen scale, that’s equivalent to ⅔ cup of chopped chocolate. Each piece of chocolate should be roughly the same size and shape of a regular-sized chocolate chip.

  • When chopping the white chocolate, make sure to follow the recipe instructions to chop it into smaller ¼- to ½-inch pieces. Any larger than that, and you’ll have a hard time melting the white chocolate. White chocolate tends to scorch easily and seize if the pieces are too large and/or the heat source is set too high. If you’re inexperienced with working with white chocolate, err on the side of caution and cook the chocolate and butter over medium-low heat instead of medium. Although it will take longer to melt the ingredients, the gentler heat will help prevent any potential issues.

Technique Tip

  • The white chocolate and butter needs to be melted and cooled slightly before using in the recipe. I recommend melting these ingredients first, then setting it aside while you prep the rest of the ingredients and make the brownie batter. Doing so will give the butter enough time to cool slightly! Check out the FAQ section above for even more tips on how to cool the mixture quickly.

Baking Tip

  • It’s better to pull the ube brownies out of the oven early than leave them in too long—if you over bake the brownies, they’ll be tough. They might appear underbaked, but I promise that when they’ve cooled, they will be perfect.

More Ube Recipes

More Unique Brownie Recipes

Get the Recipe: Ube Brownies Recipe

These ube brownies are perfectly chewy and fudgy, with a vibrant purple color and delicious flavor thanks to ube halaya jam and extract! And just like your favorite chocolate brownie recipes, these ube brownies have a paper thin sugar top that crinkles when sliced.
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Ingredients

  • ½ cup (1 stick or 4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4 ounces (113 grams) white chocolate, finely chopped into ¼- and ½-inch pieces
  • ½ cup (4 ounces or 113 grams) ube halaya jam
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons ube extract
  • 1 cup (7 ounces or 198 grams) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup tightly packed (1.75 ounces or 50 grams) light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ cups (6.75 ounces or 191 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • Prep the oven and baking pan. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on each of the pan's sides. Spray the parchment paper, too.
  • Melt the butter and white chocolate for the batter. Place the butter and white chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan filled with a few inches of simmering water (be sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water).
    Cook over medium heat, using a heatproof rubber spatula to stir the mixture and scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the chocolate and butter have melted and combined, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan or bowl from heat and set on a wire rack to let the chocolate mixture cool slightly while you prep the other ingredients.
  • Whisk the ube jam, egg, and extract, then whisk in the sugars and chocolate mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together the ube jam, egg, and extract until combined. Whisk the sugars in one at a time, then slowly pour in the chocolate mixture, whisking continuously while doing so until completely combined.
  • Mix in the dry ingredients. Once the chocolate mixture is combined, use the rubber spatula to scrape down the whisk and the bottom and sides of the bowl. Sprinkle the flour and salt over the batter all at once and use a rubber spatula to mix by hand until just combined.
  • Assemble the brownies. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly across the pan and smooth the top.
  • Bake the brownies. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
  • Serve and store. Run a butter knife or the offset spatula along the edges of the pan and use the overhanging parchment as handles to lift the brownies out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Slice into 2-inch squares and serve.
    The brownies can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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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.