Authentic-Tasting Filipino Vegan Ube Halaya Recipe (Purple Yam Dessert)

Recipes Pinterest Pin of vegan ube, a spread made with purple yam and vegan condensed milk

Ube halaya (or Úbi alaya in Kapampangan; there’s no “h’s” in the Kapampángan language ^^), is a thick jam, filling, spread, or pudding dessert, depending on how you eat it.

The pudding or kalamay version is usually topped with a latik, or coconut milk curd topping.

The first time I made vegan ube halaya brought me back to my childhood. It tasted so similar.

Ube halaya is made from boiled and mashed purple yam. This vegan ube recipe uses frozen ube that is available in most Asian supermarkets, as well as vegan dairy-free alternatives.

This vegan ube halaya recipe is easy, but requires some patience with the stirring. If you’re able to cook this over an open fire, even better for authentic ube halaya.

displays the ingredients for making vegan ube halaya in a pan. The ingredients include mashed ube (purple yam), brown sugar, coconut milk, and what appears to be condensed coconut milk, all ready to be mixed and cooked into a smooth, sweet purple spread

Table of Contents

Is Ube Vegan?

While the actual purple yam is vegan, traditional ube desserts are not vegan. Ube desserts like ube halaya, ube ice cream, ube calame, and ube bread are not vegan and use dairy.

The only vegan ube you’ll find is if someone specifically made it vegan with vegan alternatives, or they used ube extract to color and flavor accidentally-vegan Filipino desserts.

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Language Learning Bits

Ube = purple yam
Úbi Kalámé = purple yam “pudding” in Kapampángan – “kalamay” in Tagalog
Halaya/alaya = jam
Latik = coconut milk curds

Different Ways to Enjoy Vegan Ube Halaya

Shows a hand holding a slice of bread with purple ube halaya being spread on it using a knife. In the background, the pot used to cook the ube halaya is visible, with more of the purple mixture still inside.

Spread on toast
Filling for pan de ube (ube-filled bread)
As a kalamay/kalame pudding inside an oval tin topped with latik

Vegan Ube Halaya Ingredients

Packets of thawed frozen ube (purple yam). You can also find these at your nearest Asian supermarket.
Vegan sweetened condensed milk from Nature’s Charm
Vegan evaporated milk from Nature’s Charm
Brown Sugar
Vegan butter (like Earth Balance)
Coconut milk or coconut cream (favorite is Chaokoh)

Equipment Needed for Vegan Ube Halaya

Nonstick cooking pan

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