Homemade Ube Ice Cream is a sweet purple yam ice cream. It’s a creamy dessert that‘s easy to make in a Ninja Creami or a standard ice cream machine.
You may have had the Magnolia ube ice cream sold at your local Asian supermarket, or maybe you’ve tried Trader Joe’s ube ice cream. While these store-bought ice creams are great, homemade ube ice cream is even better! And, it’s easy to make!
This purple ice cream is creamy, smooth, and has a lightly sweet flavor and pastel purple color. If you like ube, you’ll love this ube ice cream recipe!
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💜 What is ube?
Ube is a bright purple yam that is native to the Philippines. It’s used often throughout Filipino cuisine, from ube cookies and cakes to Filipino breads and ube donuts.
Ube is sweeter than purple sweet potatoes and grows on the vine whereas sweet potatoes grow underground. Even so, many people use the two interchangeably. When making an ube recipe, be sure to get purple yam — not purple sweet potato.
🌟 Why this recipe works
Homemade ice cream is so easy, thanks to the Ninja Creami! Don’t worry: if you don’t have a Creami, I’ve included the easy instructions for making this delectable ice cream in a standard ice cream maker in the FAQ section.
- 5 ingredients: you only need five simple ingredients to make this yummy dessert!
- Easy: if you have a Ninja Creami, this ube ice cream is super easy to make. But it’s just as easy to make in a standard ice cream maker (see the FAQ section for those instructions).
- Delicious: like other Filipino desserts, this one is sweet and creamy, but not overly sweet. It has a light vanilla-like flavor.
🛒 Ingredient notes
You only need five main ingredients to make this yummy dessert!
- Ube jam – Ube halaya, or ube jam, is the heart of the flavor of this ice cream. If you have access to fresh ube, you can make homemade ube halaya. Fresh ube is difficult to find in the United States, but you can usually find jars of ube jam in the jelly and jam section of your local Asian grocery stores, or online.
- Ube powder – Ube powder adds some light pastel purple color and subtle flavor to this Filipino ice cream. If you want a deeper, darker purple color, you can substitute a couple teaspoons of Ube extract, which will also add a deeper ube flavor. You can also find these ube products in your local Asian grocery store.
- Heavy cream – whipping this up into whipped cream is what creates the rich, light-as-air, creamy texture of this ice cream.
- Sweetened condensed milk – this adds the sweetness as well as helps thicken up the ice cream.
- Vanilla extract – this adds a lovely aroma and flavor to the ice cream. You can substitute with ube extract, which will also give the ice cream a more vibrant purple color.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
Full ingredients list and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. But here’s a visual step-by-step to help guide you as you make this delicious ice cream recipe!
This recipe is how to make ube ice cream in the Ninja Creami. See the FAQ section for how to make this in a traditional ice cream maker.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form and it thickens up to whipped cream.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the condensed milk, ube jam, ube powder, and vanilla until combined.
3. Gently fold the whipped cream into the ube mixture until evenly combined and the color is evenly distributed.
4. Pour the ice cream base mixture into the Ninja Creami pint cups, taking care not to go past the Max Fill line, and cover.
5. Freeze the ice cream mixture overnight or 24 hours.
6. Remove pint from the freezer and secure in the Ninja Creami according to package directions. Select Ice Cream mode and let it process until it stops, usually just about 2 minutes or so.
7. Once the Ninja Creami has stopped, remove the outer bowl from the machine, remove the pint container from the bowl, and serve. Or, cover and freeze the ube ice cream for later.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Make sure to freeze your ice cream maker base overnight. Follow the instructions 1-3, then pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer directions. Store the ice cream in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to two months.
This delicious dessert has a unique flavor, thanks to the ube. But the ube flavor is subtle and not at all overpowering. In fact, it’s more like a vanilla ice cream with subtle nutty flavor.
🍽 Serving ideas
Serve this luscious dessert after a meal of delicious savory dishes. Try one of our Filipino recipes, like Instant Pot Chicken Adobo, Pancit Bihon, Beef Mechado, or Filipino Pork BBQ Skewers.
Ways to enjoy this ube ice cream:
- Top it with whipped cream.
- Sprinkle coconut shavings, sprinkles, or white chocolate chips on top.
- Add a scoop between two Ube White Chocolate Chip Cookies to make ice cream sandwiches. If you love ube, this is definitely the dessert for you!
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you’ll need:
- Ninja Creami – I love our Ninja Creami! Like all of the other Ninja appliances we have (like our air fryer and pressure cooker), the Ninja Creami simplifies the process of making ice cream. It also makes gelato, milkshakes, smoothie bowls at the touch of a single button.
- Ninja Creami Pint – Most Ninja Creami machines come with a couple of pint containers. You can also buy Ninja Creami pint containers separately online.
- OR: ice cream machine – if you don’t have a Ninja Creami, you can use a standard ice cream machine. See the FAQ section above for those instructions.
- Mixer – you’ll need a stand mixer with whisk attachment, or a large bowl with an electric hand mixer to make the whipped cream.
More Filipino dessert recipes
If you love Filipino food, try one of our family’s many Filipino recipes. Or try one of these Filipino desserts:
More delicious ice cream recipes
Looking to make more ice cream recipes? Try one of these:
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Ube Ice Cream
This bright purple ice cream is a delicious treat!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 378kcal
Instructions
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In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form and it thickens up to whipped cream.
-
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the condensed milk, ube jam, ube powder, and vanilla until combined.
-
Gently fold the whipped cream into the ube mixture until evenly combined and the color is evenly distributed.
-
Pour the mixture into the Ninja Creami pint cups, taking care not to go past the Max Fill line, and cover.
-
Freeze overnight or 24 hours.
-
Remove pint from the freezer and secure in the Ninja Creami according to package directions. Select Ice Cream mode and let it process until it stops, usually just about 2 minutes or so.
-
One the Ninja Creami has stopped, remove the outer bowl from the machine, remove the pint container from the bowl, and serve. Or, cover and freeze the ube ice cream for later.
Notes
Ube jam: you can make your own, or buy ube jam at an Asian supermarket or online.
Ube powder: you can buy ube powder online if you can’t find it at your local Asian supermarket. Powder creates a lighter purple color. If you want a dark, brighter, bolder purple color, substitute ube extract for the powder.
Nutrition
Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 324mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 4370IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.