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ube pancakes with ube halaya and maple syrup
5 from 7 votes

Ube Pancakes

A sweet and bright way to start the day! Ube pancakes are made with Filipino purple yam and coconut milk. Top these fluffy pancakes with maple syrup, ube halaya, and macapuno string for the ultimate breakfast!
Yield: fourteen 4½-inch pancakes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American, Filipino
Servings: 4
Calories: 653kcal

Ingredients

  • 160 grams ube halaya* (½ cup)
  • 14 oz can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk well shaken
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons ube extract
  • ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 43 grams melted unsalted butter (3 Tbsp)
  • 260 grams all-purpose flour (2 cups)
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

Toppings:

  • maple syrup
  • ube halaya
  • macapuno strings*
  • salted butter

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together ube halaya and half of coconut milk until mixture is smooth.
  • Whisk in ube extract, vanilla extract, melted butter, eggs, and remaining coconut milk. Mix until eggs are thoroughly incorporated. Set aside.
  • In a separate bow, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry mixture to large bowl with wet ingredients.
  • Gently fold until there are no longer any streaks of flour. DO NOT OVERMIX. The batter will be a bit lumpy.
  • Set nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lightly brush with butter or oil.
  • Once skillet is warm, scoop ⅓ cup of pancake batter onto skillet. Cook until bubbles begin to form on surface and edges of pancakes are set. Flip pancakes and cook the other side until set (about half the time it took to cook the initial side).
  • Repeat with remaining batter. Adjust heat accordingly if pancakes are browning too fast.
  • Immediately serve ube pancakes warm with maple syrup, salted butter, ube halaya, and macapuno strings, if desired. ½

Notes

Ingredient Notes:
  • Ube halaya is also known as ube jam or halayang ube. Use store bought jar version or use homemade variety. Ube halaya is sweet on its own. 
  • Ube extract provides that iconic “ube” flavoring while also adding color to the batter. Without this ingredient, the resulting ube pancakes will not be a violet in color nor will the pancakes have a rich ube flavor.
  • Make sure baking powder is fresh! To check whether your baking powder is still active, add 1 teaspoon baking powder to about 1/2 cup of boiling water. If the mixture reacts and bubbles, the powder is fine. If nothing happens, trash that baking powder and get a new container.
  • Use canned full-fat unsweetened coconut milk for best results. 
Fluffy Pancake Cooking Tips:
  • Mix wet and dry ingredients separately. Then, mix together until JUST combined. It’s okay if the batter is a little lumpy. Don't overmix!
  • Don’t overcook pancakes! Flip pancakes batter ONLY ONCE. Flip once bubbles appear on the surface. Cook on the second side for the half the time you cooked the first side.
Storage and Leftovers:
  • To keep warm, place cooked pancakes in a low temperature oven (between 250-300 degrees F) for up to 30 minutes before serving.
  • Or, cool cooked pancakes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Gently reheat in the microwave at half water for 30 second intervals. Alternatively, reheat stovetop over medium heat until warmed throughout.

Nutrition

Calories: 653kcal, Carbohydrates: 77g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 25g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 116mg, Sodium: 699mg, Potassium: 329mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 405IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 162mg, Iron: 7mg