Ube drinks: how to make the purple latte at home

Every ube drink starts the same way: whisk the powder with a little hot water first, then build the drink. Skip that step and you get lumps, every time. Below are five versions, with the measurements that work.

The base, which every recipe uses

1. 2 to 2.5 grams of ube powder, about one level teaspoon.
2. 20 ml of hot water at roughly 80 degrees Celsius.
3. Whisk until smooth. A bamboo whisk works best, a small milk frother also does the job.

Want a deeper purple and a fuller taste? Use 3 grams instead of 2.

1. Hot ube latte

Add 180 to 200 ml of warm milk to the base and stir. Sweeten only if you want to, ube is lightly sweet on its own. Ready in two minutes, no coffee machine needed.

2. Iced ube latte

Fill a glass two thirds with ice, add 150 to 180 ml of cold milk, then pour the base over it. Stir or leave it swirled, both look good.

3. Ube coffee

Make the base, add warm milk, then add a shot of espresso. The bitterness of the coffee sits against the vanilla side of ube, which is why this combination works better than it sounds.

4. Dirty ube latte

Cold milk with the ube base, then a hot shot of espresso poured slowly over the back of a spoon. Do not stir. The cold purple milk is heavier than the warm espresso, so the layers stay separated until the drinker mixes them. This is the version you see in photos.

5. Ube cold foam

Whisk 2 to 2.5 grams of powder with a splash of cold cream or barista oat milk until airy, then spoon it onto iced coffee or cold brew. It holds for several minutes before it starts to sink.

Which milk?

• Whole milk: most neutral, the clearest layers.
• Barista oat milk: sweeter and fuller, the most popular choice.
• Coconut milk: brings out the nutty side, but lightens the colour.
• Almond milk: thinner, layers blend faster.

Things worth knowing

• No caffeine. Ube is a root vegetable. Only the espresso or matcha you add brings caffeine.
• Acid changes the colour. A squeeze of lime turns ube pinker. A pinch of baking soda pushes it towards blue. Neither affects the taste much.
• One pouch, about 50 drinks. At 2 to 2.5 grams per cup, 100 grams lasts roughly seven weeks at one a day.

Frequently asked questions

What is an ube drink?

A drink made with ube powder, which is dried purple yam. Usually milk based, naturally purple, lightly sweet with a vanilla note.

Can I make ube drinks without a whisk?

Yes. A small handheld milk frother or even a jar you shake works, as long as you dissolve the powder in hot water before the milk goes in.

What is ube cold foam?

Ube powder whisked into cold cream or barista oat milk until airy, used as a topping on iced coffee.

Is ube latte sweet?

Lightly, from the root itself. Pure ube powder has no added sugar, so you decide how sweet the drink gets.

Get started

A 100 gram pouch of UBE.25 ube powder makes about 50 drinks. New to ube? Read what is ube powder first.