Ube Milk Tea (Ube Bubble Tea) Recipe
A stunning, vibrant purple ube milk tea made from scratch using real Filipino purple yam. This recipe creates a rich, velvety ube base that is far superior to powdered mixes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 drinks
- Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients
Frozen ube, thawed – 226 g
Canned coconut milk – 1 cup
Granulated sugar – ½ cup
Vanilla extract – 1 tbsp
Ube extract – 1 tbsp
Evaporated milk (or whole milk) – ½ cup
Quick cook tapioca pearls – ½ cup
Chilled milk (dairy or plant-based) – 2 cups
Ice cubes – 1 handful
Honey (optional) – 1 tbsp
Instructions
Combine thawed ube, coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and stir frequently until the mixture thickens and leaves a trail when stirred.
Stir in the ube extract for color and aroma.
Add evaporated milk to reach a thick but pourable consistency; heat for 2 minutes then cool.
Prepare tapioca pearls according to package instructions and coat with honey if desired.
In a blender, combine ½ cup of the prepared ube base, chilled milk, and ice.
Blend until smooth and frothy.
Spread a little extra ube base on the inside of two glasses for decorative streaks.
Add pearls to the glasses, pour in the blended ube milk, and serve immediately.
Notes
• If the ube base is too thick after refrigerating, microwave it for 10 seconds to make it spreadable.
• For a vegan version, use oat milk and coconut-based evaporated milk.
• Store leftover ube base in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.