Ube Pancakes

Ube pancakes are soft, fluffy stacks with a sweet purple color and a mild, nutty flavor from the ube root vegetable. The key to these pancakes is keeping the batter thick enough to hold the ube puree without deflating, while still cooking through evenly on the griddle.

Ingredients for Ube Pancakes

All-purpose flour gives structure and helps the batter rise, while baking powder and baking soda create lift so the pancakes stay fluffy instead of dense. Salt balances the sweetness and makes the ube flavor pop. Whole milk and eggs bind the batter and add richness, while butter contributes flavor and helps the pancakes brown. Sugar sweetens the batter slightly, and vanilla extract deepens the overall taste. Ube puree (or canned ube halaya) is the star, giving the pancakes their color and subtle earthy sweetness.

Why This Ube Pancakes Works

Ube puree is thick and dense, so it can weigh down a batter and make pancakes gummy. This recipe uses a standard pancake base with enough baking powder to push back against that weight. The batter stays stiff enough to hold the ube without sinking, but not so thick that the pancakes come out tough.

Ube has a delicate flavor that disappears if the pancakes brown too dark or cook too fast. A medium heat and a brief rest on the griddle before flipping lets them cook through gently. You will see bubbles form across the top surface before you flip, which signals the inside is set enough to turn without breaking.

Melted butter in the batter helps the pancakes brown evenly and keeps them tender. Brushing the griddle with butter before each batch ensures they do not stick and develop a light golden crust that contrasts with the soft interior.

Mistakes To Avoid

Heat that is too high causes the bottoms to burn before the insides cook through. The edges will be dark brown or black while the center is still pale and dense. Keep the heat at medium and listen for a gentle sizzle, not a loud pop, when the batter hits the griddle.

Flipping too early traps steam inside and makes the pancakes soggy and gummy. Wait until you see bubbles break across the top surface and the edges look set and slightly dry before flipping. If you flip and the batter flows back into the pan, it is not ready yet.

Using canned ube halaya instead of pure ube puree adds extra sugar and coconut, which makes the batter too sweet and the texture dense. If you use halaya, reduce the sugar in the recipe to one tablespoon and thin the halaya with a tablespoon of milk so it mixes evenly.

Letting the batter sit for more than a few minutes causes it to oxidize and lose rise. Make the batter right before you cook and get the first pancakes on the griddle within two or three minutes of mixing.

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Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (220 grams)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons butter (43 grams), melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup ube puree, canned or fresh
• Butter for the griddle

Step-by-step Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until no lumps remain.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract until combined.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just mixed, with some small lumps still visible. Do not overmix.
4. Fold the ube puree gently into the batter until the color is even throughout and no white streaks remain.
5. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat and brush with butter. Once the butter foams and smells nutty, it is ready.
6. Scoop about 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake, leaving space between them. Cook until bubbles break across the top and the edges look set, about 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Flip each pancake and cook the other side until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Transfer cooked pancakes to a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200°F oven while you cook the remaining batter.
9. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing the griddle with butter before each batch.