Ube recipe · Drinks
Ube Latte Recipe (Hot or Iced, with Ube Powder)
How to make an ube latte at home with real ube powder — creamy, naturally purple, hot or iced, with or without espresso.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook / chill
- —
- Total
- 5 min
- Serves
- 1 latte
This ube latte recipe is the easiest way to make the viral purple drink at home: real ube powder, your favorite milk and a touch of sweetness. It works hot or iced, with or without a shot of espresso, and it is ready in 5 minutes.
What is an ube latte?
An ube latte is a milk-based drink made with ube, the Filipino purple yam. It is like a matcha latte in format, but sweeter and softer, with notes of vanilla, coconut and toasted nuts. Not sure what ube is? Read our guide: what is ube.
How to make an ube latte with ube powder
The key is to make a smooth ube paste first: whisk Kapsoo ube powder with a little hot water until there are no lumps, then add the milk. The paste blooms the color and keeps the drink perfectly smooth.
Does an ube latte have caffeine?
Ube itself is caffeine-free. A plain ube latte has no caffeine at all; add a shot of espresso if you want a “dirty” ube latte with a coffee kick.
Instructions
Step 1
Whisk the ube powder with the hot water and sweetener until you get a smooth, lump-free paste.
Step 2
Iced ube latte: fill a tall glass with ice, pour in the cold milk, then add the ube paste (and espresso, if using). Stir gently.
Step 3
Hot ube latte: heat or steam the milk, whisk in the ube paste until frothy, and pour into a mug. Top with espresso if you like.
Step 4
Taste, adjust the sweetness and serve right away.
Tips & variations
- For a stronger purple color and flavor, use 2 tbsp ube powder.
- Oat milk makes the creamiest dairy-free ube latte.
- Add a pinch of salt — it makes the ube flavor pop.
- Make it a matcha twist with our ube matcha latte recipe.
Ube Latte: FAQ
How do you make an ube latte at home?
Whisk 1½ tbsp ube powder with 2 tbsp hot water and a little sweetener into a paste, then add 1 cup of hot or cold milk. Add espresso if you want coffee in it.
How much ube powder should I use for an ube latte?
Start with 1 to 1½ tbsp per 8 oz of milk, and go up to 2 tbsp for a deeper color and flavor.
Does an ube latte have coffee?
Not necessarily. A classic ube latte is ube and milk only, with no caffeine. Adding espresso makes it a dirty ube latte.
What does an ube latte taste like?
Creamy and gently sweet, with vanilla, coconut and nutty notes. It is less earthy than matcha and less bitter than coffee.
