Have you seen that bright purple dessert or drink that keeps showing up on your Instagram feed?
Or maybe you tasted something sweet and purple in a café and thought, “What is this flavor?”
That’s ube, a purple yam that’s been part of Ube Filipino desserts for decades but is now becoming a hot favorite in desserts and drinks around the world. It’s colorful, smooth, and gives a sweet flavor that feels both familiar and new.
If you’re into trying fun flavors or own a café or bakery, there’s a lot to love about using ube. It’s easy to work with, looks amazing in photos, and tastes even better.
And now with ready-made ube ingredients available, it’s simpler than ever to mix this trend into your business or kitchen.
Ube’s Journey from Classic Asian Ingredient to Café Star
Ube has been a key part of Filipino sweets for years. In traditional Filipino kitchens, it’s used to make halaya (a soft, jam-like dessert), often served during holidays or celebrations.
But now, people across the world are adding ube to their desserts and drinks, especially in the US, where cafés, ice cream shops, and bakeries are putting it on their menus.
What makes ube stand out isn’t just the purple color. It has a natural sweetness, almost like vanilla with a slight nutty twist. It blends well with creamy desserts and chilled drinks.
So, whether it’s a milk tea, a cheesecake, or a soft serve cone, ube adds that pop of color and flavor people love. And thanks to social media, its popularity has grown fast, especially among younger customers who want food that tastes good and looks different.
Why Gen Z and Millennials Love Ube
Let’s be honest, people eat with their eyes first these days. And ube has that bold purple shade that looks good in every photo.
But it’s not just about how it looks. There’s something nostalgic about the flavor. It’s sweet, but not too much. It reminds many people of homemade treats or desserts they’ve had on vacation.
For Gen Z and millennials, ube hits the right mix of fun, comfort, and newness. It’s also becoming a favorite because it fits right into trendy dessert formats like boba drinks, iced lattes, mochi donuts, and pastel-colored cheesecakes.
Cafés are noticing that when they add ube options to the menu, people share more photos, talk about the product more, and even come back for seconds. That’s how strong the appeal is.
Creative Ways to Use Ube in Desserts and Drinks
There are so many ways to use ube, and that’s one reason it’s catching on fast. You can make it part of any menu, from cool café drinks to baked goods in a home kitchen.
Ube in Drinks:
- Iced Ube Latte: Add a splash of ube into your regular iced coffee or milk for a drink that’s creamy and colorful.
- Ube Milk Tea or Boba: Mix ube flavor into milk teas and top it with chewy boba pearls for a drink people love to post.
- Ube Shake: Combine milk, ube extract, and ice for a smooth summer cooler.
Ube in Desserts:
- Ube Cheesecake: A purple twist on a classic cheesecake, popular in cafés and Instagram stories.
- Ube Ice Cream or Soft Serve: Tastes rich and creamy, perfect for hot days and café menus.
- Ube Flan or Tres Leches: Combines smooth texture with a light purple shade that looks like a party on a plate.
- Ube Pastries: From muffins to doughnuts, the options are endless.
If you’re into baking or run a small food business, these are easy ways to add ube into your menu without needing to make a lot of changes. The color and flavor already bring the fun factor.
Jans Makes Ube Easy for Everyone
One reason ube is easier to use today is because of brands like Jans, which offer ready-made ube ingredients. These aren’t just for professional chefs, they’re for anyone who wants to use ube without boiling or grating yams. Jans’ products help save time while keeping the flavor and look on point.
Some of the most useful ube products from Jans include:
Sweet Cow Ube Sweetened Condensed Milk
Sweet Cow Ube Condensed Milk is perfect if you want to add sweetness and ube flavor at the same time. You can use it in lattes, milk teas, shaved ice desserts, or as a drizzle on top of cakes and flans. It’s rich and gives that strong ube kick.
Jans Butterfly Ube Extract
A few drops of this are enough to give your food or drink a strong ube color and aroma. Ideal for baristas or bakers who want full control over how deep the color looks. It also works well in whipped cream, icing, or cold drinks.
Jans Ube Powder
This powder is great for baking. It’s gluten-free and blends nicely into cake batter, pancake mix, or dough. You can use it for muffins, cookies, or even stuffed buns.
Sweet Cow Evaporated Milk
Not ube flavored, but pairs so well with it. It gives drinks and desserts a soft, creamy finish, especially when you’re making flans or milk-based desserts.
All of these are perfect for anyone who wants to create ube items without worrying about the mess of raw ingredients. Whether you run a small bakery or just want to try something new at home, Jans makes the process quicker and easier.
Why Cafés and Bakers Are Adding Ube to Their Menus
Cafés and bakeries love ingredients that are flexible and get attention. Ube does both. It works across drinks and desserts, pairs well with common ingredients like milk, coconut, or vanilla, and doesn’t need extra decoration because it already looks beautiful on its own.
Also, adding ube options helps businesses stand out. If your coffee shop has a purple latte or your bakery sells ube cupcakes, people are more likely to take a photo, tag your brand, or bring their friends the next time. It’s good for social reach and makes your menu feel fresh.
Plus, since ube can be used in both cold and hot items, it’s good for every season, iced in summer, baked in winter.
More Than a Trend: It’s the New Favorite Drinks
Ube may have started as a niche ingredient, but now it’s part of the bigger dessert conversation. It gives people something new to try without needing to explain too much. It looks pretty, tastes smooth, and works in nearly any dish or drink.
When we have brands like Jans Enterprises Corp, the hard work is already done. You don’t have to prepare anything from scratch. Just mix, pour, and serve, and you’ll have something people want to talk about.
Let’s Put Ube on the Menu
If you’re running a café or starting a home food page, now is the time to bring ube into your menu. Whether you’re making a drink, dessert, or something baked, ube is that one flavor that grabs attention, adds color, and brings a little fun into every bite.
