- Ube pie is a Filipino-American dessert pie with a custardy ube (purple yam) filling, usually baked in a butter or graham-cracker crust. Think sweet potato pie, but purple and with vanilla-hazelnut undertones.
- It emerged in the 2010s as a Filipino-American Thanksgiving alternative to sweet potato pie — the textures are similar but the flavor is distinct.
- The filling typically uses real ube (fresh, frozen, or ube powder), evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and sugar.
- Ube pie has become a signature item at Filipino-American bakeries and Friendsgiving tables — most famously at Brooklyn's Kora, LA's Kora LA, and dozens of Filipino-owned bakeshops across the US.
If sweet potato pie is the South's Thanksgiving star, ube pie is its Filipino-American answer — a purple custard pie with a flavor profile that lands somewhere between vanilla flan, pumpkin pie, and white chocolate. It's become one of the most-ordered Filipino-American bakery items of the past five years, especially in November, when Filipino families across the US set it next to the pumpkin and pecan on the Thanksgiving table.
Here's what ube pie actually is, where it came from, how it compares to sweet potato pie, and how to make or find one.
What Is Ube Pie Made Of?
Ube pie is a custard pie. The classic structure:
- Crust — typically a buttery pastry crust or a graham-cracker crust; both are common
- Filling — real ube (fresh-grated, frozen ube, ube halaya, or ube powder) whisked with evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and a touch of sugar and vanilla
- Topping (optional) — ube halaya swirl, whipped cream, toasted coconut, or a light dusting of powdered sugar
The filling bakes into a smooth, silky custard — glossy, lavender-purple, and holding its slice cleanly. Texturally it's closer to pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie than to a fruit pie; you slice it with a knife and it stays put.
Where Did Ube Pie Come From?
Ube pie is a modern Filipino-American invention, not a traditional Philippine dessert. In the Philippines, ube is more often prepared as halaya (jam), in ice cream, or in rice cakes — rarely in a pastry pie. The American pie format was adapted abroad:
- 2010s: Filipino-American home bakers started experimenting with ube in traditional US pie crusts, riffing on sweet potato pie recipes. The first ube pies appeared at holiday potlucks and small Filipino-run bakeries.
- 2018–2020: Kora NYC, Brooklyn Kolache, and a handful of other Filipino-American bakeries popularized ube pie as a year-round item. Food media coverage on Eater, Bon Appétit, and Food & Wine followed.
- 2021–2026: Ube pie is now featured at Filipino-American Thanksgiving gatherings and carried by larger chains like Red Ribbon during the November–December holiday season.
Ube Pie vs Sweet Potato Pie
The closest American analogue to ube pie is sweet potato pie — a beloved Southern and African-American tradition with roots in the 18th-century American South. The similarities are real: both use a starchy tuber in a custard filling with eggs and dairy. But the differences are also real:
| Attribute | Ube Pie | Sweet Potato Pie |
|---|---|---|
| Main ingredient | Ube (Dioscorea alata — a yam) | Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) |
| Color | Lavender to vivid violet | Warm orange |
| Flavor | Vanilla, hazelnut, subtle earth | Honey, cinnamon, roasted sweetness |
| Spices | Minimal — usually just vanilla | Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice |
| Dairy base | Evaporated + sweetened condensed milk | Cream or evaporated milk, sugar |
| Origin | Filipino-American, 2010s | Southern US, 18th–19th century |
| Typical sweetness | Very sweet (condensed milk) | Moderately sweet |
The flavors are genuinely distinct. Sweet potato pie leans warm-spiced and honey-roasted; ube pie leans vanilla-nutty and pure, with no competing spices. One isn't better than the other — they're parallel traditions.
Where to Buy Ube Pie
Filipino-American bakeries are the main source:
- Kora NYC (Queens, New York) — one of the most celebrated ube pies in the country
- Red Ribbon Bakeshop — seasonal Thanksgiving ube pie across 40+ US locations
- Goldilocks Bakeshop — holiday ube pie offering
- Valerio's Tropical Bake Shop — California locations
- The Filipino Bakery — mail-order ube pie
- Local Filipino-American home bakers — check Instagram and Filipino community groups around Thanksgiving
Pricing: expect $25–$45 for a 9-inch ube pie at a specialty bakery.
How to Make Ube Pie at Home
An ube pie is one of the more forgiving purple desserts to make — the custard has a wide window of doneness, and the filling holds its color well because there's no baking soda in the recipe. Basic structure, serves 8:
For a 9-inch pie:
- Crust: 1 pre-baked pie shell (pâte brisée or graham cracker)
- Filling:
- 3 tablespoons real ube powder (or 1 cup mashed fresh/frozen ube)
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Optional: 1 tablespoon ube halaya for extra depth
Method: Whisk all filling ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Pour into the pre-baked crust. Bake at 350°F for 45–55 minutes, until the filling is just set (slight jiggle in center is OK — it firms up as it cools). Cool fully before slicing. Refrigerate leftovers.
Serving and Pairing Ideas
Ube pie plays well with:
- Whipped cream — unflavored, lightly sweetened. Let the ube do the talking.
- Toasted coconut — classic Filipino pairing. Adds crunch.
- Salted caramel — balances the sweetness of condensed milk.
- Vanilla or coconut ice cream — hot-cold contrast, Thanksgiving-style à la mode.
- Hot coffee or an ube latte — double-ube for the committed.
Store leftover ube pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Flavor deepens on day 2 as the custard settles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ube pie taste like sweet potato pie?
Is ube pie a traditional Filipino dessert?
Can I make ube pie with ube powder?
What's the difference between ube pie and ube cheesecake?
How long does ube pie keep?
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