Easy Purple Pancakes: Filipino Ube Powder Recipe

Pancakes are a favorite bite to eat for breakfast. And these Filipino purple pancakes are not just your ordinary pancakes! Imagine fluffy, purple pancakes that taste like a tropical paradise.

What gives this purple pancake recipe its vibrant purple hue? Ube – purple yam! It turns the food it’s added to into a bright purple color that is so inviting to eat. Intrigued? Let’s dive into this delicious twist on a classic breakfast favorite!

What Are Filipino Purple Pancakes?

Filipino purple pancakes are made with ube (purple yam) or ube powder, which gives them a distinctive purple color. These pancakes are a popular and delicious breakfast in Filipino cuisine, known for their unique flavor and vibrant appearance.

Because of their distinctive earthy flavor and bright purple color, ube purple pancakes have earned popularity in tropical islands. They’ve become a staple in Hawaiian restaurants.

The key ingredient that makes these purple pancakes so vibrant is the ube powder. Ube powder is of rich purple color and is popular to use in many foods and desserts in the Philippines.

What is Ube? 

Ube is a purple yam that grows in Southeast Asia. This colorful root vegetable is then dehydrated and crushed into a powder and is added to many Filipino desserts, including Filipino pancakes. It is used in a variety of foods such as ube halaya (purple yam jam or ube jam), ube pandesal (ube Filipino bread roll), ube mochi pancakes, and ube ice cream.

What sets ube powder apart from other flours is its flavor and color. This purple yam has a nuttier, vanilla-like flavor. It’s also a healthier option that can substitute the highly processed all purpose flour. Plus, it adds natural colors to the pancakes without using food coloring.

You can find ube powder in Asian markets or Filipino supermarkets. Or order it from Amazon.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Ingredients Needed for Purple Pancakes

• 1 cup + 1 tbsp purple ube powder
• 3 tsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• A pinch of salt
• 1 cup milk

Step-by-Step Preparation with Pictures

1. In a small bowl mix wet ingredients – the egg, oil, and milk.

2. Add dry ingredients to the bowl.

3. Mix well to form purple pancake batter.

4. Place a nonstick pan onto the stove and set the temperature to medium-low heat. Once the pan has heated, pour your desired amount of pancake mixture onto it. You can make a batch of 1-2 pancakes or smaller 4 pancakes at a time.

5. Flip the pancakes once you begin to see small bubbles forming on top of them after about 3-4 minutes. Cook the pancakes for another 1-2 minutes. Make sure that both sides are golden brown before they leave the pan. Continue to cook the rest of the pancake batter in this manner until the mixing bowl is empty.

6. When serving, add some berries or fruit, and drizzle with chocolate sauce. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions for These Hawaiian Purple Pancakes

Kitchen Staples: There is nothing wrong with using what you already have in your kitchen. Like regular pancakes, butter, icing sugar, and table or maple syrup are perfect ways to top and serve these ube pancakes.

Fantastic Fresh Fruit: Fruit makes terrific pancake toppings! Try using fresh berries, bananas, pineapples, or papayas, to add a bit of sweetness to these ube pancakes. Or pair them with peanut butter and jelly chia pudding for a more filling breakfast.

A Nutty Addition: Macadamia nuts are a nutty option to serve on top of these fluffy pancakes. This nut is grown in Hawaii and adds a crunchy texture and a buttery flavor to every bite.

Coconut Shavings: This tropical fruit will bring a sweet, fruity, and milky taste to these purple pancakes.

Tasty Extras: Ube halaya (purple yam jam) and condensed milk are more traditional Filipino purple pancake toppings. They help to enhance the ube flavor as well as add a warm sweetness to this delicious dish.

Salty Favorites: Breakfast staples, like bacon, ham, or sausages are some tasty ways to fuel your day.

A Lighter Option: If you want to sit down to a lighter option to pair with these ube pancakes, serve this high protein frozen yogurt.

A Cool Choice: These purple pancakes are tasty to eat after dinner, too! Serving them with ice cream, some chocolate sauce and whipped cream creates a delectable dessert everyone will love.

Sprinkles: Topping these ube pancakes with these bright and colorful sugary bits will add joy, whimsy, and holiday fun to this dish.

Storage for these Ube Pancakes

Store: Place these fluffy pancakes in an airtight container and put them in the fridge. They will stay fresh for up to 2 days.

Freeze: After these purple pancakes have cooled, make sure to place a sheet of waxed paper in between each one. Place your leftover stack in either a container safe for the freezer or a reusable freezer bag. Your stack can be stored for up to 2 months.

Reheat: These Filipino purple pancakes are a great make-ahead breakfast option. If you want to eat a big batch of pancakes, put them on a baking sheet in the oven at 350° F for about 10 minutes or until warm. If you want to eat a few pancakes, pop them in the toaster and toast them until warm.

One Last Thing

Make your mornings more interesting with these super cute purple ube pancakes! Your kids will love the sweet flavor and vibrant color of this great recipe.

Experiment with different toppings, like bananas or chocolate chips to discover your favorite flavor combinations.

These purple ube pancakes can be also whipped up to be a part of a special celebration. Make them for a yummy Christmas morning treat or as a Valentine’s Day breakfast. 

Have fun mixing up and serving these delicious Filipino purple pancakes for your family and loved ones!

Your Turn

If you make these cute purple pancakes, please take a moment to let me know how you liked them by leaving a rating and a comment below on the recipe card.

Top Breakfast Recipes To Try Next