Ube White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't know about you, but I am noticing Ube everything in recent years. Ube donuts, ube cake, ube ice cream. Bread and donuts filled with ube.

And as a Filipino American, I am SO here for it! Gimme alll the yummy Filipino desserts!

I've been baking and cooking with ube more and more, and am so excited to share these bright purple cookies with you. My family loves these Ube White Chocolate Cookies, and I hope you will love them, too!

🍠 What exactly is ube?

Ube is a purple sweet potato that is native to the Philippines.

The word "ube" comes from the Tagalog (the most common language in the Philippines) for "tuber."

Like other sweet potatoes, ube is rich in fiber. It's also packed with B vitamins, thiamine, and niacin.

Ube is often made into a jam, known as ube halaya. And it's added to foods like Halo-Halo, a specialty Filipino dessert. It's also often added to cheesecakes, pandesal and other Filipino breads, and malasadas/donuts.

You can now find ube powder, ube extract, and jarred ube jam, in Asian grocery stores throughout the United States.

🧈 Ingredient notes

Flour - use all-purpose flour for this recipe.

Unsalted Butter - Use unsalted butter that is softened at room temperature for this recipe. You can take the butter out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you start baking so that it is softened and ready to go.

Baking powder & cornstarch- Baking powder helps lift the batter to give the cookies a nice shape. Cornstarch helps add thickness to the cookies and makes them chewy.

Ube extract - This is part of what gives these ube cookies their deep purple color. You can find ube extract either online or in most Asian markets.

Sugars - You'll need both granulated sugar and light brown sugar in this cookie recipe. You could use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar if you want an even richer, more molasses flavor.

Eggs - I use large organic free range brown eggs for most of my baking recipes. Make sure you take the eggs out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you start baking. They should be at room temperature when you add them to the batter so that they mix smoothly.

Salt - I use kosher salt in my baking, and when measuring. Since it's a small amount, you can substitute table salt 1:1 in this recipe.

Ube Halaya - While you can make your own ube jam from fresh ube, you can find jars of Ube Halaya (Ube Jam) at most Asian supermarkets, and also online.

Vanilla Extract- Use pure vanilla extract to add that classic fresh-from-the-bakery aroma and flavor to baked goods.

White chocolate chips - You can use white chocolate chips or chop up a white chocolate baking bar. Remember to save some of the white chocolate to add to the tops of the cookies immediately after taking them out of the oven.

🛒 Looking for Filipino ingredients? Find them in my online shop!

✅ Step-by-step baking instructions

This ube cookie recipe makes approximately 56 cookies. The full measurements and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below. Here are some quick visual step-by-step instructions.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer -- or in a large bowl using a hand mixer -- beat together the softened butter and both sugars on medium speed until creamy.

Add the ube jam, ube extract, and vanilla, beating just until combined.

Then beat in the eggs one at a time.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until there is no more white flour visible.

Use a silicone spatula to gently fold in one cup of the white chocolate chips; set aside the remaining ½ cup of white chocolate chips for later.

Form the cookie dough into a round disc, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 and a half hours.

After 2.5 hours of chilling the dough, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out the dough and form round dough balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheet approximately two inches apart.

Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating and switching the pans halfway through for an even bake.

Once cookies are done, remove them from the oven and immediately press a 2 to 5 white chocolate chips gently into the tops of each cookie. Allow to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely

👩🏻‍🍳 Baking Tips and Recipe FAQs

⏲ Kitchen tools and equipment

For this recipe, you just need a few basic kitchen tools:

Stand Mixer - You'll need a stand mixer to beat together the wet ingredients and to mix the final batter. If you do not have a stand mixer you can use another large mixing bowl and a hand mixer.

Mixing bowl- You will need at least one mixing bowl for the dry ingredients.

Whisk - Use a sturdy whisk to mix together the dry ingredients.

Spatula - Use a silicone spatula to gently fold in the white chocolate chips. It also helps to have this kind of spatula to scrap all of the dough out of the mixing bowl. No waste! :)

Cookie scoop - A medium cookie scoop helps you bake up cookies that are similar in size and shape, which helps them bake evenly in the oven. You can also use a kitchen scale to weigh the cookie balls out to the same weight.

🍽 What to serve with ube chocolate chip cookies

If you're serving these cookies as part of a Filipino meal, consider making one of my favorite Filipino recipes:

• Pancit Bihon Noodles or Filipino Pancit Bihon - two popular type of Filipino noodles!
• Lumpia - authentic Filipino spring rolls. These are always a crowd favorite!
• Filipino Pork BBQ Skewers - perfect BBQ for summer
• Pandesal - one of the most popular types of Filipino bread rolls, often served as a mid-morning snack or for merienda
• Beef Caldereta - my beef version of this classic Filipino stew
• Instant Pot Garlic Rice - my Instant Pot version of the traditional sinangag, a Filipino garlic fried rice

More cookie recipes

If you love this ube cookies recipe, try our Ube Donuts, too!

In the mood to bake up batches of cookies? After you're done making these delectable Ube White Chocolate Chip cookies, try one of these easy cookie recipes:

For more, you can buy my Filipino cookbook: Modern Filipino Cooking, my 55-page e-Book with authentic Filipino recipes that I've adapted for today's modern kitchen!