These ube donuts are one of the easiest and most delicious ube desserts you can make! These easy baked donuts are a healthier dessert option and the purple color is absolutely beautiful.
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Who doesn’t love donuts? Especially baked donuts that have a beautiful purple color. Yes, I am talking about ube donuts! These donuts are super easy to make and healthy (baked!).
And speaking of dessert, if you are looking for other delicious dessert ideas, be sure to check out these Snickerdoodles without Cream of Tartar (made with easy pantry ingredients), Oreo Cheesecake Bites this easy and delicious homemade Orange Chocolate Cake!
What is ube you say? Ube is a purple yam that can be used in many different baking and cooking variations. The purple color of the yam is very unique and vibrant and adds a deep purple color to anything you are cooking.
If you need a treat to satisfy your sweet tooth or serve your family after a delicious dinner, then you will love these healthy baked ube donuts!
Why this recipe works
- These ube donuts are so easy to make that you can make them with your kids! Even toddlers love to join in the fun.
- This is a baked donut recipe so these donuts are a healthier version of our deep fried friends, which means, less fat and less mess!
- These ube donuts are just gorgeous. Once you start experimenting with ube, I promise you will be using it for all new cooking applications! It works great to make perfectly colored purple frosting (way better than food coloring!).
Ingredients to make ube donuts
Ube Donuts
- Ube Extract: This ube extract is the star of the show. I purchased this ube extract on Amazon and it was perfect! It is a small bottle but just a couple drops goes a long way so it will last for a while.
- Flour: Use all purpose white flour for this recipe.
- Baking Powder
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar.
- Salt
- Almond Milk: You can use unsweetened vanilla almond milk or unsweetened plain almond milk. Other alternative milks that work well in this recipe are soy milk, coconut milk, pea milk or oat milk.
- Egg: Use a large egg for this recipe. For vegan modification, you can use a flax egg (mix 1 tbsp flaxseed meal and 2.5 tbsp water, allow to rest for 5 minutes to thicken).
- Oil: You can find oil or vegan butter (example: Miyoko’s brand vegan butter) in the dairy aisle at most grocery stores. This organic vegan ghee is also a great option and is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and keto certified.
Ube Donut Glaze
- Powdered (Confectioners) Sugar
- Heavy Whipping Cream: You can also use any alternative milks. Some people even use water to make the glaze.
- Ube Extract: This ube extract is the star of the show. I purchased this ube extract on Amazon and it was perfect! It is a small bottle but just a couple drops goes a long way so it will last for a while.
How to make this recipe
Ube Donuts
- Preheat oven 350 degrees
- In small mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, almond milk, egg, oil and ube extract until thoroughly combined. You can use a whisk or hand beaters.
- Pour donut mix into donut baking pan. SEE TIP BELOW.
- TIP: Using a frosting piping bag or a gallon or sandwich size plastic food bag, pour batter into bag and cut small opening in tip of bag. Use bag to pipe the batter into the donut pan. This prevents batter from getting on the sides of the pan and creates a more uniform donut shape.
- Bake 8-10 minutes
- Once donuts are cool enough, use pan around edge and carefully move donuts to cooling rack. Allow to cool to room temperature (5-10 minutes) before glazing.
- Prepare glaze while donuts are cooling.
Ube Donut Glaze
- In small bowl, mix confectioners sugar, heavy cream and ube extract thoroughly.
- Hand dip donuts in glaze. Dip halfway to just glaze the top half of the donut.
- If glaze thickens as you are dipping, you can add 1/2 tsp (or as needed) whipping cream to thin the glaze.
Vegan and Dairy Free Modifications
- Other Non-Dairy Milk Options: Soy milk, coconut milk, pea milk or oat milk.
- Flax Egg: To make a flax egg, mix one tablespoon of flaxseed meal with three tablespoons of water. Allow to sit refrigerated for about 10 minutes to thicken.
- Vegan and Dairy Free Ube Donuts: Instructions as stated.
- Gluten Free Ube Donuts: Substitute all purpose flour for gluten free flour of choice.
Where to buy ube
Amazon has been the easiest place for me to find quality ube products such as ube powder and ube extract.
You can buy ube purple yams, powdered ube and ube extract in some Asian grocery or specialty stores. However, it can be a bit tricky and is not always available in some areas.
Ube vs taro
Ube is a purple yam and taro is a white colored root. They are sometimes confused as taro can be used in some similar cooking application as ube but is sometimes colored purple. Taro and ube are both root vegetables within the sweet potato family.
What else can I make with ube?
Ube purple yams (sometimes called a Filipino purple yam) can be used in many cooking applications from sweet to savory but are probably most popular in baking and sweet dessert recipes.
Some ube desserts include ube ice, cream, ube cake, ube cookies (ube crinkle cookies), ube halaya (ube jam), ube cheesecake, ube cupcakes, ube pancakes and ube flan.
Some savory ube recipes include ube bread, ube pandesal, ube rolls and even ube butter!
FAQ and expert tips
Ube is a purple yam that is a very popular ingredient used in Filipino desserts.
Ube has a slightly sweet and mild flavor. It is mostly known for the beautiful and vibrant purple color which lends itself well to baked goods.
Yes, baked donuts are healthier than fried. Because you are not deep frying them in oil they are much lower in fat.
Looking for other delicious dessert recipes?
- These Coconut Rum Balls are absolutely delicious for a holiday treat or all year round!
- These Snickerdoodles without cream of tartar can be made with easy pantry ingredients and are absolutely delicious!
- These Vegan Blondies are easy and healthy! A great way to sneak in some protein for your kiddos.
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Ube Donuts
Equipment
- Donut baking pan, cooling rack, small bowl, hand beaters or whisk, piping bag (or plastic food bag, gallon or sandwich size)
Ingredients
Ube Donuts
- 1 cup all purpose white flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup almond milk (unsweetened)
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp oil (vegetable, canola or olive oil)
- 4 drops ube extract
Ube Donut Glaze
- 1 cup powdered confectioner sugar
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1-2 drops ube extract (add additional drops to desired color)
Instructions
Ube Donuts
- Preheat oven 350 degrees
- In small mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, almond milk, egg, oil and ube extract until thoroughly combined. You can use a whisk or hand beaters.
- Pour donut mix into donut baking pan. SEE TIP BELOW.
- TIP: Using a frosting piping bag or a gallon or sandwich size plastic food bag, pour batter into bag and cut small opening in tip of bag. Use bag to pipe the batter into the donut pan. This prevents batter from getting on the sides of the pan and creates a more uniform donut shape.
- Bake 8-10 minutes
- Once donuts are cool enough, use pan around edge and carefully move donuts to cooling rack. Allow to cool to room temperature (5-10 minutes) before glazing.
- Prepare glaze while donuts are cooling.
Ube Donut Glaze
- In small bowl, mix confectioners sugar, heavy cream and ube extract thoroughly.
- Hand dip donuts in glaze. Dip halfway to just glaze the top half of the donut.
- If glaze thickens as you are dipping, you can add 1/2 tsp (or as needed) whipping cream to thin the glaze.
Natalie
These Ube donuts are so beautiful and so EASY! The donut was light and fluffy and the color was just gorgeous. You can make the glaze lighter or darker depending on how much Ube extract you use. Awesome recipe!
Anna
These Ube donuts are beautiful!
Aubrey
Thanks Anna! They taste even better!