Ube Pie

Name: Ube Pie
Total time: 1 h
Yield: One 9-inch pie (about 10 servings)
Ingredients: 5 ounces/140 grams graham crackers (1 sleeve), pulsed into fine crumbs in a food processor (about 1 cup); 3 tablespoons/35 grams granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 cup/55 grams unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted; 1 (1-pound/455-gram) package frozen grated ube (see Tip), defrosted; 1/2 cup/100 grams granulated sugar; 1/2 packed cup/110 grams light brown sugar; 2 large eggs; 5 tablespoons/70 grams unsalted butter, melted; 1/3 cup/80 milliliters heavy cream; 1/2 teaspoon ube flavoring (optional); 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Recipe from Ginger Dimapasok

Adapted by Daniela Galarza

Ube Pie — Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 1 hour, plus cooling
Rating: 4(665)
Comments: Read comments

Ube, a purple yam native to the Asian tropics, is a common ingredient in Filipino desserts. It’s no surprise that colorful dishes made with ube have done well on Instagram, prompting the invention of drinks, custards, cakes and sweet breads in cities across the United States. This recipe is adapted from Café 86 in Artesia, Calif., where co-owner Ginger Dimapasok serves an ube chess pie that’s particularly popular around Thanksgiving. The earthy, vanilla flavor of the yam adds color and depth to the sweet, buttery filling. You can find frozen mashed ube — and ube flavoring, which ensures a deep purple hue — at Filipino markets. Okinawa sweet potatoes, or Japanese purple sweet potatoes, can also be substituted. —Daniela Galarza

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Ingredients

Yield:One 9-inch pie (about 10 servings)

For the Crust

5ounces/140 grams graham crackers (1 sleeve), pulsed into fine crumbs in a food processor (about 1 cup)
3tablespoons/35 grams granulated sugar
½teaspoon kosher salt
¼cup/55 grams unsalted butter (½ stick), melted

For the Ube Filling

1(1-pound/455-gram) package frozen grated ube (see Tip), defrosted
½cup/100 grams granulated sugar
½packed cup/110 grams light brown sugar
2large eggs
5tablespoons/70 grams unsalted butter, melted
⅓cup/80 milliliters heavy cream
½teaspoon ube flavoring (optional)
½teaspoon kosher salt

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the crust: In a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt. Stir in the melted butter (mixture will look like wet sand). Press into the bottom and up the sides of a standard (not deep-dish) 9-inch pie pan; set aside.
Step 2
Prepare the filling: Remove grated ube from package and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons water. Microwave until cooked, 3 to 4 minutes. (The mixture should feel smooth between your fingers, like thick mashed potato.) Measure out 1¼ cups/300 grams cooked ube, and reserve the remainder for another use.
Step 3
Transfer the 1¼ cups cooked ube to a food processor. Add the granulated sugar and light brown sugar and process on low until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, melted butter, heavy cream, ube flavoring, if using, and salt, and process just until combined and no streaks remain. Pour filling into prepared crust.
Step 4
Bake pie on center rack until slightly puffed around the edges and just set in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely before serving at room temperature or chilled. Covered and refrigerated, the pie will keep up to 2 days.

Tip

Though Okinawa sweet potatoes are botanically not the same vegetable as ube, the same amount of peeled, steamed and mashed Japanese purple sweet potato can be substituted in this recipe, if desired. It will be just as vibrant in color, though the flavor will shift slightly: Ube has a caramelized vanilla flavor, while Japanese sweet potatoes have a nuttier flavor.

Ratings

4 out of 5

665 user ratings

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Comments

Christine3 years ago

Hi. Filipina homecook here. Pro tip: Stop buying Ube from TJ’s, Whole Foods, etc. The best (fresh) Ube is from Seafood City, 99 Ranch, or local Asian farmers markets.

HR5 years ago

This pie was amazing. Make sure you're using kosher, not table salt in the crust - I used the recommended amount and it was not too salty, as some other reviewers have mentioned. Also made the pie non-dairy by using Earth Balance in the crust and coconut cream in place of heavy cream in the filling. It worked out great!

Mike B.5 years ago

I mostly followed the recipe, except thoroughly steamed and mashed purple yams (fresh from Trader Joe's! not the Japanese ones, either) to make the fill, skipped the flavoring, and used a store-bought crust. 2-3 potatoes made more or less 1 1/3 cups which was perfect for the 10" crust. The pie was deep purple like the picture and served with whipped cream. It was a big hit at Friendsgiving! (I also saw that Rainbow Co-Op in SF had the potatoes, I'm not sure if it's only seasonally.)

Elle6 days ago

The color in NYT’s photo is very different from the pale brownish lavender in my result. I used frozen ube and ube extract from my local Asian market but boy was my result disappointing.

Gerrie2 weeks ago

I made this for my baking club today and everyone really enjoyed it! Followed the directions exactly using frozen, mashed ube I found at a local market. Next time I would reduce the sugar in the filling by a smidgen but that is my preference.

Jen1 month ago

Crust was the best part, I will use a bit more Ube flavor next time. I used the remaining Ube to make a no-churn ice cream which was also yummy!

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