Ube Crinkles: Recipe, History, and Tips

Ube crinkles are soft, chewy cookies made with ube halaya (purple yam jam) and ube extract, rolled in powdered sugar before baking. As they bake, the surface cracks to create a distinctive purple-and-white crinkle pattern. They are a Filipino adaptation of the classic American crinkle cookie.

Ube crinkles taste mildly sweet with a warm vanilla-nutty flavor and a subtle earthiness from the ube halaya. The texture is soft and chewy. They are less intensely flavored than chocolate crinkles but more complex and unusual.

You can, but the results will be disappointing. Ube extract alone gives color but very little flavor. Ube halaya provides both the characteristic ube taste and the moisture that makes the cookies chewy. For best results, use both halaya and extract.

Ube halaya is available at Filipino grocery stores (like Seafood City and Island Pacific) and on Amazon. Common brands include Good Shepherd, Giron Foods, and Bulacan brand. Check our best ube products guide for specific product recommendations.

Ube crinkles keep for up to 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. The chewy texture holds up well during storage, and some bakers prefer the flavor on day two after overnight resting.

Flat ube crinkles usually mean the dough was not chilled long enough before baking. The dough needs at least 2 hours in the refrigerator to firm up. If it is still sticky after 2 hours, chill it longer. Room-temperature dough will spread too much in the oven.

Yes. Roll the dough into balls, coat them in powdered sugar, freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake directly from frozen at 350 degrees F, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the standard baking time.

Yes. Ube crinkles are a Filipino adaptation of the American chocolate crinkle cookie, created by replacing cocoa and chocolate with ube halaya and ube extract. They are widely popular in the Philippines and among Filipino-American communities.

Natural ube halaya loses some color intensity during baking due to heat. This is normal. If you want a more vivid purple, add a few drops of purple food coloring to the dough. This does not affect the flavor.

Regular (chocolate) crinkle cookies are fudgy and rich with a deep chocolate flavor. Ube crinkles are softer and chewier with a lighter, vanilla-nutty flavor. The main visual difference is the purple color versus brown. Both use the same powdered-sugar-coating technique to create the crinkle pattern.