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These ube-packed, bakery-sized cookies are on another level. They blend that iconic Filipino sweet potato flavor into a super thick cookie that's crispy along the edges but gooey and soft right in the middle. Ube powder turns them a bold, playful purple, while the hint of vanilla and nuttiness in every bite steals the spotlight. You'll get big chunks of white chocolate that add extra sweetness and balance everything out. Each bite is part comfort food, part treat-yourself moment—perfect for sharing with friends or sneaking for yourself.
I made a big batch of these for a potluck with some Filipino friends. The moment they saw that purple color, everyone got excited. One friend said it brought back memories of her grandma's kitchen in Manila. Even folks who didn't know what ube was totally got hooked; so many asked for the directions that night. And my husband, who’s usually a die-hard for classic chocolate chip, instantly changed favorites.
Essential Ingredient Guide
- Flour: Go for unbleached all-purpose—it should be fresh and have about 10% protein for the right cookie structure, but any brand works if it’s not stale.
- White Chocolate: Chop up a real white chocolate bar for melty pools, or use the good chips made with real cocoa butter for max yum.
- Butter: Cold, high-fat European butter keeps your cookies thick and rich. Use it straight from the fridge—no softening needed.
- Ube Powder: Stick with a pure purple yam powder that's super vibrant. Try a tiny bit extra if yours isn’t giving enough color or taste.
- Ube Extract: This purple liquid backs up the flavor and color. McCormick is good, but small Filipino brands have the strongest vibe.
Chill-Proof Prep Steps
- Smart Butter Technique:
- Start by prepping all your goodies. Whisk all your dry stuff so the ube powder mixes well with the flour—no weird purple lines later. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the ube extract till it’s all one color. When it’s time for the butter, skip the soft stuff. Cube it cold, toss into your mixer, and pulse quick until you see pea-sized butter—should still feel fridge-cold. Dump in your sugars and only mix until it looks sandy, not creamy. That bit of undermixing is the secret to the magic texture.
- Mix Like a Pro:
- Before you add dry ingredients, toss the chocolate chunks in with the creamed butter—they get coated so they don’t sink. Next, introduce the dry mix in on the slowest mixer speed, or stir gently by hand, stopping the second you see some flour streaks left. Your egg mix goes in last. Don’t worry if the dough’s shaggy and not all smooth—it looks dry, but that’s what gives those awesome edges and softness inside.
- Freeze for Success:
- Weigh out hefty 165g dough balls (a scale’s your friend here). Don’t bother rolling them smooth; rough shapes and jagged edges give character later. Freeze these packed together on parchment at least 2 hours, overnight is even better. This chill step stops them becoming cookie pancakes, keeps their height, and bumps up ube flavor.
- Bake Like You Mean It:
- Get your oven up to 365°F—it sets the edges fast but keeps the middles gooey. Space up to six dough balls on a tray lined with parchment. Keep your oven rack smack in the middle. Bake 15 to 17 minutes, pulling them out when the rims look golden and the middles are still a bit shiny and soft. Let them cool on the tray for an exact ten minutes—they’ll finish up cooking and firm just right, so you can move them without breaking.
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The first time I tried these, I jumped ahead and left out the cold butter and freezing part. End result: tasty, but flat purple pancakes. Once I stuck to the chill steps, my cookies stacked up high and held together like champions.
Serving Inspiration
Throw these purple beauties on a wood board or plain white plate so the color pops. Warm them slightly and add a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for an extra wow. You can go party style too—set them beside classic Filipino treats like ube jam or halo-halo. On special days, stack cookies tall on a stand with pandan snacks or calamansi bars and you’ll have a table people can’t stop talking about.
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Keeping Them Fresh
Once cooled, keep these cookies in a sealed box on your counter—they stay soft for about five days. Use parchment between layers so they don’t stick or bleed color. You can freeze baked cookies by wrapping each one with plastic and tossing in a freezer bag—they’ll last three months. To eat, just let them sit for a couple hours or nuke for 20 seconds to make them gooey again. For raw dough, freeze the balls with paper in between, and bake straight from the freezer (just give them an extra 2-3 minutes in the oven).
Frequently Asked Questions
- → What does ube taste like, and how do I buy ube powder and extract?
- Ube is a purple yam from the Philippines. It's sweet, kind of nutty and vanilla-ish. Get ube powder and extract at Asian stores, baking supply shops, or look online. Filipino markets will almost always have them.
- → Is it okay if I skip putting the dough in the freezer first?
- Don’t skip freezing the dough if you want thick, tall cookies. The chill keeps them from spreading out too much and helps keep that chewy middle. If you don’t freeze, they’ll bake like normal cookies instead.
- → Why use cold butter and not softened butter?
- Cold butter is what makes these cookies puff up and get thick with a gooey inside. As it melts in the oven, it creates little steam pockets that give you a nice lift. Room temp butter will just make flat cookies.
- → Can I make these cookies smaller?
- Totally! Scoop smaller dough balls, like 80 grams each instead of big ones. Just bake them 10 or 12 minutes and watch so they don’t get too done. They’ll still turn out great, but extra big cookies have that crazy inside texture.
- → What if I don’t want white chocolate chips?
- You don’t have to use white chocolate! Swap for milk chocolate, dark chunks, macadamia nuts, whatever you want. You can even mix in some coconut or combine add-ins if you’re feeling creative.