Ube Pie
I first made this ube pie when I wanted something a little different for my holiday table, and now it’s the dessert everyone asks about. The vivid purple filling is silky, lightly sweet, and kissed with coconut, and it bakes up just like a classic custard pie. If you love Ube Milk Crinkles or Ube Cheesecake Bars, this pie belongs in your rotation too.
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Why This Pie Became My Thanksgiving Tradition
Growing up, pumpkin pie was always the default, but once I brought this ube pie to a family gathering, it never left the table again. It’s become one of my favorite ube recipes precisely because it feels festive and familiar at the same time, a welcome new face among pies for thanksgiving. Every slice reminds me that trying something new can turn into your most requested tradition.
Why You Will Love Ube Pie
- Striking color. The natural purple hue of ube halaya makes this pie an instant showstopper on any dessert table.
- Silky, custard-like texture. Eggs, coconut milk, and ube halaya bake into a smooth, sliceable filling with a flaky homemade crust.
- A fresh twist on tradition. It’s a wonderful alternative among classic pies for Thanksgiving, offering familiar comfort with a tropical Filipino flavor.
- Make-ahead friendly. The crust and filling can be prepped in advance, making holiday baking far less stressful.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the homemade pastry crust, giving it structure and flakiness.
- Cold unsalted butter: Keeping the butter cold is key to a tender, flaky crust.
- Ube halaya: A Filipino purple yam jam with notes of coconut and rose that gives this pie its signature color and flavor. Find it at a Filipino grocery store or on Amazon.
- Canned unsweetened coconut milk: Adds richness and a subtle tropical flavor that pairs beautifully with ube.
- Ube extract: Sometimes labeled “ube paste,” it deepens the purple color and ube flavor. I like this kind by Butterfly brand.
- Eggs: Help set the custard-like filling as it bakes, giving the pie its sliceable texture.
How to Make Ube Pie
Make and roll out the dough. Pulse flour, salt, and cold butter in a food processor until crumbly, then add ice water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Shape into a disc and roll out before fitting into a 9-inch glass pie plate, crimping the edges and chilling until firm.
Blind bake the crust. Line the chilled dough with foil and dried beans, then bake until the edges turn golden. Remove the beans and continue baking until the whole crust is golden brown. This is a crucial step for sturdy ube desserts like this one.
Combine the filling ingredients. Add the eggs, ube halaya, coconut milk, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and ube extract to a bowl.
Mix until smooth. Beat with a hand mixer until the filling is smooth and vibrant.
Add the filling to the pie crust. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top into an even layer.
Bake and cool. Bake until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly, then let the pie cool completely on a wire rack so the filling settles into clean, sliceable layers.
Pro Tips
- Keep everything cold. Cold butter and ice water are essential for a flaky crust, so work quickly and chill the dough if it feels soft.
- Don’t overbake the filling. Pull the pie when the center still has a slight jiggle. It will continue to set as it cools.
- Blind bake fully. A golden crust prevents a soggy bottom once the custard filling is added.
- Let it cool completely. Cooling for at least two hours ensures the pie is set properly and produces clean slices when serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze baked pie, whole or in slices, for up to 3 months.
Yes. You can either bake the crust a day ahead or fully bake the pie and store in the refrigerator up to two days in advance. I’ve even baked and frozen a whole pie. Let the frozen pie thaw out in the refrigerator.
Ube has a mildly sweet, vanilla-like flavor with hints of coconut and pistachio, which comes through beautifully in the creamy, custard-like filling.
More Recipes to Try
Ingredients
Method
- In a food processor, add the flour, salt, and butter and pulse until the butter is broken up into small bits. Add the water and pulse until the mixture looks like crumbled dough.
- Transfer to an unfloured work surface. Gather and shape into a flat disc.
- Lightly dust the work surface with flour and roll out the dough into a 12-inch (30 cm) round.
- Transfer to a 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate. There should be some overhanging dough. Tuck this excess under itself, all the
- way around, and pinch and shape into an evenly raised border, using the flat lip of the pie plate as a base.
- Flute or crimp the crust. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Set the pie plate on a sheet pan and line the pastry with foil so it covers the dough entirely. Fill with dried beans or pie weights.
- Bake until the perimeter is matte and light golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and beans and continue to bake (on the sheet pan) until the crust is golden brown all over, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer the pie plate to a wire rack and let cool 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the eggs, ube halaya, coconut milk, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and ube extract until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into cooled crust.
- Bake until edges of the filling are set but the center still jiggles slightly, 55 to 65 minutes. (Filling will puff as it bakes but will settle as it cools.)
- Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 2 hours. Pie can be served slightly warm or room temperature.
