How to use ube powder
A scoop, a whisk, a little warm liquid: ube powder is ready in seconds, in drinks and in cooking. Here is the basic rule, the dose for each of our recipes, and tips for a perfect colour.
The basic rule: 5 g per cup
One 5 g measuring scoop makes one cup: that is the dose in all our drinks, for 100 to 250 ml of milk. For a deeper colour and a stronger taste, double it: 10 g.
The gesture that matters: always mix the powder into a splash of warm liquid, one or two tablespoons of water or milk, until smooth, then add the rest while whisking. Tipped all at once into cold or boiling liquid, it forms lumps. A bamboo whisk or an electric frother sorts it out in ten seconds.
Doses, recipe by recipe
All quantities come from our recipes: click a name for the full method.
| Recipe | Ube powder | With |
|---|---|---|
| Signature Ube Latte | 5 g | 200 ml hot oat milk |
| Ube Iced Latte | 5 g | A little warm water, 100 ml cold coconut milk, ice cubes |
| Ube Hot Chocolate | 5 g | 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa, 250 ml milk |
| Ube Matcha Latte | 5 g | ½ tsp matcha, 180 ml milk |
| Ube Chai Latte | 5 g | 250 ml milk, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger |
| Golden Ube Latte | 5 g | ½ tsp turmeric, 200 ml almond milk |
| Purple Smoothie Bowl | 5 g | 1 frozen banana, 100 ml plant milk |
| Ube Pancakes | 5 to 10 g | 150 g flour, 1 egg, 200 ml milk (serves 2) |
| Ube Crêpes | 10 g | 125 g flour, 2 eggs, 250 ml milk (serves 2) |
| Ube Overnight Oats | 5 g | 40 g rolled oats, 120 ml milk, 2 tbsp yoghurt |
Getting the colour right
Colour depends on the dose: 5 g gives a lavender shade, 10 g a clear purple. When cooking, use medium heat: a pan that is too hot browns the surface and hides the purple.
Ube's purple comes from anthocyanins, natural pigments sensitive to acidity. An acidic ingredient such as lemon juice can shift it towards pink; an alkaline one such as baking soda, towards blue-grey. The taste does not suffer, but it is worth knowing before you bake.
Which milk?
Barista oat milk gives the most stable foam and the most even colour. Whole milk works very well too; almond and coconut milks are thinner and let ube's vanilla come through more. Avoid watery milks: the powder needs a little fat to bind.
Storing the powder
Close the pouch tightly after each use and keep it dry, away from heat and light: like any powder, ube dislikes moisture, which makes it clump.
How many cups per pouch?
At 5 g per cup: about 20 cups from the 100 g Discovery size, 40 from the 200 g Signature and 200 from the 1 kg professional size. See the sizes.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to add sugar?
It is not necessary: ube powder has a naturally gentle, sweet taste. Many start with a teaspoon of maple syrup, then drop it from the second cup. Adjust to taste.
Can you bake with ube powder?
Yes: it mixes into pancake or cake batter. Dissolve it in the liquid ingredients first, then cook over medium heat to keep the colour.
Does the powder dissolve in a cold drink?
Poorly: it stays in suspension and sinks. Mix it first into a tablespoon of warm water, then pour the mixture over the cold milk.
Why isn't my latte very purple?
The dose is usually the reason: with 5 g the shade is lavender, with 10 g clearly purple. Barista oat milk also gives the most even colour.