Iced Ube Latte (5-Minute Homemade Recipe)
The iced ube latte is THE trending drink from the Philippines that's taking cafés around the world by storm. With its vibrant purple color and mellow, vanilla-like, slightly nutty flavor, it's an indulgent alternative to regular coffee, and naturally caffeine-free as long as you skip the espresso.
| Prep time | 5 minutes |
| Cook time | 0 minutes |
| Serves | 1 large glass |
| Difficulty | Very easy |
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ube Latte powder | 1 heaped teaspoon (about 5 g) |
| Hot water (70-80°C, not boiling) | 30 ml |
| Milk (whole, oat or coconut) | 200 ml, well chilled |
| Ice cubes | 1 large glassful |
| Maple syrup or honey (optional) | 1 teaspoon |
Method
- Put the Ube Latte powder in a mug, then add the hot water. Whisk vigorously with a fork or small whisk until you get a smooth, lump-free paste. This is the most important step: dissolving the ube in a small amount of liquid first keeps lumps out of your milk.
- Fill a tall glass with ice.
- Pour the cold milk over the ice.
- Spoon the ube paste on top and stir well with a long spoon, or give it a shake in a shaker.
- Taste and sweeten with maple syrup or honey if needed.
- Enjoy right away with a straw, and take a moment to admire that purple ombré before you stir it all together!
Tips
For a coffee-shop twist, add a shot of espresso before the milk: you'll get a “Dirty Ube Latte”, a huge hit on social media. For café-worthy foam, froth the ube paste with a splash of milk using an electric frother before adding it. Oat milk gives you the foam closest to a real café latte, while coconut milk brings out the exotic, indulgent side.
Once assembled, this drink doesn't keep for long, but you can make the ube paste ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Variations
- Hot version: swap the cold milk and ice for 200 ml of hot frothed milk. Your classic ube latte is ready in 90 seconds.
- Ube coconut: use drinking coconut milk for a more exotic take, very close to Filipino desserts.
- Layered ube and matcha: pour a prepared matcha over your iced ube latte without stirring. To find out what sets them apart, read our ube vs matcha comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Should I sweeten my ube latte?
It's up to you. Ube is naturally sweet, with notes of vanilla and hazelnut. Our powder contains no added sugar, so you can sweeten it exactly to your taste, or not at all.
Which milk should I use?
They all work. Oat milk gives the creamiest foam, whole milk the roundest flavor, and coconut milk the most indulgent version.
How many lattes does one pouch make?
A 100 g pouch of Ube Latte powder makes about 20 drinks, using one heaped teaspoon (5 g) per glass.
Can I make the drink ahead?
Yes, the ube paste: mixed with a little hot water, it keeps for 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Then just add the milk and ice when you're ready to serve.
In the mood for dessert? Try our no-bake ube cheesecake or our homemade ube ice cream.
Ube Latte
