Chewy centers, crinkled powdery tops, and that deep purple color peeking through a cloud of white powdered sugar - ube crinkle cookies are the kind of treat you make once and then can never stop thinking about. They've got a subtle earthy sweetness from the ube halaya, a pop of that unmistakable ube aroma from the extract, and a texture that's soft and almost fudgy in the middle. I first tasted something like these at a Filipino bakery a few years ago, and I spent weeks trying to recreate that flavor at home. When I finally nailed it, my whole family disappeared into the kitchen before the cookies even cooled.
If you love our Apple Spice Cupcakes for cozy fall flavors or our Chocolate Tartlets for a rich chocolate fix, these ube crinkle cookies belong right alongside them in your holiday baking lineup. They use simple pantry staples plus the magic of ube halaya and ube extract, and they bake up into something that looks totally bakery-level with almost no effort.
Why You'll Keep Coming Back to This Ube Crinkle Cookies
That color. The deep purple against bright white powdered sugar is genuinely stunning. They look like they came straight from a high-end bakery.
Soft and chewy texture. The ube halaya adds moisture that keeps these Ube Crinkle Cookies from drying out, so they stay tender for days.
Easy to make. No fancy equipment needed. A spatula, two bowls, and a cookie scoop are all you need.
Filipino-American holiday vibes. These are a beautiful addition to any Christmas cookie box or holiday spread.
Make-ahead friendly. You can refrigerate the dough up to 2 days, or freeze cookie dough balls for up to a year.
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Ube Crinkle Cookies Ingredients
Here's everything you need.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities
Dry Ingredients
- All-purpose flour : The backbone of the cookie. It gives structure and keeps the cookies soft without being cakey.
- Baking soda :Helps the cookies spread just right and gives them a little lift.
- Baking powder : Works with the baking soda to get that classic crinkle puff.
- Fine sea salt or table salt : Balances all that sweetness and makes the ube flavor pop. Don't skip it.
Wet Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, melted and cooled : Melted butter gives these cookies a denser, chewier texture than creamed butter would. Let it cool before using so it doesn't cook the egg.
- Granulated sugar : Sweetens the dough and helps the cookies spread slightly.
- Light or dark brown sugar, packed : Adds moisture and a hint of caramel depth. Dark brown sugar gives a slightly richer flavor.
- Egg, room temperature : Binds everything together and adds richness. Room temperature means it mixes in more smoothly.
- Ube extract or paste : This is what gives the cookies their bold purple color and that unmistakable ube aroma. A little goes a long way.
- Ube halaya : Sweet purple yam jam that adds real ube flavor, moisture, and that gorgeous color. You can find it at most Filipino grocery stores or Asian markets.
For Rolling
- Granulated sugar : The first coat helps the powdered sugar stick and creates a little crunch on the outside.
- Powdered sugar : The classic crinkle cookie coating. Roll generously - this is what makes that snowy, crackled top.
How to Make Ube Crinkle Cookies
Get ready for your kitchen to smell absolutely amazing.
For the Ube Cookie Dough
- Mix butter and sugars: In a large bowl, combine the melted and cooled butter, granulated sugar, and packed brown sugar. Stir with a silicone spatula until smooth and well combined.
- Add wet ingredients: Add the egg, ube extract, and ube halaya to the bowl. Mix until completely smooth - the dough should turn a beautiful, deep purple color.
- Stir in dry ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt all at once. Stir until no dry streaks remain. The dough will be thick and a little sticky - that's exactly right.
- Chill the dough: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to 2 days. Chilling firms up the dough so the cookies hold their shape and develop a better crinkle.
Scoop and Bake
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Set up your rolling station: Place ¼ cup granulated sugar in one small bowl and ½ cup powdered sugar in a separate bowl. This two-step rolling process is the key to a thick, crackly sugar crust.
- Scoop and roll: Use a medium cookie scoop (2-3 tablespoons) to portion the dough. Roll each ball first in the granulated sugar, then generously in the powdered sugar. Place cookies about 3-4 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Double coat with powdered sugar: Once all the dough balls are on the tray, roll each one through the powdered sugar a second time. This extra coat is what gives you those thick, defined white ridges after baking.
- Bake: Bake one tray at a time for 9-11 minutes, until the edges look set and the centers still appear slightly underdone. They'll firm up as they cool - trust the process and don't overbake.
- Shape while warm (optional): Right after they come out of the oven, place a large round cookie cutter or the rim of a wide mug around each cookie and swirl gently in a circular motion to nudge it into a perfect round.
- Cool: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Try to let them cool at least a little before eating - but no judgment if you can't wait.
Swaps and Substitutions
Ube halaya: If you can't find ube halaya, you can use sweet potato puree or taro paste as a substitute, though the flavor will be noticeably different. The purple color will also be much lighter without true ube halaya.
Ube extract: Ube paste can be used in the same quantity. If you use paste instead of extract, the color may be slightly less vibrant.
Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt to ¼ teaspoon.
Brown sugar: Light and dark brown sugar both work here. Dark gives a slightly richer, more molasses-forward flavor.
All-purpose flour: This recipe hasn't been tested with gluten-free flour blends, but a 1:1 GF substitute may work. Results may vary slightly in texture.
Equipment For Ube Crinkle Cookies
- Large mixing bowl
- Silicone spatula
- Medium cookie scoop (2-3 tablespoon capacity)
- Two baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Two small bowls (for rolling sugars)
- Wire cooling rack
- Plastic wrap
Storing Your Ube Crinkle Cookies
Room temperature: Store baked Ube Crinkle Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They actually get a little softer and chewier on day 2.
Freezing baked cookies: Cool completely, then layer in a freezer-safe container with parchment between layers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 15 minutes, or microwave in 10-second intervals.
Freezing cookie dough: Freeze uncoated dough balls on a sheet pan, then transfer to a freezer bag. They keep for up to a year. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes to the bake time.
How to Serve Ube Crinkle Cookies
- Stack them in a Ube Crinkle Cookies box with our Strawberry Icebox Cake for a stunning holiday dessert spread.
- Serve with hot ube milk tea or a strong cup of coffee for an afternoon treat that feels really special.
- Pair alongside Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls on a dessert platter for a wow-worthy mix of flavors and colors.
- Wrap individually in cellophane bags tied with ribbon for holiday gifting - they look absolutely gorgeous and people go a little crazy for them.
Expert Tips
Don't skip the chill time. Thirty minutes is the minimum. Cold dough holds its shape better and bakes up with a more defined crinkle. If you have time, overnight in the fridge is even better.
Double coat with powdered sugar. This is the step most people skip, and it makes a huge difference. Two coats means thick, beautiful white cracks instead of thin streaks.
Bake one tray at a time. This ensures even heat distribution and consistent baking. Two trays in the oven at once can lead to uneven results.
Slightly underdone is the goal. Pull them when the edges are just set and the centers look a little soft. They carry-over cook on the hot pan and firm up perfectly.
Use a cookie scoop. Consistent sizing means consistent baking. If you don't have one, aim for about 2 tablespoons of dough per Ube Crinkle Cookies.
The circular mug trick really works. Swirling a round cutter around the warm Ube Crinkle Cookies right out of the oven gives you that perfect bakery-round shape with barely any effort.
FAQ
What is an ube crinkle cookie?
Ube crinkle cookies are soft, chewy Filipino-inspired cookies made with ube halaya and ube extract, then rolled in powdered sugar before baking. As they bake, the cookie puffs and cracks through the sugar coating, creating that classic crinkle look. They're related to traditional Filipino chocolate crinkle cookies but with ube swapped in for a gorgeous purple color and that earthy-sweet flavor. If you love Filipino crinkle cookies, these are a must-try.
Is crinkle a Filipino food?
Crinkle cookies are very much a staple of Filipino baking culture - you'll find them at bakeries, pasalubong shops, and holiday tables all across the Philippines. The style has roots in American classic Ube Crinkle Cookies, but Filipinos embraced them so fully that many people consider them a Filipino treat. The ube version is a delicious Filipino-American twist on the original that's really taken off in recent years.
What do ube cookies taste like?
Ube has a mild, slightly sweet, earthy flavor often described as a cross between vanilla and sweet potato, with a subtle nuttiness. In cookie form, that flavor is warm and comforting, not overpowering, and nothing like artificial purple candy. The powdered sugar coating adds a little extra sweetness, and the chewy center makes each bite really satisfying. Jackeline, who has very strong cookie opinions, called them life-changing - so there's that.
What makes crinkle cookies different from regular cookies?
The signature move with Ube Crinkle Cookies is the two-step sugar coating and the specific texture of the dough. The dough is fairly dense, which means it puffs upward during baking instead of spreading flat. As it rises, the sugar coating cracks open to reveal the darker cookie underneath. That contrast of deep purple and snowy white is what makes ube crinkle cookies so visually striking. Regular drop cookies don't have that coating or that dramatic crack, which is honestly half the fun of making these.
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Ube Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, use a silicone spatula to mix the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.
- Add the egg, ube extract, and ube halaya to the mixture, and stir until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Mix until no dry spots remain.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Pour the granulated sugar and powdered sugar into separate bowls for rolling.
- Use a cookie scoop to gather dough (about 2-3 tablespoons). Roll each scoop in granulated sugar, then powdered sugar, and place on the prepared baking trays, spacing the cookies about 3-4 inches apart.
- After placing the cookies on the trays, roll each dough ball again in powdered sugar to ensure a full coating.
- Bake one tray at a time for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers look mostly cooked through.
- Once baked, for a perfectly round cookie, place a large circular cutter or mug on top of the warm cookie and move it in a circular motion.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
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