Ube halaya is made using purple yam also known as ube. Make this paleo & vegan Filipino inspired jam in your slow cooker or electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot).
What is Ube?
Ube (pronounced ooh bay) is a purple yam. Indigenous to the Philippines, you might be able to find it in your local grocery if not there, stores like Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes should definitely carry it. Have you ever had Filipino food? Filipino Americans have the highest population of Asian-Americans than any other group in California. Los Angeles in particular is home to the most Filipinos outside of the Philippines. The point is, I don’t have to go far for good Filipino food. I’ve recently tried ube halaya ice cream which inspired me to run out and buy myself some ube.
Ube is a popular ingredient in Filipino cooking, particularly desserts. There are lots of variations of ube halaya out there; this is my paleo or vegan jam version.
A Paleo / Vegan Version Of Ube Halaya
Google ‘ube halaya‘ and you’ll find that there are lots of different versions out there. Some use butter, some don’t. Some use coconut milk and condensed milk, some only condensed milk and sugar, and so on. A more traditional version of ube halaya uses 3 non-paleo ingredients: condensed milk, sugar, and butter.
To make this recipe paleo, I replaced the condensed milk with full-fat coconut milk, the sugar with honey (or maple syrup), and the butter with ghee. While I used honey, if you’re looking to make this vegan you will need to use maple syrup. You’ll also need to omit the ghee for vegan as well. Speaking of ghee, I left that as an optional ingredient. Having made this a couple of times, personally I think the difference of using or not using ghee is very minimal so I’ll chalk it up to personal preference.
How To Eat the Ube Halaya
Let the mixture cook slightly as it will be very hot before you start blending it down. I used a handheld immersion blender and blended my ube directly in my Instant Pot. You can also use a blender, food processor, or even a potato masher.
Please note that the ube will thicken significantly as it cools. How to eat this? Ube halaya is sweet so it’s best eaten as a jam or dessert. You can eat it straight up as-is or with your favorite toppings. Personally I like to use ube halaya as a spread on bread, or top of pancakes or waffles. You can also incorporate it into other recipes. I’m thinking about making a frozen ube halaya dessert of some sort with my leftovers. Stay tuned!
This made just under 3 cups of jam for me. Store this ube jam in your refrigerator for up to 7 days.
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Print{VIDEO} Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Ube Halaya Jam (Paleo, Vegan)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb ube (purple yams), peeled & diced
- 15 ounces coconut milk
- 1/2 cup honey (maple syrup for vegan)
- 1 tbsp ghee (optional)
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- Spray the slow cooker generously with cooking spray.
- Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
- Cook HIGH 2-3 hours or low 4-6 (or until potatoes are soft).
- Once cooled slightly, blend down mixture until smooth.
Instant Pot
- Spray the slow cooker generously with cooking spray.
- Add all ingredients to the pressure cooker. Stir to mix well.
- Close & seal vent. Set high pressure for 8 minutes. Quick release pressure when done.
- Once cooled slightly, blend down mixture until smooth.
Notes
Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Nutritional information calculated not using ghee/butter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 91
- Sugar: 11.9 g
- Sodium: 23 mg
- Fat: 1.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Protein: 0.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Spread on bread and topped it with shredded coconut and fruit.
I used a large 6-quart Instant Pot for this recipe because that’s the only size electric pressure cooker I have. When making this in the slow cooker, I use my smaller, 3.5-quart slow cooker.
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