These Ube Cinnamon Rolls are very easy to make, loaded with sweet ube filling and topped with ube cream cheese frosting. Incredibly fluffy, soft and tender!
Why you'll love this recipe
- very simple and easy to make.
- soft and fluffy sweet treats.
- filled with ube flavours, perfect for ube lovers!
- perfect for holidays, special occasions, breakfast or even just desserts!
What is Ube
Ube is also known as a purple yam which is often used for dessert in the Philippines. Ube has origins in Southeast Asia, but it is commonly used in Filipino Cuisine. It has a vibrant and beautiful purple colour that makes the dessert more appealing. It has a nutty flavour and is kind of similar to a sweet potato.
This recipe uses Ube Halaya Jam/Purple Yam Jam with Ube Extract for deep ube taste. You will find them mostly in Filipino Store or Asian Store. This is the brand I used for this recipe.
A quick story. I'm so obsessed about Ube as you can see on the blog I have so many Ube Recipes. I just love the taste, vibrant colour, and everything about it. The good thing is it blends with the cinnamon flavour and it tastes amazing. Make this at home and trust me it's gonna be your favourite.
Ingredients Needed & Notes
- Flour: this recipe uses All Purpose Flour.
- Yeast: we are using active dry yeast. Make sure to use an un-opened package. (Please read baking tips and notes for additional info.)
- Sugar: we are using both granulated sugar and brown sugar for this recipe.
- Butter: unsalted butter, melted.
- Milk: 2% milk was used for this recipe. You can also use almond milk or regular milk.
- Cinnamon: we are using cinnamon powder.
- Ube: this recipe uses Ube Halaya Jam, you can buy them at Filipino Store or Asian Store. Feel free to use the fresh purple yam. (Note: Roast purple yam first and then mash them, about ½ cup.)
- Vanilla Extract: added for frosting.
- Ube Extract/Flavouring: this gives the deep ube flavour.
- Cream Cheese: we only need 125 g about half block of 250 g.
Step-by-step Instructions
Now you find step-by-step instructions with photos for you to follow. Trust me this is the easiest homemade ube cinnamon rolls recipe you can make at home for your family and friends.
Step 1. Activate the yeast by mixing warm water, sugar and active dry yeast in a bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes until you see the bubbles.
Step 2. While waiting for the yeast to activate. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour and salt.
Step 3. Stir in milk, melted butter and a drop of ube flavouring. Add yeast mixture and mix until everything is well combined.
Step 4. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to a lightly-oiled bowl, cover and allow to set for 1 hour or until it doubles its size.
Punch down dough to deflate and release the air.
Step 5. After the dough has doubled the size, place the dough to a floured surface and form a 13x9 inch rectangle using rolling pin.
Mix brown sugar, ube jam, ube flavouring and cinnamon in a bowl. Brush the dough with melted butter and spread ube halaya jam-cinnamon mixture.
Step 6. Roll lengthwise and cut into 12 equal rolls. Place the rolls into a greased baking pan. Cover with kitchen towel and rise for another 30 minutes.
Step 7. Bake rolls at 350 F on a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden on top. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
Step 8. While the ube rolls are cooling, prepare the ube-cream cheese frosting. In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, ube halaya jam, milk and vanilla extract using a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy.
Step 9. Spread frosting over ube cinnamon rolls and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Baking Tips and Notes
- I added a drop of ube extract when making the dough. As you can see the dough has purple color and it's a beauty! This is totally optional so feel free to omit this step.
- Some people want a deep ube flavour by adjusting the cinnamon powder. If you are one of those people you can adjust cinnamon to 1 tablespoon instead of 1 ½ tbsp.
- If you decide to use Fresh Ube/Purple Yam. Roast them first and mash. You might have to add more brown sugar as they are less sweet than ube halaya jam.
- Proofing is mandatory. Cover dough with kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place.
- Make sure you activate the yeast, this needs to be dissolved in liquid, or also what’s known as being “proofed” before it’s added to the dough. You’ll know yeast is activated when little bubbles start to appear.
More Ube Recipes?
Did you make this Ube Cinnamon Rolls today? I’d love to hear on the comment section below. Follow and tag me on Facebook and Instagram.
Recipe
Ube Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup warm water around 110 degreed F
- 1 package 8g active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2¾ cup flour more for kneading
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup milk
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 drop ube flavouring
Ube Filling
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup ube halaya jam/purple yam jam
- 1½ tablespoon cinnamon powder
- ½ teaspoon ube flavouring
Ube-Cream Cheese Frosting
- 125 grams cream cheese (half block of 250 grams)
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 2 tablespoon ube halaya jam
- 1 cup icing sugar
Instructions
- Activate the yeast by mixing ½ cup of warm water, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 pack of active dry yeast in a bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes until you see the bubbles.
- In a large bowl, sift 2¾ cup of All Purpose flour, ⅓ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Stir in ⅓ cup of melted butter, ½ cup of milk and a drop of ube flavouring/extract. Add yeast mixture and mix until well combined.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. If the dough is sticking, you can add extra flour as you knead, but don't over do it.
- Transfer the dough in a lightly-oiled bowl, cover and allow to set for 1 hour or until it doubled it's size. Punch down dough to deflates and releases the air.
- After the dough has doubled the size, place the dough to a floured surface and form a 13 x 9 inch rectangle using rolling pin.
- Make the ube-cinnamon filling by mixing ½ cup of brown sugar, ½ cup ube halaya jam, ½ teaspoon of ube flavouring and 1½ tablespoon of cinnamon powder in a bowl. Brush dough with melted butter and spread ube jam-cinnamon mixture evenly.
- Roll lengthwise and cut into 12 equal rolls. Place the rolls into a greased baking pan. Cover with kitchen towel and rise for another 30 minutes in warm place.
- Once the rolls have risen, preheat the oven to 350 (F). Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for around 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges of each buns are golden in color. Or you can also insert toothpick in the centre of the bun, it's ready when toohtpick comes out clean. Remove from heat and let it cool.
- While the ube rolls are cooling, prepare the ube-cream cheese frosting. In a mixing bowl beat 125 grams of cream cheese, 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon of ube halaya jam, 2 tablespoon of milk and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract using a hand mixer until smooth.
- Spread ube-cream cheese frosting on the buns. Serve and enjoy!
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