Ube Cream Puffs

Ube Cream Puffs – The Most Irresistible Asian-Inspired Dessert Recipe

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Introduction: My Experience with Ube Cream Puffs

I still remember the first time I bit into an ube cream puff—it was at a little café in Manila during a warm summer trip. I was struck by how a single dessert could feel nostalgic and entirely new at the same time. The crunch of the craquelin topping, the airy shell, and that rich, creamy purple filling—pure magic. As someone who’s always loved experimenting with Asian-inspired sweets, I had to recreate it. After testing and tweaking, I’ve finally found the perfect formula. And in this article, I’ll walk you through it—from making flawless choux pastry to achieving a lusciously silky ube custard filling. Whether you’re new to baking or a seasoned dessert-maker, you’re going to love this.

Looking for inspiration? Try our Lemon Cream Puffs – Easy Zesty Dessert to explore flavor twists that work with the same base dough.

Ingredients

For Craquelin (Cookie Top):

  • 45g unsalted butter, softened
  • 55g brown sugar
  • 50g all-purpose flour

For Choux Pastry:

  • 60ml water
  • 60ml milk
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 65g all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs

For Ube Custard Filling:

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 250ml whole milk
  • 50g sugar
  • 20g cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp ube halaya (or more to taste)
  • 1 tsp ube extract
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Craquelin

  1. Cream butter and brown sugar until smooth.
  2. Add flour and mix until dough forms.
  3. Roll between parchment paper to about 2mm thickness.
  4. Freeze for at least 1 hour, then cut into small circles.

Step 2: Make the Choux Pastry

  1. In a saucepan, bring water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar to a boil.
  2. Add flour, stir constantly over medium heat until dough forms a ball.
  3. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
  4. Gradually beat in eggs one at a time until dough is glossy and pipeable.
  5. Pipe into rounds on a baking tray.
  6. Top each round with a circle of frozen craquelin.
  7. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 25-30 minutes until puffed and golden.

Step 3: Make the Ube Custard

  1. In a saucepan, whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and milk.
  2. Cook on low heat, stirring until thickened.
  3. Remove from heat, stir in butter, ube halaya, and ube extract.
  4. Chill before piping.

Step 4: Assemble

  1. Slice open the top of each puff or poke a hole in the bottom.
  2. Pipe in chilled ube custard generously.
  3. Dust with powdered sugar or top with extra ube halaya.

Serving Tips

These are best eaten the same day for a crunchy top and creamy interior.

Storage

Store unfilled puffs in an airtight container. Fill before serving.

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