How long does an ube latte take?

About 2 minutes, with no cooking.

How do you make an iced ube latte?

Make the paste with 30 ml of hot water, cool it with a little cold water, fill a glass with ice and cold milk, then pour the paste on top to create the purple gradient.

Can you make an ube latte without a milk frother?

Yes. Whisk the paste with a fork, then shake the milk for 30 seconds in a sealed jar, or heat it and blend it briefly, to get foam.

Which milk makes the best ube latte?

Oat milk: it froths dense and stable, and its cereal notes reinforce the biscuit and vanilla taste of ube. Whole dairy milk works very well too.

Does an ube latte contain caffeine?

No. Ube Nolia powder is 100% Dioscorea alata and naturally caffeine-free. You can drink it in the evening.

How many calories are in an ube latte?

About 100 kcal for a 230 ml cup with oat milk and no added sugar. Ube also provides fibre, which supports a healthy digestive system.

What does an ube latte taste like?

Naturally mild, with toasted biscuit and vanilla notes. No bitterness, unlike matcha.

Ube latte or taro latte: what is the difference?

Ube is a purple yam that tastes of biscuit and vanilla and is purple by nature. Taro is a different root, earthier and almost white: most taro lattes are artificially coloured.

Is an ube latte suitable for children?

Yes: caffeine-free, no added sugar, vegan and gluten-free.

How much does a homemade ube latte cost?

About $0.55 a cup with the 5-pack (165 lattes), against $5 to $7 in a coffee shop.

How many lattes does a 100 g pouch make?

About 33 lattes at 3 g per cup. With the 5-pack, that is 165 lattes.

How do I pick a good ube powder for lattes?

Choose 100% pure Dioscorea alata, with no added sugar, no colouring and no flavouring. If the label lists sweet potato, taro, maltodextrin or artificial colour, it is not real ube.

February 15, 2026 · Recipe

Ube Latte Recipe: How to Make It in 2 Minutes (Full Guide)

Q: What is an ube latte?

An ube latte is a milk drink made with ube, a purple yam from the Philippines. It is caffeine-free, naturally mild, and tastes of biscuit and vanilla.

Q: How do you make an ube latte at home?

Dissolve 3 g of Ube Nolia powder in 30 ml of hot water at 70-80 °C, add 200 ml of milk and froth for 15 to 20 seconds. Serve hot or over ice.

The most beautiful latte you'll ever make - and it takes just 2 minutes.

The ube latte is the drink that's taking over cafés, TikTok, and Instagram. Its stunning purple color, creamy texture, and sweet vanilla-biscuit flavor make it unlike any other latte.

With pure ube powder, you can make a café-quality ube latte at home in under 2 minutes. Here's how.

Iced ube latte next to a pouch of Ube Nolia ube powder

Quick answer

What is an ube latte? A hot or iced drink made from ube (Filipino purple yam), hot water and milk. How do you make one? Dissolve 3 g of Ube Nolia ube powder in 30 ml of hot water at 70-80 °C, add 200 ml of milk and froth for 15 to 20 seconds. Time: 2 minutes. Cost: about $0.55 per cup with the 5-pack (165 lattes). Caffeine-free, vegan, no added sugar.

Key takeaways

An ube latte is a purple Filipino drink made from Dioscorea alata yam
Four steps, two minutes, only three ingredients
Reference ratio: 3 g of powder to 30 ml hot water and 200 ml milk
Caffeine-free, vegan and with no added sugar when made with Ube Nolia powder
Cost per cup: about $0.55 with the 5-pack (165 lattes)
Works hot, iced, with matcha, with coffee or with coconut milk
Oat milk gives the creamiest, most stable foam

Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: No cooking
Total time: 2 min
Servings: 1 serving
Difficulty: Easy
Dietary: Caffeine-free · Vegan · No added sugar

What Is an Ube Latte?

An ube latte is a milk drink made with ube, the purple yam (Dioscorea alata) grown in the Philippines. It is naturally purple, caffeine-free, and tastes of biscuit and vanilla rather than anything earthy or bitter.

It is not a taro latte. Taro is a different root, off-white and starchy, so most taro lattes on café menus get their colour from artificial dye. A real ube latte gets its colour from the yam itself, and from nothing else.

Made at home with 100% pure powder, it takes two minutes and costs about $0.55 a cup instead of the $5 to $7 a coffee shop charges.

Ingredients

You only need 3 ingredients:

• 1 level tsp (3 g) Ube Nolia powder
• 30 ml hot water (70-80°C / 160-175°F)
• 200 ml milk of choice (oat milk recommended)
• Optional: honey, agave, maple syrup

Step-by-Step: The Perfect Ube Latte

Dissolve the ube powder: Put 3 g (1 level teaspoon) of Ube Nolia powder in a mug. Add 30ml of hot water (70-80°C). Stir until you get a smooth, lump-free paste.
Add your milk: Pour 200ml of your favorite milk. Oat milk gives the best foam and pairs perfectly with ube's biscuit aromas.
Froth: Use an electric frother for 15-20 seconds. You'll get a creamy foam and a spectacular purple gradient.
Sweeten (optional): Ube is naturally sweet, but add a touch of maple syrup or honey if you like. Enjoy hot or pour over ice cubes for an iced version.

💡 Pro Tip: For the most vibrant purple, use 70-80°C water (not boiling) to preserve the anthocyanins.

Iced Ube Latte: The Cold Version

The iced version is the most popular in summer and the most photogenic: the purple gradient forms on its own when cold milk meets the ube paste. The method changes slightly, because the powder has to dissolve before the drink is chilled.

Make the paste: 3 g Ube Nolia powder + 30 ml hot water (70-80 °C), stir until perfectly smooth.
Cool it down: add 2 tbsp of cold water or 3 ice cubes to the paste and stir for 10 seconds.
Build the glass: fill a 350 ml glass with ice, pour in 200 ml of cold milk.
Pour the ube paste: slowly, over the top, for the purple gradient. Stir before drinking.

Ube Nolia 100% pure ube powder pouch, natural ube from the Philippines

Ube Nolia Powder

From $0.54 / ube latte

Discover Ube Powder

Less than a coffee. Better than a matcha.

With the 5-pack you get 165 ube lattes at home. Cheaper than a café, delivered to your door.

This recipe is made with ube powder from Ube Nolia, the #1 natural ube brand from the Philippines. Discover our buy ube powder, 100% pure: no coloring, no additives, no added sugar. One 100 g pouch makes 33 ube lattes.

Looking for ube powder? Ube Nolia sells 100% pure ube from the Philippines, with no coloring, no additives and no added sugar.

New to purple yam? Read our complete guide: What is ube? - origin, taste, benefits and how to use Ube Nolia ube powder.

Which Milk Is Best for an Ube Latte?

The milk decides the foam, the sweetness and how well the colour holds. Here is what each option gives with 3 g of ube powder:

Milk	Foam	Flavor	Verdict
Oat milk	Excellent, dense and stable	Rounded and cereal-like, boosts the biscuity notes	Best choice
Whole dairy milk	Very good	Creamy, classic, more pastel colour	Excellent too
Coconut drink	Average	Tropical, sweeter, very indulgent	Ideal iced
Almond milk	Weak, collapses fast	Light, slightly watery	Fine without a frother
Soy milk	Good	Neutral, slightly beany	Good high-protein option

Dosage: The Right Ratio for Your Cup

The reference ratio is 3 g of powder per 230 ml of drink. Just scale it to your cup:

Size	Ube powder	Hot water	Milk	Cost per cup
Small cup (150 ml)	2 g	20 ml	120 ml	≈ $0.37
Standard cup (230 ml)	3 g	30 ml	200 ml	≈ $0.55
Large mug (350 ml)	4.5 g	45 ml	300 ml	≈ $0.83
Iced glass (400 ml)	4 g	40 ml	250 ml + ice	≈ $0.74

6 Creative Ube Latte Variations

Once you've mastered the classic, try these:

Ube Coconut Latte

Replace regular milk with coconut milk for a tropical twist.

Matcha Ube Latte

Layer green matcha and purple ube for the ultimate two-tone drink.

Ube Espresso

Add a shot of espresso under the ube foam for caffeinated bliss.

Iced Ube Latte

Dissolve paste in warm water, cool, pour over ice and cold milk.

Coffee-Shop Style: The Ube Espresso Latte

Coffee chains sell an ube-flavoured latte with espresso in it. You can make a better one at home, because yours contains real ube instead of syrup.

Ube base: dissolve 3 g of powder in 30 ml of hot water until smooth.
Espresso: pull a single or double shot straight over the ube base and stir.
Steamed milk: add 180 ml of hot frothed milk, oat milk holds the pattern best.
Finish: a pinch of ube powder on the foam. Iced version: same base, over ice, with cold milk.

Unlike a syrup-based café version, this one has no added color and no added sugar unless you add it yourself.

The Ube Latte: A Taste of Filipino Heritage

The Ube Latte features ube, the Filipino word for purple yam (Dioscorea alata), a staple root crop in the Philippines. This vibrant yam is naturally rich in anthocyanins, the same antioxidants found in blueberries, which give it its distinctive purple hue. Ube is celebrated for its unique biscuit and vanilla flavour, a delicate profile that makes it a versatile ingredient in both sweet and savoury applications.

Ube's culinary journey in the Philippines is deeply intertwined with its history. The Spanish colonial era introduced the word jalea, which became associated with ube halaya, a popular ube jam. The 20th century saw the integration of condensed and evaporated milk, transforming traditional desserts like ube halaya and contributing to the creation of iconic treats such as halo-halo and sapin-sapin. Today, the Ube Latte represents a modern iteration of this rich heritage, showcasing ube's global appeal and its seamless integration into contemporary beverage culture.

Botanical Name

Dioscorea alata

Flavour Profile

Biscuit & vanilla

Origin

Philippines (Dagupan, Urdaneta)

Key Nutrient

Fibre

Ube Latte Nutrition Facts

These are the official values printed on the Ube Nolia pouch, per 100 g of pure ube powder:

Per 100 g of ube powder	Amount
Energy	1483 kJ / 351 kcal
Fat	0.6 g
of which saturates	0.2 g
Carbohydrate	75 g
of which naturally occurring sugars	27 g
Fibre	12 g
Protein	0.07 g
Added sugar	0 g
Caffeine	0 mg

Minerals and trace elements per 100 g: manganese 3.13 mg (155% NRV), phosphorus 513 mg (73%), copper 0.63 mg (64%), iron 7.86 mg (56%), potassium 663 mg (33%), calcium 180 mg (23%). NRV = Nutrient Reference Value.

One cup uses 3 g of powder, so the ube itself brings about 10 kcal. Everything else comes from the milk: with 200 ml of oat milk, a whole ube latte lands around 100 kcal with no added sugar.

Ube is a good source of fibre, which supports a healthy digestive system, and its purple colour comes from anthocyanins, natural pigments.

Where to Buy the Best Ube Powder for Ube Latte

Most powders sold as "ube" are cut with purple sweet potato and chemically processed Chinese taro, then dyed and flavoured synthetically. They dissolve badly and taste flat.

Ube Nolia powder is 100% Dioscorea alata from Dagupan and Urdaneta in the Philippines, DNA-tested, with no color, no sugar and no additives. One 100 g pouch makes 33 lattes; the 5-pack makes 165, which is where the $0.55 per cup comes from.

If you want the full comparison, read our honest ube brand comparison and the ube powder buying guide.

Troubleshooting Your Ube Latte

Problem	Cause	Fix
Ube powder not dissolving	Water not hot enough or insufficient stirring.	Use hot (not boiling) water and stir vigorously until smooth.
Latte tastes weak or watery	Too little ube powder or too much milk.	Increase Ube Nolia powder to 1.5-2 heaping tablespoons (7-10g).
Latte is not frothy	Milk temperature too low or frothing time too short.	Ensure milk is cold before frothing; froth for 20-30 seconds.
Flavour is not balanced	Sweetener level is off or milk type clashes.	Adjust sweetener gradually; experiment with different milk types.

Make Ahead and Storage

The ube paste can be made ahead. Mix 15 g of powder with 150 ml of hot water, let it cool and keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. One tablespoon then makes an instant latte.

A frothed latte does not keep. The foam collapses within minutes, so make it right before drinking, or keep the iced version up to 24 hours in the fridge and stir before serving.

The powder: reseal the pouch and keep it at room temperature, away from light and moisture. No fridge needed.