Are the BTS Oreos ube flavored?

No. The Limited Edition OREO x BTS cookies are not ube flavored. The creme is a brown sugar pancake flavor inspired by hotteok, the Korean street-food pancake filled with melted brown sugar. The purple comes from the wafer, which is the first purple OREO wafer ever made, chosen as a tribute to BTS and their fans, not from purple yam.

Why are the BTS Oreos purple?

Purple is the signature color of BTS and their fandom, tied to the phrase 'I purple you' said by V in 2016. For this collaboration OREO created its first-ever purple wafer so the cookie itself carries the fandom color. It is a branding choice, not an ube or purple yam ingredient.

When did the OREO x BTS cookies come out?

The collaboration was announced on May 26, 2026. The Limited Edition OREO BTS cookies went on sale online on June 1, 2026 and arrived in stores on June 8, 2026, rolling out across more than 80 markets, which makes it the biggest OREO partnership to date.

What do the 13 embossments on the BTS Oreos mean?

BTS designed 13 unique cookie embossments to mark 13 years of the band. They include the seven members' names and fan symbols such as an outline of the light stick fans hold at concerts, plus three cookies that read together as a love letter to fans. Each pack contains a random assortment.

How much do the BTS Oreos cost?

The Limited Edition OREO BTS 2-pack is listed at $10.00 on oreo.com in the United States. Prices vary by retailer and by market, and because the run is limited, resale listings are often far higher than retail.

What is hotteok, the flavor inside the BTS Oreos?

Hotteok is a Korean street-food pancake, usually sold in winter markets, made from a yeasted dough stuffed with brown sugar, cinnamon and sometimes crushed nuts that melts into a syrup as it fries. The OREO BTS creme recreates that warm brown sugar and cinnamon-leaning pancake profile in a dual-layer creme.

What is the difference between purple Oreos and real ube?

The purple OREO wafer is a colored cocoa-based wafer with a brown sugar pancake creme, so the flavor has nothing to do with purple yam. Real ube is a Filipino purple yam whose color comes from anthocyanins in the root itself, and whose flavor is a soft vanilla and biscuit note. Ube Nolia ube powder is 100% pure ube with no coloring, no added sugar and no additives.

Can I make a purple ube version of an Oreo cookie at home?

Yes. Our ube Oreo cookies recipe uses real Ube Nolia ube powder for a naturally deep purple dough, and you can also crush Oreos into an ube latte, an ube cheesecake or an ube ice cream base. The purple comes from the yam, not from dye.

August 7, 2026 · Culture

Purple OREO x BTS: What the Purple Cookie Actually Tastes Like (and Why It Is Not Ube)

OREO turned its wafer purple for the first time in history to honor BTS and their fans. The internet immediately called it "the ube Oreo". It is not.

The Limited Edition OREO x BTS cookies pair a first-ever purple wafer with a dual-layer brown sugar pancake creme inspired by hotteok, the Korean winter street-food pancake. Below: the confirmed facts, the release timeline, what the 13 embossments mean, and an honest comparison between a purple-dyed cookie and a real Filipino purple yam.

Want the real purple yam version? Make our homemade ube Oreo cookies with Ube Nolia ube powder — the same 100% pure Filipino purple yam used in every recipe on this site.

OREO x BTS purple cookie – limited edition compared with real ube | Ube Nolia

Quick answer

The Limited Edition OREO x BTS cookies are purple but not ube flavored: the creme is a dual-layer brown sugar pancake flavor inspired by Korean hotteok, and the purple comes from the first purple OREO wafer ever produced, chosen because purple is the BTS fandom color. Announced May 26, 2026, they went on sale June 1 online and June 8 in stores across 80+ markets. Real ube, like 100% pure Ube Nolia purple yam powder, gets its color from anthocyanins in the root and tastes of vanilla and biscuit, not brown sugar pancake.

Key Takeaways

Flavor: dual-layer brown sugar pancake creme inspired by hotteok (not ube, not taro)
First purple OREO wafer ever made, as a tribute to BTS and their fans
Announced May 26, 2026 · online June 1, 2026 · in stores June 8, 2026
Rolled out in 80+ markets, the biggest OREO partnership to date
13 unique embossments designed by BTS for 13 years of the band · $10.00 for the 2-pack on oreo.com

💡 Pro Tip: Made with 100% natural purple yam powder

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.

What Is the OREO x BTS Collaboration?

On May 26, 2026, Mondelez announced that RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook had co-created a Limited Edition OREO cookie: the first-ever global snacking partnership for BTS, and the largest collaboration OREO has ever run, live in more than 80 markets. The cookies landed online on June 1 and in physical stores on June 8, 2026.

The pitch is cultural as much as culinary. The packaging borrows the neon energy of a Seoul night market, the packs are resealable, and OREO invited fans to submit love letters echoing the letters BTS and their fandom exchange, with a chance to see them featured globally.

The seven BTS members posing with the purple OREO x BTS cookie from the limited edition K-pop collaboration – Ube Nolia

The Real Flavor: Hotteok, Not Ube

The creme is a dual-layer brown sugar pancake flavor built to taste like hotteok (호떡), a yeasted Korean street pancake stuffed with brown sugar and cinnamon that melts into a hot syrup when it fries. Think caramelized brown sugar, a warm spiced edge, and a doughy pancake note. The creme itself is white and tan; only the wafer is purple.

So every headline calling it "the purple ube Oreo" is wrong on the flavor. It is a Korean street-food cookie wearing the fandom's color.

Close-up of the purple OREO x BTS cookies with their two-tone hotteok cream filling, limited edition K-pop – Ube Nolia

Why Purple? The "I Purple You" Story

Purple became the BTS color in 2016, when V told fans "I purple you", turning the last color of the rainbow into shorthand for trusting and loving each other for a long time. Making the wafer purple, a first in OREO's history, is a direct nod to that. It also rides a broader wave: purple food, from taro milk teas to ube lattes, is now one of the most photographed categories on social feeds worldwide.

The 13 Embossments Designed by BTS

BTS hand-picked 13 unique cookie embossments, one for each year of the group. They include the seven members' names, fan symbols such as the outline of the light stick raised at concerts, a "BTS Hearts OREO" cookie, and a set of three cookies that read together as a love letter to fans. Each pack ships a random assortment, which is exactly why collectors are opening several packs to complete the set.

OREO x BTS at a glance

• Announced: May 26, 2026
• On sale: June 1, 2026 online · June 8, 2026 in stores
• Flavor: brown sugar pancake creme inspired by hotteok
• Wafer: first purple OREO wafer ever produced
• Designs: 13 embossments chosen by the members
• Reach: 80+ markets · Price: $10.00 for the 2-pack on oreo.com

Purple OREO vs Real Ube: The Honest Comparison

A limited-edition cookie is a fun cultural moment. A purple ingredient is a different thing entirely. Here is where they separate.

If you want the color and a real ingredient behind it, that is exactly what Ube Nolia ube powder does. More detail in our complete ube guide and our comparison of ube vs taro.

Source of the purple
Colored wafer, a branding choice
Anthocyanins naturally present in the purple yam root
Flavor
Brown sugar pancake (hotteok), caramelized and spiced
Soft vanilla with a biscuit note
Ingredients
Industrial cookie: sugar, flour, fats, colorings, flavorings
One ingredient: 100% pure Filipino ube, no sugar, no coloring, no additives
Availability
Limited edition, already hard to find at retail
Available year-round, 100g pouch = 33 lattes
Use
Eat as is, or crush over desserts
Lattes, baking, ice cream, pancakes, frostings

Criteria	Purple OREO x BTS	Ube Nolia ube powder
Source of the purple	Colored wafer, a branding choice	Anthocyanins naturally present in the purple yam root
Flavor	Brown sugar pancake (hotteok), caramelized and spiced	Soft vanilla with a biscuit note
Ingredients	Industrial cookie: sugar, flour, fats, colorings, flavorings	One ingredient: 100% pure Filipino ube, no sugar, no coloring, no additives
Availability	Limited edition, already hard to find at retail	Available year-round, 100g pouch = 33 lattes
Use	Eat as is, or crush over desserts	Lattes, baking, ice cream, pancakes, frostings

The BTS drop is limited. A purple kitchen is not. Three ways to keep the purple going once the packs sell out:

Ube Oreo cookies: our ube Oreo cookies recipe folds crushed Oreos into a naturally purple ube dough.
Purple latte: one scoop of ube powder in hot milk gives you an ube latte at about 0,39 € per cup.
Purple dessert base: try the ube cheesecake with an Oreo crust, a genuinely good use for a leftover pack.

Ube Nolia OREO Cookies

Create vibrant purple cookie dough by incorporating Ube Nolia ube powder into your favorite OREO-style cookie recipe.
Bake your ube cookies and fill them with a classic vanilla creme for a delightful biscuit & vanilla flavor combination.
Experiment with different cookie shapes and sizes, ensuring the natural purple from the ube powder shines through.
Serve these homemade ube OREO cookies as a unique and visually striking dessert that celebrates real ube.

Ube-Infused Desserts with OREO Crunch

Fold crushed OREO cookies into an ube latte made with Ube Nolia ube powder for added texture and a familiar chocolatey note.
Layer crushed OREO cookies at the base of an ube cheesecake, using Ube Nolia ube powder for its natural color and biscuit & vanilla taste.
Swirl crushed OREO cookies into a homemade ube ice cream base, ensuring the purple from the yam is prominent.
Top ube-flavored puddings or mousses with a generous sprinkle of crushed OREO cookies for contrast and crunch.

Creative Ube & OREO Pairings

Make an ube milkshake using Ube Nolia ube powder and blend in OREO cookies for a rich, naturally purple, and indulgent treat.
Prepare ube pancakes or waffles with Ube Nolia ube powder and serve them with a side of crushed OREO cookies and a drizzle of syrup.
Incorporate Ube Nolia ube powder into a purple bread or bun recipe, then fill with a cream cheese and crushed OREO mixture.
Craft ube truffles by mixing Ube Nolia ube powder with cream cheese, then roll them in finely crushed OREO cookies.

Celebrating Real Ube's Color & Flavor

Highlight the natural deep purple of Ube Nolia ube powder in any recipe, contrasting it with the classic black and white of OREO cookies.
Emphasize the authentic biscuit & vanilla flavor profile of ube, ensuring it complements rather than competes with OREO's chocolate.
Educate guests that the vibrant purple in your creations comes from 100% natural Filipino ube, a yam, not artificial coloring.
Showcase the versatility of Ube Nolia ube powder by pairing it with various textures, from soft creams to crunchy OREO pieces.

Purple OREO x BTS: What the Purple Cookie Actually Tastes Like (and Why It Is Not Ube)

Less than a coffee. Better than a matcha.

What Is the OREO x BTS Collaboration?

The Real Flavor: Hotteok, Not Ube

Why Purple? The "I Purple You" Story