October marks Filipino American History Month, a time to celebrate and recognize the contributions and influence of the Filipino diaspora in the U.S. These soft and chewy ube iced oatmeal cookies blend the beloved Filipino ingredient, ube, with the old-fashioned American iced oatmeal cookie-an invitation to appreciate the flavors and cultures that continue to shape the culture of the U.S.
NOTE FROM A NOMAD
As ube gains popularity worldwide, it serves as a bridge for many to continue to explore and appreciate Filipino food and culture. If you haven't tried ube yet, start with these ube iced oatmeal cookies! Also, check out Filipina-American dessert recipe developers, like Abi Balingit of the MAYUMU: Filipino American Desserts Remixed cookbook and Bianca Fernandez of Bites by Bianca.
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What Is Ube?
Ube (pronounced "oo-beh"), a naturally vibrant purple yam native to the Philippines, has become increasingly popular in desserts and drinks. While fresh ube is harder to come by, ube halaya (aka ube jam) and ube flavor / extract are more commonly used as main ingredients in desserts.
- How it tastes: Ube has a sweet, nutty flavor with hints of vanilla
- Where to buy: Try visiting your local Asian, Southeast Asian, or Filipino grocery store. Alternatively, you can also order both ube halaya and ube extract online.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Old fashioned whole rolled oats: To achieve the various oat textures for this cookie, quick oats won't work for this recipe.
- Ube extract: Ube extract provides the striking color, but can be left out as the flavor is mostly from the ube halaya.
- Ube halaya: Try to find a high quality ube halaya from an Asian grocery store to get the best flavor out of your cookies.
- Powdered sugar: aka confectioners' sugar or icing sugar. Sift the powdered sugar before measuring.
Find the full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions in the recipe card below.
✨ Want to try other ingredients from Southeast Asia? Try my Glazed Lemon Muffins with Lemony Kampot Pepper Crumb
How to Make Ube Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Step 1: Pulse the oats in a food processor about 10 - 12 times until you have a variety of textures including whole oats, chopped oats, and some oat flour.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the pulsed oats, flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg until evenly combined. Set aside.
Step 3: In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white granulated sugar together on medium high speed for about 2 minutes until creamed and lighter in color.
Step 4: Add the egg, ube extract, and ube halaya. Beat on high speed until combined.
Step 5: Add the previously mixed dry ingredients from the medium bowl into the wet ingredients and mix on low until just combined.
Step 6: After the dough is chilled, scoop cookie dough balls and bake for 8 - 9 minutes. After baking, cool cookies completely.
Step 7: In a small bowl, mix together the sifted powdered sugar, ube extract, and half of milk with a fork until somewhat combined. Add only enough extra milk to make a thick and smooth icing. Adjust with more powdered sugar to thicken or milk to thin as needed.
Step 8: Lightly dip the tops of the completely cooled cookies into the icing. Icing will set shortly.
🍪 If you're looking for more cookie recipes, try these Fig Jam and Walnut Cookies, Tahini Date Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Brown Butter Halva Chocolate Chunk Cookies and Matcha Snickerdoodles!
Storage, Freezing, and Making Ahead
- Storage: The cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 - 5 days.
- Freezing: Both baked cookies and unbaked cookie dough balls can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Making Ahead: The cookie dough can be made and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance of baking.
Test Kitchen Tips
- The pulsed oats should have a variety of textures, including whole oats, chopped oats, and some oat flour.
- The cookies need to be completely cooled before icing them. If they are not completely cooled after baking, the cookies will be too delicate to be dipped.
- When dipping the cookies in the icing, dip quickly and lightly to get the icing to set on the tops of the cookies.
📖 Recipe
Soft & Chewy Ube Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Parchment paper
- Sheet pan
- Cooling rack
- Sieve or sifter
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 100 grams old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 125 grams all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 107 grams light brown sugar
- 50 grams white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (55 - 60 grams each with shell), room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons ube extract
- 75 grams ube halaya (jam), room temperature
Icing
- 114 grams sifted powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ube extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Pulse the oats. Pulse the oats in a food processor about 10 - 12 times until you have a variety of textures including whole oats, chopped oats, and some oat flour.100 grams old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pulsed oats, flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg until evenly combined. Set aside.100 grams old-fashioned whole rolled oats125 grams all-purpose flour (plain flour)½ teaspoon baking soda½ teaspoon kosher salt½ teaspoon ground cinnamon¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Beat the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white granulated sugar together on medium high speed for about 2 minutes until creamed and lighter in color.113 grams unsalted butter107 grams light brown sugar50 grams white granulated sugar
- Beat in wet ingredients. Add the egg, ube extract, and ube halaya. Beat on high speed until combined.1 large egg (55 - 60 grams each with shell)1 ½ teaspoons ube extract75 grams ube halaya (jam)
- Mix in dry ingredients. Add the previously mixed dry ingredients from the medium bowl into the wet ingredients and mix on low until just combined.
- Chill dough. Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven. While dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop and bake cookies. After the dough is chilled, scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons (22 - 23 grams) of dough per cookie, and place at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 8 - 9 minutes or until the cookies are lightly darker purple on the edges. The centers will look very soft.
- Cool completely. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the icing. In a small bowl, mix together the sifted powdered sugar, ube extract, and half of milk with a fork until somewhat combined. Add only enough extra milk to make a thick and smooth icing. Adjust with more powdered sugar to thicken or milk to thin as needed.114 grams sifted powdered sugar¼ teaspoon ube extract2 tablespoons milk
- Ice cookies. Lightly dip the tops of the completely cooled cookies into the icing. Icing will set shortly.
Bianca Fernandez says
These look AMAZING! Can’t wait to try them out, we need more variations of ube cookies on the internet 🥰🥰