This Is The Easiest Way To Add Ube To Your Next Latte

If you are looking to shake up your same old latte recipe, skip the traditional caramel and vanilla syrups and instead reach for something much more colorful. We are talking, of course, about adding ube to your beverage. Ube is a type of purple yam, with a distinctly sweet and nutty flavor profile. If you have ever walked past someone smiling and sipping on something bright purple, they were likely enjoying the taste of ube. 

If you get ube mixed up with taro, you're not alone, since the latter is another root vegetable that provides a sweet, nutty flavoring and a vibrant purple hue. While the two may sometimes appear identical, they are not. Ube is native to the Philippines, provides a slightly sweeter flavor, and is more often associated with sweet desserts. You'll often find ube in treats like cake, jam, and ube bread.

This trendy flavor is also the perfect addition to a classic latte, as ube's inherent sweetness blends well with milk, while cutting through the bitter espresso flavoring. Additionally, its notes of nuttiness complement the smokiness of brewed coffee. To make the best ube latte, you'll want to start by picking up some ube extract at your local grocery store, or online. A few drops of this flavor extract will provide a much-needed burst of ube flavor, without any of the unwanted textural changes that can occur with other latte additives.

You should always avoid ube powder when making an ube latte. This finely ground purple powder is often used in baking and cooking to provide a potent ube flavor. However, it's doesn't work well in beverages, where it can create a rather grainy drink — especially in hot and iced lattes. That's why we recommend using ube extract. 

The extract's thinner texture, and lack of starch, will not impact the texture of your beverage nearly as much. Instead, because it's a liquid, all the components of your latte will easily blend together. Plus, if you can't find ube extract at the store, ube jam, syrup, or even ube tea drops will work just as well — basically, use anything but ube powder.

Also be warned that, while ube has a gentle flavor, too much of a good thing can totally throw off the taste of your latte. While mixing your ube latte at home, you only need to include a small spoonful of flavoring to make a big impact on its flavor profile. Once you try making this sweet and delicious latte, you'll likely be asking yourself: "Where has ube been all my life?" 

While originally from the Philippines, ube is becoming a more popular flavor in other parts of the world. Flavoring company T. Hasegawa even named it the top trending flavor of 2024. This is likely because the purple yam's sweet and nutty notes compliment a wide variety of flavor profiles — especially in drinks. Once you add the extract to your pantry, you can make many other ube-flavored beverages than simply traditional lattes.

Matcha is another trendy drink that pairs well with ube. Add a few drops of ube extract to your favorite matcha latte recipe and enjoy a swirl of sweetened floral notes, plus the exciting mixture of green and purple colors that will dance around in your cup. Ube can also add a touch of nuttiness to a Thai iced tea. The mixture is said to taste like sweet cereal milk, and its orange and purple hues make it ideal for enjoying around Halloween. With a matcha, Thai tea, or regular latte, you can also try adding boba (along with ube) for an extra treat.

You can also add ube to your drink in more subtle ways, like topping your drink with ube cold foam. Simply follow your preferred cold foam recipe and whip in a few drops of ube extract with a milk frother. Then, you're left with an extra sweet, ube-flavored cold foam that pairs well with so many variations of iced coffee and tea beverages.