Ube kalamay is a chewy rice cake made with glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, and ube.
It's cooked in a pan until thick and sticky, then topped with crispy latik.
If you like ube desserts or sticky rice cakes, this one is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.
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Ingredients You'll Need
Notes and Substitutions
- Coconut cream: This is the thick first extract of coconut milk (kakang gata). It has more fat and less water. Regular coconut milk works too, but makes fewer latik curds.
- Coconut milk: Fresh coconut milk is great if you have it, but canned coconut milk works too. Use full-fat for the best flavor.
- Glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour): This makes the kalamay chewy and sticky.
- Ube (purple yam): Fresh ube is best, but frozen grated ube works too. You can also use boiled and mashed purple sweet potatoes. If using ube halaya (ube jam), reduce the sugar in the recipe by about ¼ cup.
How to Make Ube Kalamay (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Make the latik
Bring 1 can of coconut cream to a boil over medium heat. Once thickened, lower to medium-low.
Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides, until the oil separates and the curds turn golden brown.
Strain, saving both the curds and oil.
For detailed steps on making latik, see how to make latik.
Step 2: Prepare the platter
Wipe the banana leaves clean and pat them dry.
Line a platter or pan with the banana leaves. Brush lightly with some of the coconut oil from the latik.
Step 3: Mix everything together
In a nonstick pan, combine:
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk (about 1¾ cups)
- 2 cups glutinous rice flour
- 1 cup ube or purple yam (cooked & mashed)
- 1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ube extract or flavoring (add more until you get the color you like)
- A pinch of salt
Mix until as smooth as you can.
Step 4: Cook until thickened
Place the pan over medium heat and keep whisking for about 5 minutes.
As it thickens, the mixture will start to look clumpy and sticky.
Switch to a sturdy spatula and lower the heat to medium-low.
Spread the mixture out to smooth any lumps, then fold it back toward the center.
Keep doing this while scraping the bottom and sides of the pan.
Cook for about 30 minutes, until the kalamay becomes thicker, darker, and very sticky.
The longer it cooks, the chewier it gets.
Step 5: Add the coconut oil
As the kalamay gets thicker and harder to stir, add 2-3 tablespoons of the coconut oil you saved from making the latik.
Keep mixing until the oil is mixed in and the kalamay looks smooth and glossy.
Step 6: Check if it's ready
Try cutting through the kalamay with the spatula.
If it cuts through and holds its shape, it's ready.
It should look thick, sticky, and pull away from the pan more easily.
Step 7: Transfer to the platter
While the kalamay is still warm, transfer it to the banana leaf-lined platter.
Spread it out evenly with a spatula while it's still easy to handle.
You can lightly brush the top with some of the coconut oil from the latik if you like.
Cut it into small squares or diamond shapes, then top with latik and more on the side if you like.
Serve your ube kalamay warm if you want it soft and chewy, or cool to room temperature if you prefer it a little firmer.
Tips for Making Ube Kalamay
- Cook it long enough. Kalamay takes time to thicken. If you stop too early, it may turn out too soft.
- Keep stirring and scraping the pan. This helps the kalamay cook evenly and prevents it from sticking or burning.
- Lower the heat once it thickens. The mixture gets very thick and can burn if the heat is too high.
- Add the coconut oil near the end. This helps make the kalamay smoother and easier to spread.
How to Store Ube Kalamay
- Room temperature: Keep covered and eat the same day.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 1 month.
- To reheat: Microwave until warm and soft.
Recipe FAQs
Ube kalamay is a Filipino sticky rice cake made with glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, and ube. The mixture is cooked in a pan until thick and chewy, then spread on a platter lined with banana leaves. It's usually topped with latik, crispy coconut curds.
It's sweet, chewy, and slightly nutty from the coconut milk. The ube gives it the purple color, but the flavor is very mild.
Yes. Boiled and mashed purple sweet potatoes can be used if you don't have ube.
It may need more cooking time. Keep cooking and stirring until it gets thick and sticky.
Cut through it with a spatula. If it holds its shape and doesn't spread, it's ready.
More Rice Cakes to Try
- Ube suman sa latik: Ube sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves and topped with latik.
- Espasol: Soft rice cake rolled in toasted rice flour, sometimes flavored with ube.
- Bibingkang malagkit: Sticky rice baked with coconut milk and topped with latik.
- Biko: Sweet sticky rice cooked in coconut milk and brown sugar.
- Suman: Sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves and boiled. Suman sa lihiya is a version with lye water.
- Kutsinta: Chewy steamed rice cake with annatto, topped with grated coconut.
- Sapin-sapin: Layered sticky rice cake with different flavors and colors.
- Putong bigas: Steamed rice cakes made from fermented rice dough.
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📖 Recipe
Ube Kalamay Recipe (Chewy Ube Rice Cake)
Equipment
- Wide nonstick pan
- 10 to 12-inch round platter or bilao
Ingredients
For the latik:
- 1 (14-ounce) can coconut cream (about 1¾ cups)
For the ube kalamay:
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk (about 1¾ cups)
- 2 cups glutinous rice flour
- 1 cup mashed ube (or purple sweet potato)
- 1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ube extract or flavoring more to taste
- A pinch of salt
- Banana leaves optional
Instructions
- Cook coconut cream over medium heat. Once thickened, lower to medium-low and stir occasionally, scraping the pan. Cook until the oil separates and the curds turn golden. Strain, saving the latik and oil.
- Line a platter with clean banana leaves, if using. Brush lightly with latik oil.
- In a nonstick pan, mix coconut milk, glutinous rice flour, mashed ube, brown sugar, vanilla, ube extract, and salt until mostly smooth.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking for about 5 minutes, until thickened. Switch to a sturdy spatula and lower to medium-low. Stir, spread, and fold the mixture for about 30 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides.
- Mix in 2-3 tablespoons latik oil until smooth and glossy. It's ready when very thick and sticky and holds its shape when cut through with the spatula.
- Spread on the prepared platter while warm. Top with latik and cut into squares or diamonds. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Coconut cream (kakang gata): Use for latik. Regular coconut milk works but makes fewer curds.
- Coconut milk: Use fresh or full-fat canned coconut milk.
- Glutinous rice flour: Also called sweet rice flour. Makes the kalamay chewy and sticky.
- Ube: Use cooked, mashed ube or purple sweet potatoes. If using ube halaya, reduce the sugar by about ¼ cup.
Carmela says
I have to make this!!! I didn’t know it was this easy. And thanks for the suggestion about purple sweet potatoes - it’s what i have here. I can never find ube in my local Asian store. Thank you for the recipe.
Nora Reyes says
Hello Carmela, I am glad you found the suggestion helpful. I often use purple sweet potatoes, it's the perfect alternative to ube. Enjoy your Ube Kalamay =)