For some reason, I always end up with leftover cream in my house, so I decided to make Ube Panna Cotta. It's a very simple dessert to make as long as you use the correct proportions of gelatin, milk, and cream. I love eating this with extra berries or a berry coulis on the side.

If you like this, you'll love my ube bread pudding as well!

overhead shot of ube panna cotta in ramekin.

I remember the first time my wife and I made panna cotta and it did not set properly at all. Instead of being firm and creamy, it ended up very goopy like a soggy custard. I think it was because we did not add enough gelatin.

Panna cotta is a bit tricky to make in that you need precise measurements but you don't know if it's been done right until the very end. Either it sets or it doesn't. But now I know the correct proportions of ingredients and it comes out perfectly every time. Today, I'm sharing a special version made with ube halaya and ube extract. It's very creamy, sweet, and very delicious.

How much gelatin to use?

I have developed this recipe to use exactly 1 ½ tablespoons of gelatin powder which is about 1 and a half normal-sized packets. However, I have found that the amount of gelatin in each packet can differ quite a bit so I would highly recommend measuring the gelatin using a measuring spoon.

How long to soak the gelatin?

You need to soak the gelatin for around 10 minutes to rehydrate. I sprinkle mine on top of the milk and just leave it alone for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, give it a stir and it is ready to use.

What is ube halaya?

Ube halaya is a type of sweet jam made from purple yams. It is very sweet and is extremely important for the flavor of the panna cotta. Because it is so sweet, I do not add much extra sugar to the panna cotta. You can buy this at almost any Asian grocery store, but if not, you will definitely find it at a Filipino grocery store.

What is ube extract?

Ube extract is a concentrated ube flavoring that is commonly used for its purple color. Think of it like purple food coloring but also very strong in ube flavor. One thing is that it is pretty difficult to find. In Canada, I could not find it at any Asian grocery store or Filipino store, but eventually, I found it at a Japanese grocery store on a trip to the States. If you can't find it in person, you can always order it from Amazon.

Difference in color with ube extract

I feel like many recipes understate the importance of ube extract. I always see it listed as an optional ingredient but I would say it is one of the most important ingredients, especially if you are looking for a purple color. Here is the difference of before and after adding the ube extract:

Ube Panna Cotta

A Filipino spin on the classic panna cotta dessert.

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Prep Time 15

Resting Time 4

Total Time 4 15

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Filipino, Italian

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

1 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons gelatin (about 1 and a half packets)
1 cup ube halaya
3 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ube extract

Instructions

In a medium pot, combine the milk and sugar. Sprinkle on the gelatin. Let this sit for 10 minutes for the gelatin to hydrate.
Heat the milk and gelatin mixture over medium-high heat. Whisk constantly until the milk starts steaming (do not boil) and the gelatin is dissolved. Remove from the heat.
In a small bowl, add the ube halaya. Stir in a little bit of milk mixture into the ube halaya at a time to loosen it up. Once the ube halaya is smooth and easier to mix, add it to the main milk mixture.
Stir in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and ube extract.
Pour into ramekins, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Enjoy!