Ube Crinkle Cookies

These cookies are impossibly purple, perfectly chewy, and coated in a crackly shell of powdered sugar. Ube (purple yam) gives them a subtle, sweet, vanilla-like flavor that’s nothing like regular cookie dough. They’ve been all over TikTok for a reason.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup ube halaya (purple yam jam)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp ube extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for rolling

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the Dough

Melt the butter and let it cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, and eggs until smooth. Add the ube halaya, ube extract, and vanilla. Mix until everything is evenly combined and deeply purple.

Step 2: Add the Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture and fold with a spatula until just combined. The dough will be sticky and thick.

Step 3: Chill the Dough

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight. Cold dough is essential here. It firms up enough to roll and keeps the cookies from spreading too thin.

Step 4: Roll and Coat

Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough, roll them into balls, then generously coat each one in powdered sugar. Don’t be shy with the sugar. That thick coating is what creates the signature crinkle pattern.

Step 5: Bake

Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. They’ll look slightly underdone in the center, and that’s exactly what you want. They firm up as they cool.

Step 6: Cool

Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. This rest period lets them set without overbaking.

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve with a glass of cold milk or a matcha latte
  • Sandwich two cookies together with cream cheese frosting for ube crinkle sandwich cookies
  • Stack them on a plate for a stunning dessert spread, the purple color does all the work

Tips

  • Ube halaya and ube extract are both needed. The halaya gives body and moisture while the extract deepens the color and flavor. You can find both at Asian grocery stores or online.
  • Don’t skip the chill time. Warm dough spreads too fast and you’ll lose the crinkle effect.
  • For extra chewy cookies, pull them at 10 minutes. For slightly crispier edges, go the full 12.
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They actually get chewier on day two.