Ube French Toast
Thick slices of brioche soaked in vibrant purple yam custard, seared in butter until golden, and served with maple syrup.
- Original yieldYield
- 2 to 4 servings (4 slices)2 to 4 servings (4 slices)
- PrepPrep time
- CookCook time
- TotalTotal time
Published Updated
Original recipe: 2 to 4 servings (4 slices)
The story behind the recipe
Ube has a gentle nutty flavor, often described with a vanilla-like note, as well as its striking purple color. In this French toast, sweet ube jam and extract flavor the egg custard around thick bread. The outside browns in butter, leaving a soft, fragrant middle for a little maple syrup.
The yam before the purple toast
Ube is a purple yam used widely in Filipino desserts. It differs from purple sweet potato, even though the colors can invite confusion. MG Sanchez describes its cooked nutty, vanilla-like flavor in her ube halaya recipe. The taste of a finished dessert also reflects its milk, sugar and flavoring, so a bright purple product doesn't tell you everything about what it contains.
Halaya is a sweet preparation of the yam, cooked into a thick jam or paste. Lalaine Manalo's halayang ube shows its place as both a dessert in its own right and an ingredient in other Filipino sweets, including breads and ice cream. A spoonful of that tradition comes into the custard here; this French toast is a contemporary use of it.
Buy sweet ube halaya and ube extract as two separate products. The jam contributes yam and sweetness, while the extract strengthens the flavor and color. Raw grated yam or dry yam powder would require a different preparation. Check the labels as well: halaya often contains dairy, and extracts vary considerably in strength.
Read more about this recipe
Bread with room for custard
Thick brioche or milk bread gives the custard somewhere to settle. Their soft crumb makes a tender interior, while the cut faces have enough area to brown in the skillet. Day-old bread is easier to handle after soaking than a very fresh, fragile slice.
There's already sweetness in the jam and richness in the bread. That makes the maple syrup a finishing choice, not the only source of flavor. A modest pour lets you taste the ube custard as well as the syrup; the powdered sugar is optional.
The important pan decision is heat. This sweet coating can color before a thick slice cooks through, so medium-low gives the middle time to catch up. Look for the cooked center described in the method as well as the golden patches outside. Purple tones may remain visible in the browned surface, and their exact shade will depend on the jam and extract you bought.
Make it your wayOriginal: 4 servings · Makes 2 to 4 servings (4 slices)
Original recipe: 2 to 4 servings (4 slices)
Ingredients
For 2 to 4 servings (4 slices). Quantities are shown as written.
Source measurement convention: Metric. Explicit unit definitions take precedence; unconfirmed measures must be checked before conversion.
Original quantities for 2 to 4 servings (4 slices).
- Thick slices day-old brioche or Japanese milk bread (approx. 2.5 cm thick)4
- Large eggs2
- Whole milk120 ml
- Sweet ube halaya (Filipino purple yam jam)20 gAuthor measures: 1 metric tbsp (1 metric tbsp = 15 ml).
- Pure ube extract5 mlAuthor measures: 1 metric tsp (1 metric tsp = 5 ml).
- Unsalted butter (for cooking)15 g
- Pure maple syrup (for serving)30 mlAuthor measures: 2 metric tbsp (1 metric tbsp = 15 ml).
- Powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)10 g
Measurement notes
Measurement notes
Original ingredients
- 4 thick slices day-old brioche or Japanese milk bread (approx. 2.5 cm thick)
- 2 large eggs
- 120 ml whole milk
- 20 g (1 tbsp) sweet ube halaya (Filipino purple yam jam)
- 5 ml (1 tsp) pure ube extract
- 15 g unsalted butter (for cooking)
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) pure maple syrup (for serving)
- 10 g powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)
Equipment
Wide, shallow pie dish or casserole dish
Whisk
12-inch non-stick skillet or griddle
Spatula
Instructions
Whisk the ube custard
In a wide, shallow dish, whisk together the large eggs, whole milk, sweet ube halaya, and pure ube extract until the mixture is smooth, with no egg streaks.
Melt butter in the skillet
Melt about half the unsalted butter in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-low heat until foaming.
Soak the brioche slices
Dip each slice of thick brioche into the purple custard, soaking for 20 seconds on the first side, then flip and soak for another 20 seconds on the second side. Let excess custard drip back into the dish for 2 seconds.
Cook the first side of the French toast
Place the soaked bread into the hot skillet (cook in batches of 2 slices). Cook over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottom is caramelized and golden brown with purple tones.
Turn and finish cooking the French toast
Flip and cook the second side for another 2 to 3 minutes until puffed, golden, and cooked through to the center. Repeat with the remaining butter and bread slices.
Dust, drizzle and serve
Transfer the warm French toast to plates, dust lightly with powdered sugar, drizzle with pure maple syrup, and serve warm.
Estimated calories 350 kcal
Nutrition portion: 1/4 of recipe · Original yield: 2 to 4 servings (4 slices)
Source & assumptions
Rough estimate per nutrition portion (1 of 4 thick slices), including maple syrup and a small cooking-butter allowance; optional powdered sugar excluded. Thick-brioche mass, short-dip custard pickup, sweet ube jam and extract energy use published proxies. Bread and ube products can differ substantially; not measured or validated for this specific recipe.
Recipe notes
Original recipe notes
These notes describe the original recipe. Quantities mentioned here do not change when you adjust servings.
Ube ingredients: Use a sweet ube halaya jam and ube extract. Jam recipes and extract strengths vary, so check the ingredients and product directions; some halaya contains dairy. The color and sweetness can vary with the products you choose.
Bread choice: Day-old challah, brioche, or shokupan (Japanese milk bread) are ideal. Dry bread absorbs more custard without becoming soggy.
Heat management: Cook on medium-low heat rather than high heat. Because ube halaya contains natural sugars, high heat will scorch the exterior before the egg custard cooks through.
Batch timing: Two batches take about 8 to 12 minutes in the pan, plus dipping and serving. Keep the first batch on a warm plate while finishing the second, and use the cooked-through center cue rather than browning alone.
Read the scaling guide. Times, temperatures and equipment need their own consideration. Open the recipe tool to review and correct individual amounts.
Recipe details
- Cuisine
- Other / International
- Browse category
- Breakfast & Brunch
- More details
- ube French toastpurple yam custard