Ube Mochi Pancakes Recipe
Ube is a purple-fleshed yam native of the Philippines and other Southern Asia countries. It has been a staple ingredient for the inhabitants of these places. Its mildly sweet and earthy flavor together with its wonderful fresh purple color makes it an appealing and tasty addition to sweet treats like ice cream, halo-halo, waffles, and doughnuts.
Mochi, the sweet rice flour containing no gluten is one of the ingredients that make the magic to obtain such sweet and chewy pancakes with natural sugars.
What are the Ube Mochi Pancakes?
This was a new idea introduced by Trader Joe’s in 2020 as the Ube Mochi Pancake Mix. Trader Joe’s made a hit with this product. They remarkably guessed what the market needed at the moment. On Instagram, bloggers were replicating these chewy bright pancakes with all kinds of violet and purple hues. And who wouldn’t want to try such colorful sweet treats?
The best part is that when you make them from scratch they will cost you much less and you know exactly what you’re putting in the mix controlling ingredients according to your dietary needs.
Making the Perfect Ube Mochi Pancakes
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Ube Powder: I find ube powder to be incredibly convenient, especially when I don’t have ube jam on hand. For a quick and easy jam to use in your pancakes, simply mix ube powder with water, brown sugar, and melted butter. If you prefer to make the jam the proper way and have the ingredients available, simmer 4 tablespoons of ube powder in 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup condensed milk for a richer flavor.
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Mochi Flour: If you decide to use only mochi sweet rice flour for your pancakes, I recommend adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to the mix. This will help the pancakes cook more easily and prevent the mixture from becoming too sticky.
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Using Only All-Purpose Flour: If you prefer ube pancakes without the rice flour, you can opt for all-purpose flour alone. The result will be a texture closer to that of traditional pancakes, without the chewy mochi texture.
What You Need
- All-purpose flour
- Mochiko. This is the sweet glutinous rice flour also called mochi flour.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Butter (melted)
- Sugar
- Egg
- Ube extract (optional)
- Coconut milk
- Water
Saving the Ube Mochi Pancakes For Later
- Refrigerate – To store ube mochi pancakes, let them cool completely, then layer them between parchment paper in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freezing – For longer storage, freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag. Reheat in a toaster or skillet before serving.
Serving Ube Mochi Pancakes
I start by cooking up a batch of pancakes with the perfect blend of chewy mochiko flour and rich ube jam. Once they’re golden and fluffy, we have fun experimenting with different toppings. I like to serve mine with a pat of melting butter on one side, and a dollop of creamy Greek yogurt on the other, generously sprinkled with fresh blueberries. The tangy yogurt pairs beautifully with the sweet, earthy flavor of the ube, making every bite a little moment of joy.
My kids, on the other hand, have their own preferences. They love their pancakes smothered in ube jam or drizzled with chocolate sauce, transforming breakfast into a sweet treat that’s hard to resist. On the days when we’re running low on ube jam, they happily substitute it with maple syrup—still delicious, still a hit.
What makes our Sunday brunches even more fun are the pancake shapes. We use special molds to create pancakes shaped like teddy bears, dogs, and other cute animals. It’s a simple touch, but it adds a lot of joy to the meal, especially for the kids. The best part is knowing that these pancakes aren’t just tasty—they’re homemade, nutritious, and fill my kids’ bellies with something wholesome and comforting.
Slowly but surely, these Ube Mochi Pancakes have woven themselves into the fabric of our family weekends. They’re more than just breakfast—they’re a ritual, a memory, and a delicious way to bring us all together, one pancake at a time.
Health Info
- Calories: 474.8kcal
- Sugar: 27.1g
- Sodium: 314.3mg
- Fat: 22.8g
- Carbohydrates: 58.7g
- Fiber: 2.2g
- Protein: 10..5g
More Pancake Recipes:
- Gamjajeon Korean Potato Cheese Pancakes – for some savory Asian pancakes bites.
- High Protein Banana Oatmeal Pancakes – for some lean pancakes made with banana, oatmeal and eggs.
- Diner Style Pancakes
- Perkins Potato Pancakes – imitating the famous Canadian potato pancakes.
Fluffy Ube Mochi Pancakes Recipe
Description
Ingredients
For Quick Ube Jam (from Ube Powder)
- 4 tbsp ube powder
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- Alternative: 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup condensed milk omit sugar and butter if using this option
For Ube Mochi Pancakes
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup mochiko flour if using all mochiko, add 1-2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp brown sugar use 1-2 tbsp to taste
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp ube extract optional
- 1 cup ube jam or use the quick ube jam recipe above
- ½ cup coconut milk
Instructions
For Quick Ube Jam (from Ube Powder)
- In a saucepan, simmer ube powder in water with the brown sugar and melted butter until it reaches a jam-like consistency. (Alternatively you can also use 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup condensed milk in place of water and sugar, omitting the sugar and butter.)
For Ube Mochi Pancakes
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, mochiko flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, eggs, ube extract (optional), and melted butter until combined. If you have the ube jam, add it to this mixture. Set aside.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, gently stirring. The batter doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth; it’s okay if some lumps remain.
- Preheat a medium-sized (12-inch) pan over medium heat. Test readiness by sprinkling a few drops of water—if they evaporate immediately, the pan is ready.
- Spray some oil into the pan to coat it lightly. Using a ladle, pour a quarter of the batter into the pan.
- After about 2 minutes, when bubbles form on the surface and the edges are set, flip the pancake. Cook for another 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.
- Continue cooking the remaining batter, repeating the process for each pancake.
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