Ube conversion calculator

We calculated these ratios from food composition tables and the specs of our own powder. We haven't tested them in our kitchen yet, so taste as you go.

Fresh ube is about 75% water. Our powder is the same ube, cooked, dried and milled, with less than 5% moisture left. That's why 100 grams of powder holds about 380 grams of fresh ube.

Where the numbers come from

In your recipe	With powder	Why
100 g fresh or cooked ube	26 g powder and 75 ml water	The Philippine food composition table (FNRI) measures 74.9 grams of water in 100 grams of ube (Dioscorea alata). Other studies find 66 to 82%, depending on the variety.
100 g ube halaya	22 g powder, 18 g sugar, 9.5 g butter and 50 ml milk	Calculated for a classic recipe: 1 kilo of ube, a can of condensed milk, a can of evaporated milk and butter, cooked down to a spreadable jam.
1 teaspoon ube flavoring	7.5 g powder to start with	Flavoring is aroma and coloring, not ube. In cake we use 5 to 10% powder on the weight of the flour. That's where this starting point comes from.
10 g extract powder 20:1	53 g powder	About 20 kilos of fresh ube go into 1 kilo of our extract. 20 kilos of fresh ube make a good 5 kilos of powder.
One latte	3 g powder	That's how we dose it ourselves, in a glass of 200 to 250 ml milk.

Cups and spoons are converted with an estimated weight. Weigh if you can.

It depends on the recipe

• Batter or cake. The liquid from fresh ube belongs in the batter, so add all of it.
• Latte. The milk is your liquid. You only need a splash of warm water to stir the powder smooth.
• Ice cream. Add the liquid as milk. Without it, the ice cream sets harder.
• Cream or frosting. Only half the liquid goes in here, or the cream won't whip.

Questions about converting ube

How much ube powder replaces 1 cup of ube halaya?

About 65 grams of ube powder. Halaya also contains sugar, butter and milk, so add 53 grams of sugar, 28 grams of butter and about 155 ml of milk to your recipe as well. We count 1 cup of halaya as 300 grams.

Can I replace ube extract with ube powder?

Yes, but not one for one. A bottle of ube flavoring is mostly aroma and coloring. Start with 7.5 grams of powder per teaspoon of flavoring, taste, then add more. In cake we use 5 to 10% ube powder on the weight of the flour.

Why is my cake less purple than with flavoring?

Ube flavoring contains food coloring, such as Red 40 and Blue 1. Pure ube powder gives the color of the tuber itself, which is a softer purple. Cut a slice to see the color; the crust is always paler.

How much fresh ube is in 100 grams of ube powder?

About 380 grams of peeled fresh ube. Fresh ube is three quarters water, and that water goes when it is dried.

Are these ratios right?

They are calculations based on food composition tables and the specs of our powder. We're now testing them in our kitchen in The Hague and will adjust the calculator if needed. Until then they are marked as a draft.

Can I put the calculator on my own site?

Please do. At the end of this section you'll find an embed code you can paste straight into your blog.

Sources

• DOST-FNRI, Philippine Food Composition Table, "Yam, purple" (Dioscorea alata)
• USDA FoodData Central, "Yam, raw"
• AGRIVITA Journal of Agricultural Science (2020), composition of 15 Dioscorea alata varieties
• McCormick, ingredients of Artificial Ube Flavor

Put the calculator on your blog

Do you write about ube or post ube recipes? Copy this code and your readers can convert for themselves. The calculator stays up to date when we adjust the ratios after testing.

Read more about baking with ube powder in baking with ube and our recipes.