Making an Ube Milkshake: Creamy Purple Milkshake with Ube Powder
- Ube Nederland

- 5 days ago
- 7 min read
An ube milkshake is a creamy, purple milkshake with the smooth, slightly sweet flavor of ube. It is a drink that stands out immediately because of its color, yet tastes very accessible. Think of a classic vanilla milkshake, but with a subtle nutty, vanilla-like, and slightly tropical twist.

Ube is becoming increasingly popular in cafés, bubble tea shops, dessert bars, and modern hospitality venues. Many people now know ube from ube latte , ube milk tea , ube pancakes , ube cheesecake , and ube ice cream . An ube milkshake fits perfectly into this mix: easy to make, visually striking, and ideal as a dessert drink.
For cafes and ice cream parlors, an ube milkshake is particularly interesting because you can create a striking product with just a few simple ingredients. You don't need a complicated technique, yet the result feels special. The purple color catches the eye, while the taste remains smooth and creamy.
In this blog, we show you how to easily make your own ube milkshake with ube powder.
What Is A Ube Milkshake?
An ube milkshake is a milkshake made with milk, ice cream, and ube. Usually, vanilla ice cream or ube ice cream is used as a base, mixed with milk and ube powder.
Ube is a purple yam that is best known in Philippine cuisine. The taste is mild, slightly sweet, creamy, and a little nutty. Some people also detect notes of vanilla, coconut, or white chocolate.
Do you want to know exactly what ube is first? Then read our blog "What is ube" .
Due to its smooth flavor, ube works very well in milkshakes. The combination of ice, milk, and ube creates a rich, creamy drink that feels almost like a dessert. That is why ube milkshakes fit well with dessert concepts, ice cream parlors, cafes, and bubble tea shops.
Ube Milkshake Recipe For 1 Glass
With this recipe, you make one big ube milkshake.
Ingredients
2 to 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream or ube ice cream
150 ml milk
1 to 2 teaspoons of ube powder
1 teaspoon vanilla syrup, honey, or condensed milk, optional
Whipped cream, optional
Toasted coconut or cookie crumble, optional
Preparation method
Put the ice, the milk, and the ube powder in a blender.
Optionally add vanilla syrup, honey, or condensed milk.
Blend into a smooth, creamy milkshake.
Taste and add extra ube powder or sweetener if necessary.
Pour the milkshake into a large glass.
Optionally finish with whipped cream, coconut, or cookie crumble.
Serve immediately.
Do you want a thicker milkshake? Then use more ice and less milk. Do you want a lighter milkshake? Then add a little more milk.
Which Milk Do You Use for Ube Milkshake?
You can use different types of milk for an ube milkshake. The choice mainly affects the creaminess and taste.
Whole milk
Whole milk makes a classic, creamy milkshake. This is a good base if you want a rich flavor.
Oat milk
Oat milk is a good plant-based option. It is slightly sweet, creamy, and pairs well with the mild flavor of ube.
Coconut milk
Coconut milk pairs very well with ube. It gives the milkshake a tropical flavor and makes the whole thing extra dessert-like.
Almond milk
Almond milk has a slightly nuttier flavor. This can work well, but it is usually less creamy than whole milk or oat milk.
For cafes and ice cream parlors, whole milk, oat milk, and coconut milk are the best options. These give the milkshake the most body and pair well with ube.
Which Ice Cream Pairs Best with Ube Milkshake?
For a simple ube milkshake, you can use vanilla ice cream. Vanilla pairs well with ube and ensures that the flavor remains smooth and recognizable.
Do you want a stronger ube flavor? Then use ube ice cream as a base and optionally add extra ube powder . This gives a deeper purple color and a more recognizable ube flavor.
Other types of ice cream that pair well with ube are:
Coconut ice cream
White chocolate ice cream
Vanilla ice cream
Milk ice cream
Cheesecake ice cream
Mango ice cream
Coconut ice cream makes the milkshake more tropical. White chocolate ice cream makes it sweeter and more luxurious. Cheesecake ice cream gives it a richer dessert flavor.
Tips for the Best Ube Milkshake
Optionally, mix the ube powder with a little warm milk before putting it in the blender. This prevents lumps and results in a smoother milkshake.
Use cold ice and cold milk. That seems logical, but it really makes a difference to the texture.
Do not blend for too long. As soon as the milkshake is smooth, you can stop. If you blend for too long, the milkshake will become thinner.
Use a small amount of sweetener. Ube milkshake is already creamy and sweet due to the ice cream. Too much syrup can overpower the mild flavor of ube.
For a thicker, restaurant-style milkshake, you can use more ice and less milk. For a drinkable milkshake, you should use slightly more milk.
Ube Milkshake With Whipped Cream And Toppings
A simple ube milkshake is already tasty, but with toppings you make it visually more striking. This can certainly make all the difference, especially for cafes, dessert bars, and ice cream parlors.
Good toppings for ube milkshake are:
Cream
Roasted coconut
Cookie crumble
White chocolate
Mini marshmallows
Ube drizzle
Pieces of cheesecake
Tapioca pearls
Coconut jelly
For a simple version, whipped cream with some coconut or cookie crumble is enough. If you want to make a more striking dessert milkshake, you can use cheesecake pieces, white chocolate, and ube sauce.
An ube milkshake also pairs well with bubble tea toppings. Think of tapioca pearls or coconut jelly. This way, you create a kind of cross between a milkshake and ube bubble tea.
Variations on Ube Milkshake
You can easily customize an ube milkshake to your menu or taste.
For an ube coconut milkshake, use coconut milk or coconut ice cream. This gives it a tropical and creamy flavor.
For an ube cheesecake milkshake, add pieces of cheesecake or cream cheese to the blender. This makes the milkshake richer and more dessert-like.
For an ube banana milkshake, add half a banana. Banana makes the milkshake creamier and slightly fruitier.
For an ube coffee milkshake, add a shot of espresso. The slight bitterness of coffee pairs well with the sweet and creamy taste of ube.
For an ube matcha milkshake, you can add a small amount of matcha or combine the milkshake with matcha cold foam. The green matcha and purple ube create a striking color contrast together.
Ube Milkshake for Cafés, Ice Cream Parlors, and the Hospitality Industry
For the hospitality industry, an ube milkshake is interesting because it is a recognizable product with a new twist. Everyone understands what a milkshake is. By adding ube, you immediately make the drink more striking and modern.
That makes your milkshake suitable for:
Cafes
Ice cream parlors
Bubble tea shops
Dessert bars
Brunch places
Pop-ups
Hotels
Restaurants
For ice cream parlors, it is especially convenient if ice and milk are already available. With ube powder, you can quickly test a new flavor without immediately setting up an entirely new production process.
For cafes and dessert bars, an ube milkshake can work well as a limited special or summer drink. The purple color is strong for social media, and the taste is accessible enough for a broad audience.
Why Ube Is Interesting for Dessert Drinks
Ube works well in dessert drinks because it combines flavor and color. Many ingredients provide either flavor or color, but ube does both. It gives a soft, creamy taste while simultaneously creating a purple appearance.
With one ingredient, you can make many different drinks, such as:
Ube smoothie
Ube frappe
Ube milkshake
Additionally, you can also use ube in desserts such as ube pancakes , ube cheesecake , and ube ice cream . This allows you, as a hospitality entrepreneur, to easily offer multiple ube products without needing a completely different ingredient for every recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ube Milkshake
How does an ube milkshake taste?
An ube milkshake tastes creamy, smooth, slightly sweet, and a little nutty. The flavor is somewhat similar to vanilla, coconut, and white chocolate, but ube has its own recognizable character.
Can you make an ube milkshake with ube powder?
Yes, ube powder is a practical way to make an ube milkshake. Mix the powder with milk and ice in a blender. For a smoother result, you can first dissolve the powder in a little warm milk.
Can you make an ube milkshake without ice?
Yes, that is possible, but then it becomes more of an ube smoothie or a cold ube milk drink. For a real milkshake, you need ice for the creamy texture.
Which toppings go with ube milkshake?
Whipped cream, coconut, white chocolate, cookie crumble, tapioca pearls, coconut jelly, and cheesecake pieces go well with an ube milkshake.
Is a Ube milkshake the same as a Ube latte?
No. An ube latte is usually made with ube, milk, and optionally a sweetener. An ube milkshake is made with ube, milk, and ice, making it thicker, colder, and more dessert-like.
Conclusion
An ube milkshake is an easy and striking way to use ube. With milk, ice, and ube powder, you can make a creamy purple milkshake with a smooth, slightly sweet taste in just a few minutes.
It is a nice dessert drink for home. For cafes, ice cream parlors, bubble tea shops, and dessert bars, it is a smart way to give a well-known product a modern twist.
Do you want to make your own ube milkshakes or offer ube drinks in your café, ice cream parlor, or hospitality business? Then use high-quality ube powder as a base. With it, you can make not only ube milkshakes, but also ube lattes , ube milk tea , ube cold foam , ube pancakes , ube cheesecakes , ube ice cream , and other purple creations.
Check out our ube powder and discover how you can easily make ube milkshakes and other ube recipes for your menu.
Short Recipe: Ube Milkshake
Ingredients:
2 to 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream or ube ice cream
150 ml milk
1 to 2 teaspoons of ube powder
Optional: vanilla syrup, honey or condensed milk
Optional: whipped cream, coconut, or cookie crumble
Preparation:
Put ice, milk, and ube powder in a blender.
Add a sweetener if desired.
Blend into a smooth, creamy milkshake.
Taste and add extra ube powder if necessary.
Pour into a glass.
Finish with whipped cream or toppings.
Serve immediately.



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