Creamy Ube Cheesecake Recipe (with Gluten-Free Crust) (2024)

What is Ube Cheesecake?

Ube cheesecake is a creamy, classic cheesecake recipe that combines the flavors of ube, a Filipino purple yam (sweet potato), with the sweet and delicious richness of cheesecake. Ube is known for its beautiful purple color and distinct flavor, which is often described as sweet and slightly nutty.

Ube cheesecake has gained popularity due to its unique flavor profile and eye-catching, bright purple color. It has a delightful combination of the creamy, tangy taste of traditional cheesecake with the distinct sweetness and color of ube. The resulting dessert is both delicious and beautiful! It’s the perfect dessert for special occasions or a family dinner!

What Makes This Recipe Great

It’s a classic cheesecake flavored with ube – a purple yam with a sweet and nutty flavor with a hint of vanilla and pistachio.

To make ube cheesecake, I’m starting out with a toasted almond flour crust mixed with powdered sugar and cinnamon to give it a graham-cracker-like taste and texture while remaining completely gluten-free! Then, the cheesecake batter combines cream cheese, eggs, sugar, maple syrup, yogurt, ube jam, and ube extract.

The mixture is poured into the prepared crust, baked, and cooled to delicious perfection. This recipe is grain-free, gluten-free, and easily made dairy free with a few substitutions! Plus, its striking color makes it such a pretty dessert without much effort at all!

Watch a Short Video of This Recipe

More Delicious Ube Recipes

Fudgy Purple Ube Brownies

Gluten-Free Crust

• almond flour: I used almond flour instead of graham crackers to make the crust gluten-free. Mixed with the other ingredients of powdered sugar and cinnamon, this crust has a very graham-cracker-like taste and texture!
• powdered sugar
• ground cinnamon
• sea salt
• butter

Ube Cheesecake Filling

• softened cream cheese: Let your cream cheese soften before making the filling. This will help the mixture get extra smooth and creamy.
• ube halaya jam: Ube halaya is a purple yam jam or spread made by blending fresh ube or purple yam puree with sugar and a medley of other ingredients. It comes in small jars labeled as ube halaya spread or jam and can be found at Asian or Filipino grocery stores.
• plain yogurt: I used yogurt instead of sour cream to make the filling a bit lighter. You can’t tell the difference!
• granulated sugar
• maple syrup
• ube extract: Ube extract is an artificial flavoring responsible for the distinct flavor and color found in ube treats. It has a stronger intensity compared to ube halaya, so the combination of the two is essential in making this cheesecake.
• sea salt
• eggs: Room temperature eggs work best in this recipe.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap the outside bottom half of a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil to anticipate any leaks, and grease the inside all over.
2. Heat a large dry skillet over medium heat and add almond flour. Stir, toasting until lightly browned all over and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Combine toasted almond flour with the rest of the crust ingredients until a dough forms. Press into the bottom of the prepared springform pan in an even layer with your hands and slightly up the sides of the pan.
4. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool while you prepare the filling.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
6. Place cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and use an electric mixer or a stand mixer to whip on medium speed until smooth.
7. Add ube halaya, yogurt, sugar, maple syrup, ube extract, and sea salt. Whip until combined and creamy.
8. Add the eggs and whip until just combined without any clumps.
9. Pour the filling over the crust and bake in your preheated oven for 1 hour and 15-30 minutes until the filling is set and doesn’t jiggle in the center.
10. Cool completely at room temperature. Use a knife to loosen the crust from the bottom of the pan gently. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to fully chill.
11. Remove from the pan, then slice to serve.

Expert Tips

• Equipment: You’ll need a springform pan, a stand mixer or hand mixer, and a large bowl.
• Almond Flour: Toasting the almond flour gives the crust that graham-cracker-like flavor, so don’t skip this step.
• Dairy-Free: If dairy-free, you can substitute butter with coconut oil, cream cheese with dairy-free cream cheese, and yogurt with plant-based yogurt.
• Avoiding Leaks: Wrap the outside bottom half of a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil to anticipate any leaks, and grease the inside all over.
• Room temperature ingredients: One trick to ensure the ube cheesecake filling is smooth and creamy is to bring the cream cheese and eggs to room temperature before making the filling.

Serving Tips

• Serve sliced by itself. You can also serve it with whipped coconut cream or regular whipped topping if desired.

Storage Tips

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• You can also freeze this ube cheesecake for up to 1 month. Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer-safe, airtight container in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge when ready to serve.

How do you know when the cheesecake is done baking?

Look for firm edges, a golden brown top, and a very slight jiggle in the center.

Can I make Ube cheesecake bars with this recipe?

While I haven’t tested this specifically, you should be able to use this recipe to make bars. However, you’ll need to adjust the baking time based on the pan size you use. I don’t recommend this unless you are a skilled baker or plan to watch the cheesecake closely.

Can you make this cheesecake ahead of time?

Yes! It stores well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so feel free to make this a few days ahead of an event.

Why is Ube so popular?

A couple of reasons! It has a unique, delicious flavor and a naturally vibrant purple color. It’s both yummy and photogenic, making it the perfect ingredient to bake with!

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