Easy Iced Ube Latte
If you’ve been eyeing the purple lattes on your feed — or paying coffee-shop prices for the iced ube coconut version — this is the at-home one.
A bottle of ube extract, whatever milk you keep around, and your regular coffee. That’s basically it.
An ube latte is coffee’s prettier cousin: espresso or cold brew poured over sweet, vanilla-nutty ube milk, all in that unreal shade of purple.
It tastes like vanilla and toasted coconut had a very photogenic morning, and it comes together in about five minutes without a single specialty tool.
The version everyone’s chasing is the Starbucks Iced Ube Coconut Latte.
This one borrows the same idea — ube, coffee, creamy milk, a little coconut — and skips the barista markup. You make the ube milk, pour it over ice with your coffee, and if you want the full effect, you crown it with ube cold foam.
Why You’ll Love This Ube Latte
The goal was an ube latte you’ll actually make on a normal weekday — not one that needs a trip to a specialty grocer or an afternoon of prep.
Ube extract does the heavy lifting: it brings both the flavor and the purple, so you don’t need ube powder, ube jam, or homemade syrup. Everything else is coffee-drawer standard.
It’s:
- Made with about 5 ingredients
- Ready in roughly 5 minutes
- Creamy, lightly sweet, and vanilla-forward
- Easy to make iced, hot, or caffeine-free
- A close copycat of the Starbucks iced ube coconut latte, for a fraction of the cost
What Is an Ube Latte?
Ube (say “OO-beh”) is a purple yam used all over Filipino desserts. It has a mild, sweet, earthy flavor — nutty, with notes of vanilla and even a little white chocolate — and it’s responsible for that signature purple color.
An ube latte takes that flavor and builds a coffee drink around it: ube-flavored sweet milk combined with espresso or strong coffee, served hot or over ice. It’s mildly sweet, balanced by the coffee, and endlessly Instagrammable.
To make one at home, you have a few options for the ube itself — ube powder, ube jam (halaya), or ube extract. We’re using extract because it’s the easiest to find, it lasts forever, and a few drops deliver both the flavor and the color with zero cooking.
Ingredients
Here’s everything you need for one iced ube latte.
Milk
Whole milk gives you the creamiest result, but oat milk works beautifully and keeps it dairy-free. For the coconut version, coconut milk leans right into that Starbucks flavor.
Ube extract
The hero. A little brings both the ube flavor and the purple color, so you can skip ube powder and jam entirely. Extracts vary a lot in strength between brands, so start on the lower end and adjust. This is the ube extract I use →
Sweetened condensed milk
This is what makes it taste like a latte — rich, sweet, and a little dessert-like. If you’d rather keep it lighter, a good vanilla syrup works instead and lets you dial the sweetness up or down.
Espresso or cold brew
One shot of espresso keeps it strong and concentrated; about half a cup of cold brew makes it smoother and easier to sip. Use whichever you already make at home.
Ice
For an iced latte, you want a glass full. It keeps the drink cold and gives the ube milk and coffee that pretty layered look before you stir.
How To Make an Iced Ube Latte
Whisk the milk, ube extract, and sweetened condensed milk together in a small glass or jar until the color is even and the sweetener has dissolved. This is your ube milk.
Fill a tall glass with ice, then pour the ube milk over it.
Pour the espresso or cold brew over the top. Serve it layered for the photo, then stir to combine.
For the full coffee-shop version, finish it with a layer of ube cold foam — it’s the same four-ingredient topping and it turns this from “nice” into “why would I ever pay $7 again.”
Make It a Starbucks-Inspired Iced Ube Coconut Latte
The drink most people are actually searching for is the Starbucks Iced Ube Coconut Latte, and it’s an easy tweak.
Swap the milk for coconut milk (or use a barista-blend oat-coconut), and add a splash of toasted coconut syrup to the ube milk. Top it with ube cold foam and, if you’re feeling extra, a pinch of toasted coconut flakes.
That’s the whole copycat — creamy, tropical, and purple, without the line.
Want It Hot Instead?
Easy. Warm the milk, whisk in the ube extract and sweetened condensed milk until smooth, then pour it over a fresh shot of espresso in your mug. Same ube milk, no ice. It’s cozy in exactly the way the iced version is refreshing.
Can You Make an Ube Latte Without Coffee?
Yes — and it’s a great caffeine-free option. Skip the espresso and make it an ube milk (sometimes called ube milk tea’s mellower sibling): just the ube milk over ice, maybe with a splash more sweetener.
If you want something in the same family with a little green-tea lift instead of coffee, the matcha route is lovely. I’d start with my banana bread matcha latte and add ube extract to the milk — a full ube matcha latte is worth its own deep dive, and it’s on my list.
What Does an Ube Latte Taste Like?
Mild, sweet, and a little earthy, with nutty vanilla notes and a whisper of white chocolate. With coffee behind it, the sweetness stays balanced instead of cloying — it reads more “creamy vanilla latte with a twist” than candy.
The exact flavor depends on your ube extract and how much sweetener you use, so treat the recipe as a starting point and adjust to your taste.
Tips For the Best Ube Latte
- Start light on the ube extract. Brands vary, and some are very concentrated. You can always whisk in another drop for deeper color or flavor.
- Dissolve the sweetener fully. Whisk the ube milk until it’s smooth before it hits the ice, or the condensed milk will settle at the bottom.
- Use cold brew for a smoother drink. Espresso keeps it strong; cold brew makes it more sippable over ice. A milk frother makes quick work of the ube milk if you have one.
- Top it with cold foam. A layer of ube cold foam is the single upgrade that makes it taste like the coffee-shop version.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an ube latte made of?
An ube latte is made from ube-flavored sweet milk — usually milk, ube extract (or powder or jam), and a sweetener like sweetened condensed milk — combined with espresso or strong coffee, served hot or over ice.
Can an ube latte be iced?
Yes, and iced is the most popular way to make it. Build the ube milk, pour it over a full glass of ice, then add your espresso or cold brew.
What milk works best in an ube latte?
Whole milk is the creamiest, oat milk is the best dairy-free all-rounder, and coconut milk leans into the Starbucks iced ube coconut flavor. Any of them work — pick based on the texture and flavor you want.
How many calories are in an ube latte?
It depends entirely on your milk and how much sweetener you add — the ube extract itself is negligible. If you want a lighter drink, use oat or lower-fat milk and start with less sweetened condensed milk or vanilla syrup. It’s a treat drink, and you’re in full control of how rich you make it.
Can I use ube powder or ube jam instead of extract?
You can. Ube powder needs to be whisked into a little hot water first to bloom, and ube jam (halaya) adds body and sweetness but can be harder to find. Extract is the easiest and most consistent for the flavor and color, which is why it’s the default here.
PrintIced Ube Latte
A creamy, purple, Starbucks-inspired iced ube latte made at home with ube extract, milk, and your favorite coffee. Ready in about 5 minutes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 latte
- Category: Drinks
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk (whole, oat, or coconut)
- ½ teaspoon ube extract (adjust to taste)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (or vanilla syrup)
- 1 shot espresso (or ½ cup cold brew)
- 1 glass of ice
Instructions
- Whisk the milk, ube extract, and sweetened condensed milk together in a glass or jar until smooth and evenly purple.
- Fill a tall glass with ice and pour the ube milk over it.
- Pour the espresso or cold brew over the top. Serve layered, then stir to combine.
- Optional: top with ube cold foam for the full coffee-shop version.
Notes
- Ube extracts vary in strength, so start with ½ teaspoon and add more to taste.
- For a Starbucks-inspired iced ube coconut latte, use coconut milk and add a splash of toasted coconut syrup.
- For a hot ube latte, warm the milk, whisk in the extract and sweetener, and pour over espresso.
- For a caffeine-free version, skip the coffee and serve the ube milk over ice.
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