Purple Yam (Ube) Smoothie

Brighten your day with this colourful ube smoothie made with purple yam root from the Phillippines. It's silky, sweet, and packed with antioxidants — and you won't even need an extractor to make it.

Purple Yam (Ube) Smoothie

Info

Nutrition per serving
NutrientAmountRDA
Net Carbs39.5 g14.4%
of which Sugars13.2 g14.6%
Fibers5.9 g21.1%
Fats3.1 g4.7%
of which Saturates2.5 g12.7%
of which Omega 30 g2.3%
Proteins2.2 g4.7%
Calcium169 mg16.9%
Vitamin A7 mcg1%
Vitamin C19 mg25.3%
Iron0.7 mg4.9%
Potassium888 mg25.4%
Sodium25 mg1.1%
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Kcal195 9.7%
Macro split
  • net carbs 78%
  • sugars 26%
  • fats 6%
  • saturates 5%
  • proteins 4%
  • fibers 12%
*RDA based on a 2000 kcal diet;
**Nutritional data sources: USDA, food labels.
KCAL
195 per serving
TIME
15m
HEALTH

When we tried the gorgeously purple ube root, we knew we had to use it to make a smoothie right away. So, here is our delicious purple yam smoothie, as easy to make as it is cute — you'll love it!

Before we dig into the recipe, let's talk a bit more about this amazing root. Purple yam, also known as ube, is a type of tuber that belongs to the family of yams. Its flesh has a unique, vivid violet hue, thanks to its high concentration of purple pigments, called anthocyanins.

Although similar to other roots like purple sweet potatoes or Okinawan sweet potatoes, purple yams are a different vegetable. They have a drier flesh and a rougher, bark-like skin compared to sweet potatoes. Ube is a staple food in Filippino cuisine and is used to make ube halaya spread and many colourful desserts.

Because of their starchy flesh and mildly sweet, nutty flavour, purple yams are just perfect for whizzing up a creamy breakfast smoothie. Simply follow our recipe below to get the ube ready for blending — no fancy extractor needed.

We paired purple yams with two other ingredients, ripe bananas and vegan coconut yogurt. They add extra creaminess and sweetness to the smoothie — and make it even tastier and more nutritious!

One glass of this purple yam smoothie comes with less than 230 calories and provides 20% RDI for fibres. You can pair it with some porridge oats, homemade cashew granola, or nut butter and turn it into a filling and healthy breakfast. Yum!

Ingredients

Adjustments
Serves
Measuring System
Peeled Purple Yam (Ube)160 g
Large Bananas1
Coconut Yogurt200 g

Step 1

Peel the purple yam (ube), dice it into small chunks, and add them to a pot.

Cover the ube with water, bring to a boil, and simmer covered over low heat for 10 minutes until soft.

cooked purple yam ube in a pot

Step 2

Let the ube cool down in the pot.

Then, transfer the cooked yam into a blender, along with 300ml (10 fl oz) of its purple cooking liquid.

If you don't have enough cooking water left in the pot, you can top it up with plain water or milk.

If you're changing serving sizes in the ingredients tab, use 150ml (5 fl oz) of water per person.

Next, tip in the bananas and blitz all until smooth.

ube blended with bananas for smoothie

Step 3

Spoon the coconut yogurt into serving glasses and pour in the ube smoothie for a layered look.

Alternatively, mix the yogurt with the smoothie and enjoy.

purple yam smoothie layered with yogurt in a glass

Tips

  • Keep the purple yam smoothie in the fridge in an airtight bottle or jar for 2 days.

  • Add a splash of lime or lemon juice to the smoothie if you're not drinking it right away. This will prevent the smoothie from browning due to banana oxidation.