Ube Kalamay with purple yam and coconut flavors for the perfect dessert or snack! This sticky rice cake is soft, sweet, and gluten-free, too!

Ube kalamay is a delicious spin-off of our kalamay hati recipe. Other than swapping the brown sugar for purple yam, the ingredients and procedure for these sticky rice cakes are the same.

If you love kakanin, kalamay ube is for you! It’s easy to make, and most of the work is more of stirring religiously until it comes together in a delicious, sticky mass.

Ingredient Notes

Glutinous rice flour– also known as sweet or sticky rice flour. The package is usually with green lettering. Do NOT use regular rice flour, which is made from Japonica long-grain and will not yield the same results.

Purple yam– the recipe uses frozen grated ube. If using fresh ube, boil or steam until tender and then mash until smooth.

Coconut milk– is used as the liquid in the rice cake to provide flavor and moisture.

Water– adds moisture

Coconut cream– kakang gata or first extraction; for making latik and coconut oil

Ube extract– adds color and enhances the flavor.

Helpful Tips

Use a non-stick pan and a sturdy wooden spoon to make stirring easier.

The kalamay mixture will be pale initially, but the color will deepen as it cooks and thickens.

While cooking the rice cake, make the latik, as you need the rendered coconut oil to grease the baking dish and keep the rice cake from sticking. You can swap it with butter, but coconut oil adds an unbeatable aroma!

The cooked mixture will be very thick and hard to spread with a spoon when transferred into the serving pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter to flat out the rice cake. To smooth the top, use a lightly-oil knife or spatula.

Serving Suggestions

Kalamay ube is delicious as a midday snack or after-meal dessert. Enjoy a slice with coffee or an ice-cold drink for a filling, sweet treat.

Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in a container with a lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
I like to brush the kalamay with coconut oil liberally, but I usually skip this step during cold winter or when I am storing the rice cake in the fridge overnight as the coconut oil tends to harden into an unappetizing film of fat at low temperature.
The sticky rice cake texture changes when cold. Let stand at room temperature for a few minutes or warm in the microwave for a few seconds before serving to soften slightly.