Ube Pot de Crème

If you want to impress your guests at your next dinner party with a unique dessert, this easy ube pot de crème recipe will definitely help! It's essentially a white chocolate pot de crème with some ube extract and coconut milk then baked via the bain-marie method and chilled overnight. The color of this ube dessert is a lovely deep lavender color on your spoon. The pot de crème taste is delicate, but you can notably taste the ube flavor. It was hard to put my spoon down! Click here to jump to the recipe with pictures and detailed instructions.

An Ube Dessert as Pot de Crème

I think pot de crème is easily overlooked as a dessert option because there are easier alternatives, such as mousse and pudding. But mousse or pudding can't give the same richness as pot de crème. I also have the impression that many people think it is hard to make pot de crème because it has to bake in a water bath. But it is not that intimidating as long as you do it correctly.

I love chocolate pot de crème. So it made the top of my list when I was brainstorming ube dessert recipes. Milk chocolate or dark chocolate would have overpowered the soft taste of the ube extract since I can't use too much of it. If I were heavy-handed with the extract, it would turn out a dark violet color. I also added some coconut milk to highlight the familiarity of the nuttiness in ube that you could taste in other desserts like ube ice cream.

Make Ube Pot de Crème Desserts Ahead

Though it requires some simple steps, there is a long resting time involved in pot de crème recipes. Research told me pot de crème is best when it is made a day ahead and has time to set in the fridge overnight. From my experience, three hours in the refrigerator didn't yield much of a difference from overnight in the fridge. But John will tell you that leaving it overnight helps make the ube taste stand out stronger. Either way, this ube pot de crème recipe requires some planning.

Notes Before Making This Ube Dessert

The recipe for ube pot de crème is relatively straightforward but does require you to be focused. One of the times I was testing this recipe, I forgot to use hot water for the bain-marie, and the custard on the bottom portion of the ramekin took longer to cook. By the time they have finished, the tops were firmer than the bottom half that was submerged in water. Baking with hot water in the bain-marie will ensure your pot de crème ends up with a consistent rich texture throughout.

The extract gives the finished product an intriguing taste and eye-catching color, but it sucks to clean up when it's spilled. Be careful handling the ube extract as you measure the ingredients for the pot de crème. Also, prepare your ramekins and a deep dish close to your prep area, so you don't slosh purple ube custard liquid all over your kitchen. 

Finally, do not skip straining the mixed custard through a sieve. Doing this will help achieve a smoother texture than if you were to pour the custard straight from the bowl to the ramekins. As extra caution against air bubbles, you could strain it a second time when you pour the custard into the ramekins and then gently tap the ramekins on the counter to pop extra air bubbles.

How to Make Ube Pot de Crème

First, preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Start by cracking eggs in a bowl and separating the egg yolks from the egg whites. Then place the egg yolks in a large bowl with sugar. Whisk them together, then set the bowl aside. You will add the heated milk mixture to this later on.

Make a Heated Cream Mix

Add the white chocolate, cream, milk, and coconut milk to a pot and whisk together. Set the stove to low heat and gently mix the ingredients as the chocolate melts. When the chocolate has fully melted, and all you have is liquid, take it off the heat. 

Combine the Yolks and Milk Mix

While slowly whisking the egg yolks in the bowl you set aside, pour the heated ingredients into the bowl. Then add the ube extract. Mix all the ingredients together until everything is well incorporated. 

Using a sieve, strain the ube custard mix from the bowl into a container with a spout. I used a tall immersion blender cup because it is easier to handle than a bowl. Another option for a suitable container would be a Pyrex measuring cup with a handle.

Carefully fill each ramekin with the custard mix. Make sure to leave some room from the top to the liquid so it doesn't spill when you move it. 

Set Up the Bain-Marie

Place the ramekins in a deep baking dish and fill it with hot water halfway up the ramekins. Then gently place it in the oven to bake for at least thirty minutes.

Bake the Custard

After thirty minutes, check if your custard has set. The custard has finished baking if you slightly wiggle a ramekin and it jiggles as one unit. If the middle wiggles more loosely than the outer parts, you should continue baking for about five minutes. However, the custard should still be slightly jiggly overall. They will solidify while chilling in the fridge later on. 

Take the ube pot de crème ramekins out of the oven and let the desserts sit on the counter out of the hot water to get room temperature. Once they reach room temperature, cover the ramekins and place them in the fridge to further set for at least three hours. 

How to Serve

I personally think this unique dessert doesn't need a topping. In my testing, I added fruits in addition to whipped cream, but the fruit will overpower the flavor of the ube. Plain whipped cream works if you do want to add something simple. 

Another option is to make an ube whipped topping with the leftover egg whites. I made a meringue swiss cream from the leftover whites using ube halaya and extract. Topping the pot de crème with it elevated this dessert. But it is a rich topping to an already decadent dessert.

A good middle ground would be to take a bit of extract and add it to whipped cream. The topping will be light, and the flavor of ube will carry through. The only way to know what you like would be to make this ube pot de crème and try all sorts of toppings. Or none!