UBE, purple sweet potato ice cream! It get’s it’s color from an ube, or purple yam. Also called a purple sweet potato or even called an Okinawa potato in our local market here. The flesh is a deep purple, so it is perfect for this year’s tribute recipe to my momma, DeVona. You can read a bit about her here and here.
She loved the color purple, even before it was popular! She also loved anything with fringe and bedazzled clothing. Larger than life for her small stature, only standing 4’ 9” – hobbit sized you might say. We lost her suddenly after a heart attack in late 2012 that left her in the ICU. After three days we decided to let her pass. She passed away on New Year’s Eve as the fireworks boomed outside the hospital walls. Our lives have never been the same.
The first recipe ever posted here on Back Porch Paleo was a tribute recipe to her, our “swirling cinnamon ice cream.” It needed new glamour shots, so those happened last year, so much prettier! We’ve created a few other recipes dedicated to her like: coconut lime semifreddo, chicken enchiladas and in our ebook, we have several recipes we made thinking of her. We also have a couple in our upcoming cookbook!
A few weeks ago, we had dinner at a fun new sushi place called, Mint, tapas & sushi. Our minds were blown by everything we tried! When they asked if we wanted dessert we very nearly passed on the offerings. The last item mentioned was “Ube” and we asked what that was. All they had to say was “purple sweet potato ice cream” and we were sold!
The color! Let me say that again, THE COLOR! So vibrant and stunning. They served it in delicate bowls that showcased the color perfectly. One bite and we were all smitten and knew it was one that would find its way to the blog.
A couple reasons we love this Ube sweet potato ice cream, the main one being that it’s purple and we love purple food. WE MISS YOU MOM! Secondly, how great is it to add a tuber or veggies to a sweet dish? Extra fiber and nutrients you wouldn’t normally see in ice cream. While I’ve not tried this recipe with a standard sweet potato or yam, I’m assuming it would be just as tasty but orange!
Like most home made ice creams, it does freeze up very hard so plan on taking it out about 15 to 20 minutes before you want to enjoy it. We topped ours with a little sprinkle of toasted and chopped macadamia nuts. Be creative and top with something that sounds delish. Or you can leave it with no topping, it is hands down so delicious on it’s own.
Ube – purple sweet potato ice cream
Course: DessertCuisine: AsianDifficulty: Easy6
servings5
minutes20
minutesIngredients
1 ½ cups purple (or orange) sweet potato, cooled, peeled & mashed
1 ½ cups almond milk (or milk of choice)
⅛ – ¼ cups maple syrup (to taste)
1 tbsp vanilla
¼ tsp fine sea salt
toasted/chopped macadamia nuts (opt)
Directions
- Add all ingredients to a high powered blender and blend until very smooth. Typically around 3-4 minutes. Taste for sweetness and adjust if needed.
- Pour into a container, cover and place in the refrigerator. Chill at least 4-6 hours or even better overnight.
- Freeze in ice cream maker following manufacturer’s directions. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer safe container to set up fully. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer about 15 minutes before enjoying. Scoop and top with nuts if using and enjoy!
