This Quick Pan de Ube (Purple Yam Bread Roll) Recipe will make your Ube dreams come true. It is so easy that it only takes 3 ingredients to make. One of the ingredients is even optional!
You know the saying “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere”? Well, it’s always merienda time somewhere. Merienda (Mehr-yen-dah) is a custom in the Philippines that means to have a snack in between meals. The snack of choice is usually a bread roll or rice cake usually paired with hot coffee.


Merienda is easy to find in the Philippines since a district can’t be without it’s bakeries also known as panaderias (pa-nah-dhereya). The neighborhood would also have it’s vendors that walk around or ride cart bikes selling breads, fritters, and rice cakes. This lively and varied food culture is one of the aspects of life in the Philippines that I miss.
Oh, Nostalgia. There have been so many times that I wished I could have a bowl of Lugaw (rice porridge) at Goodah’s or a plate of Pares (braised beef with garlic rice) at Originial Pares and Mami House. Then there were times I wished a Filipino bakery was nearby where I can buy kalihim (muffins), ensaymada (buttered and sugared brioche), and Pan de Ube all stuffed in a crackly brown paper bag.

I received an email the other day asking if I had a recipe for Pan de Ube or Purple Yam Bread. Pan de Ube (Pan-deh-oohbeh) is a soft bread roll filled with Ube or Taro. It’s fairly easy to make but time consuming. Most recipes require many steps which may be difficult for an amateur baker or too tedious for anyone who is busy. Still, one can learn a lot by sticking to tried and true baking techniques. However, if you’re craving and need your quick fix of that purple gold called UBE, then you’ve come to the right place. Stop reading! GO scroll down to the recipe now!

This Purple Yam Bread recipe is Quick and Easy!
- Only 3 ingredients
- One of the ingredients is even optional
- Takes 30 minutes or less to make
This Quick Pan de Ube makes use of store bought crescent rolls and Ube Jam. Take note that Ube Jam is very sweet. Put as little or as much as you want since the jam doesn’t melt.
Quick Pan de Ube (Purple Yam Bread Roll)
Ingredients
- Ingredients1 tube ready made crescent rolls large
- 6 to 9 teaspoons of Ube Jam
- 1 egg for egg wash optional
Instructions
- Instructions for Egg Wash: (optional)Mix egg with 1 teaspoon water with fork
- Break egg yolk and mix until combined with egg white
- Do not over whip
- Instructions for Quick Pan de Ube:Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper
- Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
- Open tube per package instructions
- Separate the dough carefully by cutting the seams with scissors
- Lay dough triangles on a parchment
- Spread Ube Jam evenly on the dough
- Roll twice from wider end and tuck sides behind roll
- Continue rolling until narrow end touches the rest of the dough
- Lightly brush dough with egg wash (optional)
- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown
Notes
Need more Ube? Here’s a recipe for Easy Ube Cake – Purple Yam Cake
Want some Ube Ice Cream? Here’s a scrumptious Purple Yam Ice Cream recipe by Betty Ann Quirino.
Can i use frozen pastry dough instead? It looks delicious and i am sure it tastes delicious as well.
Hi Nathalie, I think that’s a great idea! I love it when recipes here inspire other to create their own! Just remember that that the Ube Jam is sweet. The pastry dough will puff up once baked but make sure you have enough around the Ube Jam to offset the sweetness. Let me know how it turns out! Happy Baking 🙂
Thanks for sharing this brilliant idea. It’s really a quick way to satisfy ube bread cravings!
Thank you! You’re right, it is a quick and easy way to bake Ube bread!