Ube Puto Cheese Recipe: Easy Filipino Steamed Ube Puto
If you love puto and ube, this Ube Puto Cheese is a match made in heaven. These soft, fluffy Filipino steamed cakes have a lovely purple color, a sweet ube flavor, and a savory cheese topping that makes every bite extra delicious.
This easy Ube Puto recipe uses simple ingredients, including all-purpose flour, ube-flavored condensed milk, baking powder, egg, butter, sugar, water, and cheese. Whether you’re making a batch for your family or thinking of selling homemade puto, this recipe is simple, affordable, and easy to portion.
Whether you serve these as merienda, breakfast, dessert, or a party snack, homemade Ube Puto Cheese is sure to be a family favorite. Let’s steam a batch!
What Is Ube Puto?
Ube Puto is a Filipino steamed rice-cake-inspired snack made with a soft batter and flavored with purple yam. Traditional puto is often made with rice flour, but many easy modern versions use all-purpose flour for a convenient, tender cake.
This version combines ube flavor with a creamy cheese topping. The contrast is what makes Ube Puto Cheese so enjoyable: the cake is mildly sweet and soft, while the cheese adds a salty, creamy flavor.
Because the cakes are steamed in small molds, they cook quickly and develop a soft, slightly springy texture. They are especially delicious when served warm, when the cheese is still soft.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There are many reasons to keep this easy Ube Puto recipe in your collection. First, it is simple enough for beginners. There is no yeast, complicated dough, or oven involved. You simply combine the dry and wet ingredients, pour the batter into molds, and steam.
It is also budget-friendly. The original recipe yields about 18 medium puto, making it a practical choice for family snacks or small-scale selling. The ingredients are easy to find in Philippine supermarkets, and you can adjust the toppings and sweetness to suit your customers or family.
Most of all, these steamed cakes are delicious. The ube-flavored batter gives them a fragrant sweetness, while the cheese topping balances the flavor beautifully.
Ingredients
For the Ube Puto:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup ube-flavored condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted, or cooking oil or margarine
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar, optional and adjustable
- Ube food coloring, optional
For the Topping:
- Cheese, cut into small strips or pieces
The ube-flavored condensed milk already provides sweetness and ube flavor, so sugar is optional. If you cannot find ube condensed milk, use regular condensed milk with a few drops of ube flavoring and food coloring. You can also replace some or all of the water with evaporated milk for a richer flavor.
Step-by-Step Method
1. Prepare the Dry Ingredients
In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and sugar if using. Sift the ingredients to remove lumps.
2. Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, combine the ube-flavored condensed milk, egg, and melted butter. Mix until the ingredients are well blended.
3. Make the Batter
Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir gently. Gradually add the water while mixing until you get a smooth, thick batter that is pourable but not runny.
Add a few drops of ube food coloring if you want a deeper purple color. Mix until the color is evenly distributed. Let the batter rest for at least 10 minutes before steaming.
4. Prepare the Molds
Lightly grease only the bottom of each puto mold with oil or butter. Avoid greasing the sides if you want the puto to climb upward as it steams and develop a nice dome shape.
Pour the batter into the molds, filling each one about three-fourths full.
5. Add the Cheese
The timing of the cheese depends on the type you use. If you are using a cheese that takes longer to melt, you can place it on the batter before steaming.
For cheese that melts quickly, such as Eden, wait until near the end of the steaming time. This helps the cheese stay visible and gives the finished puto a neat, shiny topping.
6. Steam the Puto
Arrange the filled molds inside a steamer. Wrap the steamer lid with a clean cloth before covering the pot.
Steam over medium heat. For medium molds, cook for about 11 to 12 minutes. Small molds may take around 8 to 10 minutes, while large molds can take approximately 14 to 15 minutes.
If using quick-melting cheese, add it around the 10-minute mark for a 12-minute steaming time, then cover and continue steaming for about 2 more minutes.
7. Cool and Unmold
Once the puto is cooked, remove the molds from the steamer and let them cool for at least 5 minutes. Carefully loosen the edges if needed, then unmold.
Serve your Ube Puto Cheese warm or at room temperature.
Tips and Variations
Check Your Baking Powder
Fresh baking powder is important for fluffy puto. Old or moisture-exposed baking powder may not rise properly, leaving you with dense, flat cakes.
To test it, place about 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder in a small amount of hot water. If it bubbles actively, it is still working. If there is little or no reaction, replace it.
Grease Only the Bottom
Do not grease the sides of the molds if you want a better dome shape. Greasing the bottom helps prevent sticking while allowing the batter to grip the sides as it rises.
Use a Cloth on the Lid
Condensation is one of the easiest ways to ruin steamed cakes. Wrapping the steamer lid with a clean cloth prevents water droplets from falling onto the surface and causing the puto to become wet or deflate.
Do Not Overcook
Oversteaming can make puto dense and cause the surface to lose its attractive appearance. Steaming time depends on the mold size, batter depth, and heat level, so use the suggested times as a guide and adjust as necessary.
Choose the Right Cheese
For a neat, slightly shiny topping, use cheese that does not melt too quickly. If your cheese melts fast, add it near the end of steaming.
Make It More Ube
For a stronger natural ube taste, add a little ube halaya or grated cooked ube to the batter. You can also increase the amount of ube flavoring slightly, but add it gradually so the flavor does not become overpowering.
Adjust the Sweetness
Because ube-flavored condensed milk is already sweet, you may not need the additional sugar. For a sweeter version, you can add more condensed milk and reduce the water slightly.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover Ube Puto Cheese in an airtight container and refrigerate if you will not eat them within the day.
To reheat, steam the puto briefly until warm and soft again.
If you are making these for business, allow the puto to cool before packing.
Ube Puto for Business: Costing and Pricing
One of the best things about this recipe is that it can be a practical small-business product. The original batch yields approximately 18 medium Ube Puto Cheese.
Based on the sample costing, the ingredients come to about ₱47 for the batch:
- Flour: ₱5
- Condensed milk: ₱14
- Baking powder: ₱3
- Egg: ₱8
- Butter: ₱3
- Cheese: ₱9
- Sugar: ₱4
- Water: ₱0
- Food coloring: ₱1
That gives an estimated ingredient cost of about ₱2.60 per piece when divided among 18 puto. Adding approximately 40% to 50% profit gives a sample selling price of around ₱3.75 each, which can be rounded to ₱4 depending on packaging, location, and market.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Ube Puto Cheese as a simple merienda with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or your favorite Filipino drink. It also makes a colorful addition to party trays, birthdays, family gatherings, and holiday celebrations.
For selling, place the puto in small food-grade containers or individual packaging to make them easy for customers to carry. You can also offer different topping options, such as extra cheese or a combination of cheese and ube halaya.
Conclusion
This easy Ube Puto Cheese recipe brings together everything you want in a Filipino merienda: a soft steamed cake, sweet ube flavor, and a delicious cheesy topping. It is beginner-friendly, affordable, and does not require an oven, making it a great recipe for everyday cooking.
The key to successful Ube Puto is simple: use fresh baking powder, avoid overfilling the molds, grease only the bottoms, protect the cakes from condensation, and watch the steaming time carefully. Once you get those details right, you can consistently make soft, fluffy, beautifully colored puto.
Whether for family or for selling, these Ube Puto Cheese are worth making at home today. Steam a batch, top them with cheese, and enjoy this delicious Filipino favorite!
