3-Ingredient Ube Croissants

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

The Japanese side of my family always gets together for a huge New Years Day potluck, and as a kid, I’d be the one sneaking back to the dessert table for seconds (and thirds 🤣). It started off being mostly Japanese and Japanese-American food since that was our culture, but over the years, through relationships and kids, our family – and our table(!!) – has gotten much more diverse.

Fast forward to now, and we’ve got lumpia alongside a tray of homemade lasagna, with a side of spam musubi, and nearly everything in between! I’ve figured out how to make ube croissants at home without spending hours in the kitchen, and I’m seriously considering bringing them to our next gathering! They have a combination of buttery, flakey dough with that jammy ube filling, and I seriously think they’d be a hit. Just three ingredients and about 30 minutes total, and people are always shocked when I tell them how simple they are to make. And If you’re into easy croissant hacks, my Viral Flat Croissants with Matcha White Chocolate are another one that looks super fancy but takes practically no effort.

Get Recipe Ingredients

View this reel on Instagram

It also made my list of 36 Easy Asian Desserts, alongside a bunch of other favorites.

What Makes These Ube Croissants So Good

The secret is in keeping things simple. By using quality store-bought puff pastry (I’m talking about Dufour Classic Puff Pastry), you get those perfect, crispy layers without any of the work. The dough puffs up beautifully in the oven and gets this gorgeous golden color that makes them look bakery-level fancy.

And the ube halaya? WOW. It brings that earthy, slightly sweet purple yam flavor that’s so nostalgic for anyone who grew up eating Filipino desserts. I always use Tropics brand ube halaya because it’s got the perfect consistency and sweetness. You can grab it at most Asian markets or on Amazon if you don’t have an Asian grocery nearby. The filling stays nice and jammy inside while the outside gets all crispy and flakey. It’s that contrast of textures that makes these ube puff pastry croissants so impossible to stop eating.

If that nostalgic ube feeling is what you’re after, this Fluffy Ube Banana Cheesecake goes even deeper, pairing ube with caramelized banana in a Japanese cotton cheesecake you make in the rice cooker.

Tips for Making the Best Ube Puff Pastry Croissants

Keep Your Puff Pastry Cold

This is super important! Work quickly when you’re cutting and filling the dough. If the puff pastry gets too warm, it won’t puff up as nicely in the oven. I usually keep it in the fridge until right before I’m ready to work with it, and if my kitchen is really warm, I’ll even pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes between steps.

Don’t Overfill the Pastries

I know it’s tempting to load up on that ube halaya (trust me, I get it), but stick to about 1 tablespoon per pastry. Too much filling and it’ll ooze out everywhere when you’re rolling them up and baking. You want just enough to get that perfect ube flavor in every bite without making a mess.

Egg Wash is Your Best Friend

That egg wash is what gives these ube croissants their beautiful golden shine. Make sure you whisk the egg really well so it’s totally smooth, and don’t skip brushing it on before baking. It seals the pastry and gives it that professional bakery look. If you’re feeling extra, you can even do a double coat for an even shinier finish!

Watch Them Closely at the End

Every oven is a little different, so keep an eye on your pastries during the last few minutes of baking. You want them golden brown on top, but not burnt. If the tops are getting too dark but the inside isn’t cooked through yet, that tin foil trick I mentioned in the recipe is a lifesaver. Just tent some foil over the top and let them finish baking.

Let Them Cool Before Diving In

I know waiting is torture when they smell SO good fresh out of the oven, but give these ube puff pastries at least 5-10 minutes to cool. The filling is molten lava hot right when they come out, and you’ll burn your mouth (learned that the hard way 😅). Plus, they set up better and are easier to eat once they’ve rested a bit.

Storage and Leftovers

These ube croissants are best eaten the same day you make them, when they’re at peak flakiness. But if you somehow have leftovers (which rarely happens in my house), you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

To reheat, pop them in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes to crisp them back up. Don’t microwave them or they’ll get soggy! You can also freeze unbaked ube croissants and bake them straight from frozen, just add a few extra minutes to the baking time. Perfect for when you need a quick dessert and don’t want to do any prep.

If you’re into easy Filipino-inspired treats, you’ve gotta check out my Ube Rice Krispie Treats that are just as easy and have that same irresistible purple yam flavor with crushed Oreo Thins mixed in.

Ingredients

For 4 Ube Croissants:

• 1 sheet Dufour Classic Puff Pastry dough (or any high-quality store-bought puff pastry)
• 1 large egg
• 4 tablespoons ube halaya (I use Tropics brand)

Notes on Ingredients:

• Puff Pastry: Dufour is my go-to because it’s made with real butter and puffs up perfectly, but Pepperidge Farm works too if that’s what you can find
• Ube Halaya: This is the purple yam jam you’ll find in jars at Asian markets. Don’t substitute with ube extract or powder, you need the actual jam for the right texture and flavor
• Egg: Used for the wash to get that golden, shiny finish

Equipment

• Baking Pan
• Basting Brush
• Whisk
• Mixing Bowls
• Aluminum Foil
• Parchment Paper

Instructions

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 4 ube puff pastry croissants

• Preheat your oven to 400°F. While it’s heating up, take your puff pastry sheet and cut it in half. Then cut each half diagonally from one corner to the opposite corner, creating 4 triangular pieces. Think of it like cutting a square sandwich into triangles!
• Grab your ube halaya and put 1 tablespoon on the flat (wide) side of each triangle, opposite from the pointed end. Don’t spread it around, just plop it there. It’ll spread naturally as you roll.
• Crack your egg into a small bowl and whisk it really well until it’s completely smooth with no streaks. Using a pastry brush (or just a regular basting brush), brush some of that whisked egg onto the rest of the dough, working your way up to the pointed end. This helps seal everything together as you roll.
• Starting from the wide end where the ube is, roll each triangle up towards the point. Don’t roll too tight or the filling will squeeze out, but make sure it’s snug enough to hold together. Place each rolled croissant on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, with the point side down so they don’t unroll.
• Brush the tops of each ube croissant with more of that egg wash. Be generous here because this is what gives them that gorgeous golden color and shine!
• Pop them in the oven for 15 minutes, or until they’re puffed up and golden brown on top. If you notice the outside is browning but the inside layers still look raw when you peek, cover the pastries loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 3-5 minutes. The foil prevents the tops from burning while the inside finishes cooking.
• Let them rest for 5-10 minutes before eating. I know it’s hard to wait but seriously, the filling is LAVA hot right out of the oven!

These ube croissants are perfect for when you need to bring something to a potluck but don’t have tons of time to spend in the kitchen. They look impressive, taste amazing, and are so much easier than people think.

The combination of buttery, crispy puff pastry with that creamy ube filling is just so good. Plus, that gorgeous purple color when you bite into them? So fun and Instagram-worthy.

You can also play around with the filling if you want. Sometimes I’ll add a tiny bit of cream cheese mixed with the ube halaya for an extra creamy version, or dust the tops with powdered sugar right before serving. For a fun drink pairing, my Korean Banana Milk with Ube is the perfect complement to these pastries!

Would you make these ube puff pastry croissants? Let me know in the comments, and if you try them, tag me so I can see how they turned out! 🙌

Print

Print