This ube custard tart has a buttery shortcrust shell and a smooth, coconut-milk custard colored deep violet by ube halaya — a cooked purple yam jam used widely in Filipino baking. The flavor is mild and earthy, not aggressively sweet, which makes it one of the easier tarts to serve to a mixed crowd. It bakes in about 35 minutes and slices cleanly, which is the honest reason it works well when you need to feed more than a few people.
About the ingredients
- Ube halaya: This is cooked, sweetened purple yam paste — find it jarred at most Asian grocery stores. Homemade is smoother and less sweet, but jarred works fine. Check the label: some brands are quite sweet, so taste before adding the full half-cup of sugar in the filling.
- Ube extract: Not in the base recipe, but a small amount (start with 1/4 teaspoon) deepens both the color and the yam flavor if your halaya is mild. Useful when you’re scaling up and want a consistent look across multiple tarts.
- Coconut milk: Use full-fat, not lite. Lite coconut milk produces a thinner custard that may not set properly.
- Egg yolks only: The recipe uses yolks, not whole eggs. This is intentional — yolks give the custard its rich, smooth texture. Don’t substitute whole eggs or the filling will be rubbery.
The short version of why this works
Two things determine whether this tart succeeds. First, the butter in the crust must stay cold all the way through mixing — warm butter creates a dense, tough shell instead of a flaky one, and a tough crust won’t hold up under a moist filling without turning soggy. Second, the custard needs to come out of the oven while the center still has a slight wobble. The residual heat finishes the set as it cools. Pull it too early and it won’t slice; leave it too long and the texture turns grainy. Both problems are more obvious when you’re baking several tarts at once, since oven temperature can drop when you load multiple pans — give the oven an extra five minutes to come back up to temperature before you start timing.
Common problems and fixes
- Custard cracks across the top: The oven was too hot or the tart baked too long. Ube custard is more forgiving than a cheesecake, but it will crack if pushed past the wobbly-center stage. An oven thermometer is worth using, especially if you’re running multiple tarts.
- Filling separates or looks curdled after baking: The egg yolks scrambled, usually because the oven runs hot or the custard mixture sat too long before going in. Mix the filling just before you’re ready to pour and bake immediately.
- Crust shrinks badly during baking: The dough wasn’t chilled long enough, or it was stretched rather than pressed into the pan. After pressing the dough in, refrigerate the shell for another 10–15 minutes before filling — this is especially helpful when making several tarts in batches.
- Tart sticks to the pan and won’t release cleanly: The pan wasn’t greased before lining. A light butter or non-stick spray coat before pressing in the dough makes removal much cleaner, particularly important when you’re cutting and plating multiple portions.
- Filling color looks dull or brownish after baking: This happens when the ube halaya is low quality or the tart overbaked. Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish — and focus on pulling the tart at the right time; a properly baked filling holds its purple color well on its own.
Ube Custard Tart
Equipment
- Tart pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Measuring cups
- Oven
Ingredients
For the Tart Crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 2-3 tablespoons ice water
For the Ube Custard Filling:
- 1 cup ube halaya (ube jam) preferably homemade
- 1 cup coconut milk full-fat
- 4 pieces egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Tart Crust: In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and use your fingertips to blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the Ube Custard Filling: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the ube halaya, coconut milk, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and well blended.
- Assemble and Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface and press it into a tart pan. Fill with the ube custard mixture. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the custard is set but slightly wobbly in the center.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the tart to cool completely before slicing. Serve garnished with coconut flakes for added texture and a hint of tropical flavor.
Notes
- To enhance the ube flavor, add a drop of ube extract to the custard.
- For those who prefer less sweetness, reduce the sugar to 1/3 cup.
- To ensure a crisp crust, blind bake the tart crust lined with parchment and filled with pie weights for 10 minutes before adding the filling.
Nutrition
FAQ
Can I make these as individual mini tarts instead of one large tart?
Yes, and it’s actually the better choice for parties or bake sales. Use a standard muffin tin or individual 3-inch tart molds, reduce the bake time to roughly 18–22 minutes, and check for the same slight wobble in the center.
Can I make the tart a day ahead?
Yes — this tart holds well overnight in the refrigerator, covered loosely with plastic wrap. The crust softens slightly by day two, so same-day or next-day is the window for the best texture.
Where do I find ube halaya if I don’t have an Asian grocery store nearby?
It’s available online from several retailers and ships well since it’s a shelf-stable jarred product. Search for ‘ube jam’ or ‘ube halaya’ — Honeyboy and Monika are two commonly available brands.
Can I freeze the baked tart?
The custard filling does not freeze well — it becomes watery and grainy when thawed. You can freeze the unbaked tart shell (after pressing into the pan) for up to one month; thaw overnight in the fridge before filling and baking.
How do I know the custard is actually set before I take it out of the oven?
Give the pan a gentle nudge — the outer two-thirds should be firm and the very center should jiggle like soft Jell-O, not slosh like liquid. It will finish firming up as it cools completely at room temperature, which takes about an hour.
What to bake next
- Brown Butter Chocolate Tart
- Tropical Lime Bars with Toasted Coconut
- Blackberry Mascarpone Tart
- Tropical Coconut Cardamom Ice Cream