Ube Purple Yam Mousse Pie

Name: Ube Purple Yam Mousse Pie
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 1½ cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs, finely ground, finely ground (about 12 full crackers); 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, melted; 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar; 1 cup (240 ml) ube paste (purple yam paste), at room temperature; ¾ cup (180 ml) sweetened condensed milk; 2 cups (480 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold, ice-cold; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract; pinch salt; 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold, ice-cold; 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A silky no-bake Filipino dessert featuring a vibrant ube (purple yam) mousse layered over a buttery graham cracker crust and topped with whipped cream. The mousse combines sweet ube paste with condensed milk and whipped heavy cream for an airy, creamy texture that's both indulgent and light. This showstopping pie requires no oven and chills until set, making it perfect for warm weather entertaining.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: —
Wait: 6 hr
Total: 6 hr 25 min
Makes: 1 pie (10 slices)

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Steps

Before you start

Make sure your mixing bowl and whisk attachments are clean and dry for whipping cream
Use a 9-inch pie dish (preferably with straight sides)
Have ube paste at room temperature for easier blending
Read the entire recipe before starting—the crust and mousse must chill sequentially

1
Make the crust
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1½ cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs, 6 tablespoons (85 g) melted butter, and 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar.
- Stir with a spoon until the mixture resembles wet sand and holds together when pressed.
- Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish, using the bottom of a measuring cup to create an even layer.
- Make the edges slightly higher than the bottom to contain the mousse.
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Ready when: Crust is firm to the touch and holds together when pressed
Tip: Don't bake the crust—a no-bake Graham cracker crust works best for mousse pies as it stays crisp longer
2
Blend ube and condensed milk
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup (240 ml) room-temperature ube paste and ¾ cup (180 ml) sweetened condensed milk.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed (or by hand with a whisk), blend the two until smooth and fully combined, about 1–2 minutes.
- The mixture should be uniform with no streaks of ube paste.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth and uniform in color with no lumps
Tip: Room-temperature ube paste blends more easily; cold paste may clump
3
Whip the cream for mousse
- In a separate large, clean, dry mixing bowl, pour 2 cups (480 ml) of ice-cold heavy whipping cream.
- Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip the cream until stiff peaks form, about 3–4 minutes.
- Stop before over-whipping, which creates butter.
- The cream should look fluffy and hold sharp peaks when you lift the whisk.
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Ready when: Cream holds stiff peaks that don't droop; peaks are sharp when whisk is lifted
Tip: Use a chilled bowl and whisk for faster whipping. Work quickly—if the cream warms even slightly, you'll have to discard and start over
4
Fold in the cream
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the ube mixture in two batches.
- Fold by cutting down the center of the mixture, scraping along the bottom, and turning the bowl as you fold.
- Continue until no white streaks of cream remain and the mousse is light and airy, about 1–2 minutes per batch.
- Do not overmix or the mousse will deflate.
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Ready when: No white streaks visible and mousse is uniform in color
Tip: Folding, not stirring, keeps air in the mousse. Overmixing makes the pie dense instead of mousse-like
5
Fill the pie
- Pour the ube mousse into the chilled crust, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Make sure the mousse is spread evenly and reaches the edges.
- You should have enough mousse to fill the crust nearly to the rim.
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Ready when: Mousse is spread evenly and level across the pie
Tip: Use a quick, gentle hand—the mousse is delicate and over-handling deflates it
6
Chill the pie
- Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight (up to 24 hours).
- The pie will firm up as it chills and become easier to slice cleanly.
- For the best texture, chill for the full overnight duration.
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Ready when: Mousse is firm when poked gently with a finger; pie can be sliced cleanly
Tip: Cover loosely to prevent the mousse from absorbing fridge odors
7
Make the whipped cream topping
- Just before serving, place 1 cup (240 ml) of ice-cold heavy whipping cream in a clean bowl.
- Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip the cream until soft peaks form, about 2–3 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
- This should take another 1 minute.
- The topping cream should be slightly softer than the mousse underneath for a pleasant contrast.
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Ready when: Cream holds soft-to-stiff peaks; not over-whipped or grainy
Tip: Whip the topping cream just before serving so it stays fluffy and doesn't weep
8
Serve
- Remove the pie from the refrigerator 10 minutes before serving to let it come slightly closer to room temperature for easier slicing and better flavor.
- Run a thin, warm knife around the edge of the pie before cutting.
- Cut into 10 wedges, cleaning the knife between cuts for neat slices.
- Top each slice with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and serve immediately.
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Ready when: Pie slices cleanly without crumbling; mousse holds its shape on the plate
Tip: A warm knife (dipped in hot water and wiped dry) cuts through the mousse cleanly without dragging

Good to know

Tips

For the darkest, most vibrant purple color, use quality ube paste from a Filipino or Asian grocery store—homemade or lesser-quality brands may be lighter in color
Ube paste varies in sweetness by brand; taste the mousse mixture after blending the paste and condensed milk and adjust the condensed milk amount by up to 2 tablespoons if needed
The 6-hour chill is a minimum, but overnight (up to 24 hours) gives you the cleanest slices and best flavor development
Serve this pie slightly chilled, not ice-cold, to enjoy the full, rich ube flavor that mutes when the pie is too cold

Make ahead

You can prepare the crust up to 2 days ahead and store it covered in the refrigerator. The mousse itself should be assembled and chilled in the pie no more than 24 hours before serving for the best texture and flavor. Do not freeze the unbaked crust—prepare the whipped cream topping fresh just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Store the assembled pie in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, covered loosely with plastic wrap to prevent it from absorbing odors. Do not freeze—freezing damages the mousse texture and causes weeping upon thaw. Leftover pie (without topping) can be kept for 2 days in a covered airtight container. The whipped cream topping does not keep and should always be made fresh just before serving.

Substitutions

ube paste (purple yam paste) → Ube powder (4–6 tablespoons blended with 2 tablespoons milk to form a paste). Ube powder is less sweet; use only 1/2 cup condensed milk instead of 3/4 cup
graham cracker crumbs, finely ground → Digestive biscuit crumbs or vanilla wafer crumbs. Use the same weight; the flavor will be slightly different but the texture will work identically
sweetened condensed milk → Evaporated milk (blend 1/2 cup evaporated milk with 1/4 cup powdered sugar). This creates a less sweet mousse; reduce any additional sweetening
vanilla extract → 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or omit entirely. Almond extract complements ube; omitting keeps the ube flavor more prominent