Ube Tea Iced Recipe

Brew the tea

Bring 800 ml filtered water to a near boil in a saucepan or kettle (just under a rolling boil). Remove from heat and add the hibiscus flowers (or black tea leaves if using). Cover and steep for 6–8 minutes for a robust infusion; if you used hibiscus, steep closer to 6 minutes to avoid excessive tartness.

Strain

Strain the brewed tea through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl or measuring jug to remove flowers/tea leaves. Reserve 600 ml of the strained tea for the recipe (you can discard or refrigerate any extra).

Incorporate the ube

While the strained tea is still warm (not boiling), add 120 g ube jam/purée and 40 g granulated sugar to the 600 ml warm tea. Whisk vigorously until the ube jam dissolves as much as possible and the mixture is smooth. Use a small hand blender or immersion blender (1–2 quick pulses) if needed to fully incorporate the thicker jam into the liquid.

Flavor & adjust

Stir in 0.5 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of fine sea salt. Taste and adjust sweetness: add up to 1 tbs more sugar if you prefer sweeter tea or 1 tbs sweetened condensed milk for extra creaminess (account for condensed milk in the milk section if using). If you want a deeper purple color, whisk in 0.5 tsp ube powder or a few drops of ube extract now.

Allow the ube tea base to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled (about 30–45 minutes). You can speed this up by placing the container in an ice bath.

Combine with milk

For a creamy iced ube tea: fill two serving glasses with ice (about 1.5 cups ice per glass). Pour 100 ml chilled ube tea base into each glass, then add 100 ml evaporated/whole/coconut milk to each. If using sweetened condensed milk, drizzle 1 tbs into each glass and gently stir to combine. For a lighter non-creamy iced tea, skip the milk and pour 200 ml chilled ube tea base over ice instead.

Adjust and mix

Stir each glass to fully combine the ube tea with milk or to ensure an even color. Taste and adjust sweetness or milk level as desired — add a splash more milk for creamier texture or an extra 1 tbs simple syrup if needed.

Top each glass with a sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes or crushed pinipig for texture. Garnish with a small mint sprig if desired. Serve immediately with a straw or long spoon to re-mix any settled ube at the bottom.