This Ube Halaya Babka updates the traditional recipe by using dairy free milk and butter and adding a little Filipino flare with a creamy Ube filling.

Babka
I’ve been low key obsessed with Babka since the “Dinner Party” Seinfeld episode from way back in 1994.ย The forgot to get a ticket, so they were not technically in line and the couple before them got the last chocolate babka.ย It meant that Jerry and Elaine had to get the cinnamon babka, which Elaine deemed the lesser babka.

When this episode aired, I was living in Australia going to University.ย To ease the stress of studying I took up baking.ย Obsessively.ย One of the recipes I made was a chocolate babka.ย I don’t remember it being that good, only because I wasn’t a good baker yet.
Now babka keeps coming up on my feed because of my friend Sam from Frosting and Fettuccine.ย In my heart she is be babka queen, so I had to try her recipe.
Ube Halaya Babka
You know me, I have to put a little Filipino twist to it and ever since I got back from my vacation in the Philippines I’ve been wanting to make a healthier version of Ube Halaya.ย I was actually going to make another recipe with it, but it made plenty so I thought I’ll try Sam’s babka recipe, but add my leftover ube to it.ย I have to say it’s so good.
So this weekend I made Ube Halaya Babka happen.

Dairy Free Ube Halaya
Ube Halaya is a hybrid fudge / jam that is made with ube.ย Traditionally Ube Halaya is made with condensed and evaporated milk, sugar and lots of margarine.ย I wanted to make it healthier by cutting the sugar and replacing the processed milk with just Ripple pea protein milk.ย To sweeten it I just added a half cup of Simple Mills Vanilla Frosting.
Depending on how much you cook it down and how much milk you add to it, it can either thick and cut like fudge or made smoother so that it can be used as a spread.ย This recipe is more like a spread so it’s more spreadable.
Babka Dough
I used this babka recipe, but cut the portion in half and replaced the while milk with the Ripple Pea Protein Milk and used Miyoko Creamery Vegan Butter instead.
What I like to do is mix all the wet ingredients together, add the flour and salt and once it’s been mixed a little bit add in the butter at the end.

It’s a very nice soft dough that is easy to handle.ย I prefer to let the dough rest for an hour on the counter to do the first rise and then roll it out about a 20×12 inch square and spread the Ube Halaya filling from end to end.
Then roll it into a tight roll and cut the dough in half.ย Spread some of the leftover ube on one half and then lay the clean roll on top of it.ย Tuck the ends under each other like they are hugging and place in a lined loaf tin.
This video shows how to roll out the dough and spread and shape it.
Serving the Babka
Bake the babka at 375F for 45 minutes.ย You can leave the babka as is, or pour some thinned out Ube Halaya while the babka is still warm and decorate it with some sprinkles.ย Leave to cool the glazed babka in the tin and then take out and let it cool overnight.
Don’t be tempted to cut it while it’s still warm as it will just be a big glooby mess.ย Wait until the next morning and enjoy with some tea or coffee.

I hope you enjoyed this latest remix.ย Let me know if you have any questions about the Ube or the Babka.ย I am happy to answer all the questions.
