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Ninong's Dessert Lab Ube Cookie Butter (8 oz)
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Our Verdict
Ninong's Ube Cookie Butter isn't a traditional halaya. It's a buttery, cookie-like ube spread, and that's what makes it fun. Spread it on warm pan de sal or drizzle it over pancakes, and it tastes like something from a Filipino bakery. It's also an easy shortcut for ube pies, frostings, and swirls. The flavor is gentler than a good halaya and the jar is small, but for $6.99 it's an easy jar to keep in the fridge. A warmed spoonful is also a good finishing drizzle for our whipped ube cottage cheese protein bowl.
What We Liked
- Made in small batches by the Filipino-owned Ninong's Pastries & Café in Northridge, Los Angeles, the same team behind the ube pancake mix we reviewed earlier
- A short, recognizable ingredient list: butter, eggs, flour, sugar, ube, milk, and oil, with no preservatives
- Rich and buttery, more like a spreadable ube cookie than a jam, and good on toast, pan de sal, crackers, or ube pancakes
- Easy to bake with: food bloggers use it as a pie filling, a cake frosting when whipped with cream or mascarpone, and a swirl for brownies or ice cream
- Affordable at $6.99 for 8 oz, and in stock on Weee! when we checked
Drawbacks
- Must be kept refrigerated and eaten within about 30 days, because it has no preservatives
- Some buyers find the 8 oz jar small for the price and wish the ube flavor were stronger
- Contains milk, eggs, and wheat, so it isn't suitable for vegan, dairy-free, or gluten-free diets
- Harder to find than shelf-stable halaya brands; it's mainly sold through the café and Filipino or Asian online grocers
Key Features
- 8 oz jar
- Ingredients: butter, eggs, flour, sugar, ube, milk, oil
- Preservative-free; refrigerate and use within 30 days
- Made in the USA by Ninong's Pastries & Café (Northridge, CA)
- Contains milk, eggs, and wheat