A few years ago on a trip to the Phillipines, Henry made the day trip from Manila to The Good Shepherd Convent in the town of Baguio.  This Convent is world renowned for their delicious desserts, specifically their Ube Halaya or Ube Jam.  What is Ube Jam?  A delicious combination of Purple “Yams” (Sweet Potatoes really), Evaporated Milk, and Sugar.

The Good Shepherd version of this Filipino dish is so popular, that you have to wait in a long line, and you can only buy two at a time!  Obviously, the sugar and milk make this a non-starter for our whole food/real food diet.  However, we came across some Purple Yam’s recently and decided to attempt a dairy and sugar free Paleo version of this treat.  Give it a shot and please tell us what you think?  You should be able to find Purple Yams at your local Asian market.

Josephine about to enjoy her very first bite of Ube Jam

Ingredients for 6 servings

• 2 Large Purple Yams
• 1/3 Cup Aroy-D Coconut Cream
• 1/4 Cup Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate
• 1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup, Honey, or Brown Rice Syrup
• 1 Tbsp Organic Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

How to make it?

1. Boil Yam in large pot for 20-30 minutes or until you are able to easily insert and remove a fork
2. In a separate smaller pot, on medium heat, combine Coconut Cream, Coconut Concentrate, Maple Syrup, and Vanilla Extract.  Stir to combine ingredients well and to avoid burning or sticking to pan.  Reduce heat once Coconut mixture is homogenized.
3. Remove Yam from warm water and peel and discard the yellowish skin.
4. Combine Coconut mixture and Yam in either a food processor, or in a large pan/bowl where you can mix with a hand blender,  blend until Jam is smooth, thick, and very well combined.
5. Use a spatula to load into 4 small serving cups.
6. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
7. Enjoy!