Print

Coconut Ube Besito Cookies Recipe

4.9 from 59 reviews

Coconut Ube Besito Cookies are a delightful tropical treat combining the rich flavors of coconut and ube in a unique two-dough cookie filled with creamy ube pastry cream. Featuring a crispy baked topping and a luscious white chocolate dip, these cookies offer a perfect balance of sweetness, texture, and vibrant purple color that will impress anyone looking for a Filipino-inspired dessert.

Ingredients

Scale

Coconut Dough

  • 1 cup Unsalted Butter
  • 1 cup White Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Coconut Extract
  • 1 large Egg
  • 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 cup Cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 cup Shredded Coconut
  • 1 cup White Chocolate Chips

Ube Dough

  • 1 cup Unsalted Butter (assumed equal to coconut dough)
  • 1 cup White Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Ube Extract (inferred from directions; added for flavor)
  • 1 large Egg
  • 3 cups All-Purpose Flour (assumed same as coconut dough)
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 cup Cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 cup White Chocolate Chips

Ube Pastry Cream

  • 4 large Egg Yolks
  • 1 cup Whole Milk
  • 1 cup Ube Condensed Milk
  • 1/4 cup White Sugar (assumed, standard for pastry cream sweetness)
  • 1 teaspoon Ube Extract (assumed to enhance ube flavor)
  • 2 tablespoons Cornstarch

Ube Besito Mixture

  • 1 cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut
  • 1 cup Ube Condensed Milk
  • 2 large Egg Whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Finishing

  • 1/2 cup Melted White Chocolate

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Ube Pastry Cream: In a saucepan, combine the whole milk and ube condensed milk and bring to a gentle boil. Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, ube extract, and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture to temper the eggs, stirring constantly. Strain this mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until it thickens into a smooth pastry cream. Once thickened, transfer to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator until set.
  2. Make the Ube Besito Mixture: Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Mix shredded sweetened coconut with ube condensed milk in a bowl until combined. Beat egg whites with salt until stiff peaks form, then gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture. Drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy on the edges. Set aside to cool.
  3. Prepare the Doughs: For the coconut dough, cream together unsalted butter and white sugar until fluffy. Add coconut extract and one egg, mixing well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt, then gradually add to the butter mixture. Fold in shredded coconut and white chocolate chips. For the ube dough, in another bowl, cream together butter with white and brown sugars, add ube extract and an egg, then mix thoroughly. Combine with the same flour mixture and fold in white chocolate chips.
  4. Assemble the Cookies: Roll both doughs into balls of equal size. Flatten each dough ball and place a spoonful of chilled ube pastry cream in the center of the coconut dough half. Place the ube dough half on top, sealing the edges to enclose the filling completely. Place the assembled cookies on a tray and freeze for at least 30 minutes to help maintain their shape during baking.
  5. Bake the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C). Transfer the frozen cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops of the cookies appear dull and set. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
  6. Finish the Cookies: Dip the bottoms of each cooled cookie into melted white chocolate and place on parchment paper to set until the chocolate hardens. Serve these elegant tropical treats once the chocolate is firm.

Notes

  • Make sure to chill the ube pastry cream thoroughly before assembling cookies to prevent leakage during baking.
  • Freezing the cookies before baking helps maintain their shape and prevents spreading in the oven.
  • Using sweetened shredded coconut for the besito mixture provides a pleasant crisp topping; unsweetened coconut will result in a less sweet finish.
  • If ube extract is unavailable, you can substitute with ube halaya (purple yam jam) for flavor, but adjust the liquid content accordingly.
  • Melt white chocolate gently to avoid burning, using a double boiler or microwave in short bursts.

Keywords: Coconut Ube Besito Cookies, ube cookies, coconut cookies, Filipino dessert, ube pastry cream, tropical cookies