Ube French Toast Bake (King’s Hawaiian Copycat)

Name: Ube French Toast Bake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 12-count package King’s Hawaiian Ube Coconut rolls (about 12 oz) (cubed); 13.5 oz can full-fat coconut milk; ¼ cup whole milk; 4 large eggs; ⅓ cup light brown sugar (packed); 1 teaspoons ube extract; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon salt; Butter (for greasing the pan); ⅓ cup sliced almonds; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted); 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; ¾ cup powdered sugar; 1 to 2 tablespoons coconut milk; ⅛ teaspoon ube extract

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Ube French toast bake is the kind of brunch recipe that makes you look like you tried way harder than you did. It uses a package of King’s Hawaiian Ube Coconut rolls, a coconut milk custard, a splash of ube extract for that gorgeous purple color, and a buttery almond topping that goes golden and crackly in the oven.

You can throw it together in about 10 minutes, soak it overnight, and bake it the next morning. It pulls double duty as Easter brunch, Mother’s Day breakfast, or honestly just a Saturday morning when you want something a little extra without standing at the stove flipping French toast slice by slice.

Ube French toast bake slice on a small white plate dusted with powdered sugar and toasted almonds with coffee in the background

Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
How to Make Ube French Toast Bake
Tips for the Best Ube French Toast Bake
Storage and Reheating
FAQs
Ube French Toast Bake Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s a one-pan, mostly hands-off brunch that you can prep the night before and bake in the morning.
The ube and coconut combo is unreal. Sweet, faintly nutty, slightly tropical, and naturally a stunning shade of purple.
King’s Hawaiian Ube Coconut rolls do the heavy lifting. They’re already enriched and slightly sweet, so the custard soaks in beautifully.
The almond topping toasts up golden and crunchy and gives every bite a little texture against the soft custardy bread.

Let’s Chit Chat

I bought a pack of the King’s Hawaiian Ube Coconut rolls on a whim and I just knew I wanted to bake them into something. Slicing them into French toast was the obvious move, but standing at the stove flipping a dozen little rolls one by one sounded miserable. So I cubed them, soaked them in a coconut milk custard with a few drops of ube extract from the Asian market, and called it a French toast bake.

The first test was honestly close to perfect. The bread is already sweet and tender, so the custard just slides in. The coconut milk makes the inside taste almost like a baked tres leches situation, and a quick glaze on top after baking pulls everything together visually. If you have ube extract sitting around, this is exactly the kind of recipe to use it on.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for ube French toast bake including King's Hawaiian Ube Coconut rolls, eggs, coconut milk, brown sugar, butter, ube extract, and sliced almonds

King’s Hawaiian Ube Coconut rolls. One 12-pack package is exactly right for an 8×8 pan. If you can’t find them, regular King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls plus an extra splash of ube extract will get you close.
Full-fat coconut milk. Use canned, not the carton kind. Shake the can well before opening so the cream and liquid blend back together.
Whole milk. Cuts the coconut milk just enough to keep the custard from getting heavy or breaking. Half and half also works if you want it richer.
Ube extract. The little bottle from the Asian market. It’s potent, so start with a teaspoon and add more if you want a deeper purple. Most brands are mostly for color and a faint vanilla-coconut-y flavor.
Eggs. Four large eggs give the custard structure without making it eggy.
Brown sugar. Adds a soft caramel note that plays beautifully with coconut. Light or dark both work.
Sliced almonds. Tossed with a little melted butter and sugar so they candy slightly while baking.
Optional ube glaze. Powdered sugar, a splash of coconut milk, and a tiny drop of ube extract. Drizzle after baking for that purple-on-purple Pinterest moment.

How to Make Ube French Toast Bake

Cube the rolls. Slice each ube coconut roll into about 6 cubes. You want roughly 6 cups of cubed bread. Spread them in a buttered 8×8 baking dish.

King's Hawaiian Ube Coconut rolls pre-sliced into cubes still in their original packaging

Make the custard. Whisk the coconut milk, whole milk, eggs, brown sugar, ube extract, vanilla, and salt until smooth and an even shade of purple.

Coconut milk custard with eggs, brown sugar, and ube extract in a glass bowl before whisking

Vibrant purple coconut milk and ube custard whisked smooth in a glass bowl

Soak. Pour the custard evenly over the cubed bread. Press down gently with a spatula so every piece gets coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for the best texture.
Make the almond topping. Toss the sliced almonds with melted butter and a spoonful of sugar. Sprinkle them evenly over the soaked bread right before baking.

Cubed Hawaiian rolls soaking in purple coconut milk custard in a square metal baking dish

Soaked French toast bake topped with buttered sliced almonds and ready to go in the oven

Bake. Bake at 350F for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the custard is set in the center. If the almonds start browning too fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Glaze or dust with powdered sugar and serve. Let it rest for about 10 minutes. Whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the top. Serve warm.

Freshly baked ube French toast bake in a square pan with golden toasted almonds on top

A spatula lifting a slice of ube French toast bake out of the pan revealing the custardy purple interior

Tips for the Best Ube French Toast Bake

Soak it overnight. The Hawaiian rolls have a tight crumb, so they really benefit from a long soak. Overnight gives you the most custardy interior.
Start with less ube extract. It’s strong, and the color deepens as it bakes. A teaspoon is usually plenty.
Don’t skip the salt. Even a small pinch makes the coconut and brown sugar pop. Without it, the bake can taste flat.
Watch the almonds. They go from golden to too dark fast. If they brown before the custard is set, lay a piece of foil loosely on top.
Test the center. The custard should be just set, not jiggly. A knife inserted in the middle should come out mostly clean.

Storage and Reheating

Cover leftovers tightly and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for about 45 seconds, or warm the whole pan, covered with foil, in a 325F oven for 15 minutes. The almond topping stays crisp surprisingly well.

Overhead view of a slice of ube French toast bake on a white plate with a forkful pulled out

Close up of a forkful of soft purple ube French toast bake with coffee in the background

FAQs

Can I make this without ube extract?

You can, it just won’t have the purple color or that signature ube flavor. The ube coconut rolls already have some ube in them, so the bake will still taste lightly of ube even without the extract.

Can I use regular King’s Hawaiian rolls?

Yes. Use the original sweet rolls and add an extra half teaspoon of ube extract to the custard to make up for the missing ube flavor in the bread.

Can I use a 9×13 pan?

Double the recipe for a 9×13. You’ll need two packages of rolls and roughly double the custard. Bake time stays close to 45 minutes since the depth is similar.

What can I serve with it?

Maple syrup, more coconut glaze, fresh berries, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you’re leaning dessert. A side of crispy bacon or sausage balances the sweetness for brunch.

Can I freeze it?

Yes. Cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in a 325F oven until warmed through.