New Flavor Drop Targets Curious Coffee Drinkers Chobani is entering the ube market with a dairy coffee creamer made from real ube—the vibrant purple yam central to Filipino cuisine—launching nationwide in September at a suggested retail price of $7.49. The creamer combines real ube, farm-fresh milk, cream, and cane sugar, without artificial flavors, colors from artificial sources, or hydrogenated oils. Chobani describes the result as "subtly sweet, silky, slightly nutty."
Recipe Development Led by Filipino Employees To capture an authentic flavor profile, Chobani's R&D team consulted with Filipino employees during development. Nina Felix, Senior Director of Supply Chain Optimization at Chobani, said: "When the R&D team approached me, I shared a list of ube pastries, desserts, and grocery products for them to try before beginning work on this project to get a sense of how most Filipinos enjoy it. When I tried the finished product, I immediately thought of the ube macapuno ice cream I grew up buying from the mamang sorbetero—a Filipino street ice cream vendor. It really took me back." The team tasted the creamer alongside traditional ube desserts and refined the recipe accordingly.
Limited-Edition Packaging from Filipino Artist The launch includes limited-edition packaging illustrated by Patricia Doria, a Manila-based artist. Her designs span three unique packages with a playful Halloween-inspired aesthetic. Doria noted: "Ube is a staple flavor for many desserts and pastries in the Philippines. Any celebration calls for a dessert made with ube." The packaging is designed to educate U.S. consumers about ube's origins and pronunciation while creating a collectible visual experience.
Why It Matters
The creamer launch represents Chobani's continued expansion beyond yogurt into adjacent dairy categories.
As specialty flavors gain traction in coffee creamer aisles—a category historically dominated by vanilla and hazelnut—brands are competing to capture consumers seeking novel taste experiences tied to cultural narratives.
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Written by FBM Publications Editors
