Imagine biting into a decadent slice of tender sweet potato pudding infused with coconut milk and warm spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. The alluring aroma wafting through the air is a feast for the senses and a culinary delight.
Jamaican sweet potato pudding is a renowned traditional dessert with roots reaching back to the island’s rich cultural heritage.
This pudding is also traditionally referred to as ‘Hell a top, Hell a bottom, Hallelujah in the middle!’ as we cooked it in a Dutch pot with coal both underneath and on top of the pot.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JAMAICAN SWEET POTATO AND NORTH AMERICAN SWEET POTATO?
Jamaican sweet potato has a red or purple skin with white or yellowish flesh. It is sweeter, starchier, and denser. North American sweet potato is orange or brown with orange flesh. It is also on the softer side. Using the latter would create a different taste and texture from the traditional Jamaican sweet potato pudding.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR JAMAICAN SWEET POTATO PUDDING
1. Flour
2. Margarine/Butter
3. Cinnamon
4. Demerara Brown Sugar
5. Pure Vanilla
6. Salt
7. Jamaican Sweet Potato – You can also use Caribbean sweet potato.
8. Rose Water – You can also find Rose Water in a West Indian or Caribbean grocery store.
9. Coconut Milk
10. Ginger Powder – You can also do a mixture of ginger powder and grated ginger. If using grated ginger, use 1/2 tbsp and 1 tsp ginger powder. You can use more if you like a strong taste of ginger.
11. Almond Extract
12. Nutmeg
13. Cocoyam – This is also referred to as Taro. You can also substitute with dasheen, eddoes, or white yam.
14. Mixed Spice – This is similar to pumpkin spice. You can also find mixed spice in the West Indian or Caribbean grocery store.
HOW TO MAKE JAMAICAN SWEET POTATO PUDDING
1. Grate your sweet potatoes and cocoyam using the fine side of the grater.
2. Add in the melted margarine, rosewater, almond extract, vanilla extract, coconut milk, and brown sugar. Mix until combined.
3. In the same bowl, sift your flour, mixed spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Mix until well combined.
4. Add your mixture to a greased and lined 9″ springform baking pan. Ensure to tap the pan to remove any air bubbles.
5. Cover with foil and bake at 350℉ for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
6. Custard Topping – Mix coconut milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and mixed spice.
7. Remove the pudding from the oven. Pour half the topping on your pudding and bake for 1 hour.
8. Pour the remaining mixture and bake for another 45 minutes.
9. Cool completely in the pan before removing.
DIFFERENT BAKE TIMES
If you want a shorter bake time, you can opt to do the initial bake time without the foil on top. If you choose to go this route, you would bake for 1 hour, then add all your topping and then bake for another 45 mins to 1 hour. You would still get a soft pudding texture, but I find baking it according to my original instructions yields a softer pudding.
STORAGE TIPS
The pudding will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. The custard topping won’t remain the same when it is in the fridge, so enjoy it after it has cooled before storing.
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JAMAICAN SWEET POTATO PUDDING
Ingredients
- 2 lb Jamaican Sweet Potatoes
- ¼ lb Cocoyam
- 2 cups Flour 250g
- 1 can Coconut Milk 400ml
- ¾ cup Demerara Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Vanilla
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- 2 tsp Ginger
- 1 tbsp Mixed Spice
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ cup Melted Margarine
- ¾ tsp Rosewater
- ¾ tsp Almond Extract
CUSTARD TOPPING
- ¼ tsp Mixed Spice
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Vanilla
- 3 tbsp Demerara Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Coconut Milk 120ml
Instructions
- Grate your sweet potatoes and cocoyam using the fine side of the grater.
- Add in the melted margarine, rosewater, almond extract, vanilla extract, coconut milk, and brown sugar. Mix until combined.
- In the same bowl, sift your flour, mixed spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Mix until well combined.
- Cover with foil and bake at 350℉ for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Custard Topping – Mix coconut milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and mixed spice.
- Remove the pudding from the oven. Pour half the topping on your pudding and bake for 1 hour.
- Pour the remaining mixture and bake for another 45 minutes.
- Cool completely in the pan before removing.
