I enjoyed sweet potato pudding while growing up in Jamaica. It is easy to make, using a food processor or a blender. I must say it wasn’t as easy to make when I was growing up, but it was such a delight to eat and an appreciation of my mother’s labor of love that brings back warm memories!
Vegan Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding
My mom would grate the sweet potatoes by hand using a box grater, this was one of my least favorite tasks! She would mix the grated sweet potatoes with coconut milk (freshly grated), flour, spices, and raisins.
The mixture was then baked outdoors, using a traditional coal stove. She would make a fire with charcoal beneath the baking pan, then cover the baking pan and put more heated coals on top of the baking pan.
In Jamaica, this style of baking is called, “hell a top, hell a bottom and hallelujah in the middle” The results would be a decadent pudding perfectly baked with a sweet custard top.
Nowadays I make my version of Jamaican Sweet Potato pudding vegan and gluten-free. In a jiffy, I peel and chop the potatoes.
Process in a food processor, add canned coconut milk, gluten-free flour, and spices and pop it in an oven. I do a special step to get the custard topping by adding extra sweetened coconut milk halfway during baking.
This recipe is a must-try, there isn’t much room to fail if you are trying it for the first time. You will be happy you tried it! Serve it with my Jamaican Stew Peas with Dumplings and my Jamaican Sorrel Drink for a truly authentic taste of the Island.
How To Make Vegan Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding
To make Jamaican Sweet Potato pudding, you will need a special variety of sweet potato that has white flesh with red skin. It is mainly sold in West Indian, Asian and African grocery stores. But fortunately, it’s getting more popular here in the USA and it can even be found in Walmart. Sometimes it is also sold as ‘batata’.
Here are some of the differences between Jamaican white-flesh sweet potato and American orange-flesh sweet potato
- The Jamaican white flesh sweet potato is white flesh with red skin and the American sweet potato is orange flesh with brown skin.
- The Jamaican sweet potato is sturdier when cooked, the American sweet potato is softer.
- Jamaican sweet potato is starchier in texture than American sweet potato
- Although they are both sweet, there is a distinct difference in their sweetness.
Pro Chef Tip
Update: I have known readers who have replaced gluten-free flours with regular all-purpose flour with great success.
Also, a reader noted that she has doubled the flour and was able to have success using American sweet potatoes. I will have to try it soon.
How To Store Jamaica Sweet Potato Pudding?
I usually keep mine for 1-2 days in a container with a tight-fitting lid, and then refrigerate if any is left. It also freezes well.
Other Jamaican Gluten-Free Vegan Desserts To Try
- Jamaican Cornmeal Pudding
- Jamaican Blue Draws
- Vegan Pineapple Tart
- Gluten-Free Mango Bread
- Vegan Plantain Bread
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Categories
- Categories: Gluten-Free, Vegan
- Course: Dessert
- Cuisine: Jamaican
- Seasons: Christmas, Thanksgiving
Nutrition
(Per portion)- Energy: 274 kcal / 1145 kJ
- Fat: 10 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Carbs: 44 g
Cook Time
- Preparation: 15 min
- Cooking: 1 h 30 min
- Ready in: 1 h 55 min
- For: 12 Slices
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potato, (aka. Batata) *See Notes
- 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
- 1 cup coconut palm sugar
- 1 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup Gluten-Free all purpose flour, or brown rice flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Custard Topping
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch cinnamon, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round baking pan. Set aside.
- Peel sweet potatoes and roughly chop. Grate using the grater or a food processor in batches. (If using a food processor or blender, add some coconut milk to help process)
- Transfer grated sweet potatoes to a large bowl, add coconut milk, coconut palm sugar, spices and salt.
- Stir in flour to form a mostly smooth batter.
- Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 45 minutes.
- Combine all topping ingredients in a small bowl and pour evenly on the top of the pudding.
- Return pudding to oven and bake for another 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.
- Delicious served alone or with coconut whipped cream.
- Please double the flour if using regular American sweet potato variety.
Notes
Notes:
- Use the white flesh sweet potato also called Batata or Boniato, with dry white flesh and pink to purple skin. Boniato is not sweet as regular orange flesh sweet potatoes.
- I have used a combination of sweet potato and other Caribbean/African root vegetables, such as yellow yam, white African yam, taro, eddoes, etc. with great success.
- You can omit the spices and just use vanilla or a combination of ground coriander and cardamon. Basically, you can tweak the flavors to suit your taste buds. Cinnamon and nutmeg can be irritating to the lining of the stomach in the long run.
- Make sure you add extra coconut milk or water if you are using a high-speed blender. Chop the sweet potato into smaller pieces, pause and periodically scrape down the sides of the blender.
- Sweet potato pudding gets firmer as it cools. My husband prefers it when it is softer so I sometimes add extra liquid. I don’t care whether it’s soft or firm. So you might want to adjust liquid depending on your preferences.
- If you decide to grate sweet potatoes by hand, make sure you use the smallest hole on the grater to ensure pudding is smooth when baked.
Hello! Excited to try this recipe. Can you explain what you mean by your “special step” adding extra sweetened coconut milk halfway through baking!? I definitely want to achieve this! But im not sure what you mean. Thanks!
Hello Mineko, the special step is for adding the custard topping halfway through baking. So you are making the recipe step by step as written. The section in the ingredient list where it says Custard topping, all those ingredients will be mixed together and be poured on top of the pudding halfway through baking.
I have not yet tried any of your recipes, but I am sure to do so. They all sound yummy! Thank you so much for sharing your learning and background along with the recipes.
I loved this! I used American sweet potatoes and double the GF flour as instructed. It is so delicious and I love how the top coating sets after baking. My kids liked it but want me to use the blender next time so the sweet potatoes do not have a “texture”.
Gaby, that’s awesome, I’m happy it turned out great with American sweet potatoes. Yes the blender method works great. Chop the sweet potato into tiny bite-sized pieces and blend with the coconut milk.
This Jamaican sweet potato pudding is really good
What other sugars can be used in place of the coconut palm? I am wondering about a mix of white and brown sugar? Recipe looks delicious!
Lynda, this recipe is very forgiving, you can use about any sweetener you choose, I have your sugar in the raw, dates, maple syrup, a combination of stevia with maple syrup as well.
If i chose to use dates or even white sugar, do i need to change the proportions of flour or anything else?
Nope, blend the pitted dates with coconut milk and just make sure the batter is not stiff. Add extra coconut milk if it is too stiff. Recipe is very forgiving.