Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding recipe—rich, dense, spiced, and often described as “hell a top, hell a bottom, hallelujah in the middle.”
Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding
Ingredients:
2 lbs Jamaican (Caribbean) sweet potatoes (white or yellow flesh), grated
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup coconut milk (fresh or canned, full-fat)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal (fine)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp molasses (optional, for deeper flavor)
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
2 tbsp melted butter or margarine
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine grated sweet potatoes, sugar, and coconut milk. Stir until sugar is mostly dissolved.
Add flour, cornmeal, spices, salt, vanilla, and molasses (if using). Mix until smooth.
Fold in raisins and melted butter.
Pour into the prepared pan. Cover loosely with foil for the first half of baking.
Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, removing foil halfway through, until firm and golden. The top should form a crust and the center should be set.
Let cool slightly before serving—best enjoyed warm or at room temperature.
Tips:
Authentic Jamaican sweet potatoes are different from U.S. orange-fleshed sweet potatoes—they’re starchier and drier.
For a rustic touch, add a splash of rum or chopped coconut.
Traditional method uses fire/coal above and below for that signature crust—oven baking mimics it with the foil trick.