Vegan Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding (2024)

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

In Jamaica, they call this baking style “hell a top, hell a bottom, and hallelujah in the middle.” It results in a decadent pudding with a perfectly baked sweet custard top.

Nowadays, I make my version of Jamaican sweet potato pudding vegan and gluten-free. I quickly 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 StewPeas with Dumplingsand my Jamaican Sorrel Drink for a truly authentic taste of the Island.

In Jamaica, this baking style is called “hell a top, hell a bottom, and hallelujah in the middle.” The result 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. 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 StewPeas with Dumplingsand 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

1. 1. The Jamaican white flesh sweet potato is white flesh with red skin and the American sweet potato is orange flesh with brown skin.
   2. Jamaican sweet potato are sturdier when cooked, while American sweet potato are softer
   3. Jamaican sweet potatoes are starchier in texture than American sweet potatoes.
   4. 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 Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding?

I usually store mine for 1-2 days in a container with a tight-fitting lid, then refrigerate any leftovers. It also freezes well.

Other Jamaican Gluten-Free Vegan Desserts To Try

1. 1. Jamaican Cornmeal Pudding

1. 1. Jamaican Blue Draws

1. 1. Vegan Pineapple Tart

1. 1. Gluten-Free Mango Bread

1. 1. Vegan Plantain Bread

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Categories

• Categories: Gluten-Free, Vegan
• Course: Dessert
• Cuisine: Jamaican
• Seasons: Christmas, Thanksgiving

• 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

Notes:

1. Use the white-fleshed sweet potato, also called Batata or Boniato, with dry white flesh and pink to purple skin. Boniato is not as sweet as regular orange-fleshed sweet potatoes.
2. I have used a combination of sweet potatoes and other Caribbean/African root vegetables, such as yellow yam, white African yam, taro, eddoes, etc. with great success.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 the liquid depending on your preferences.
6. 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.