Sweet Potato Dessert Recipe

Sweet Potato Dessert is a simple baked sweet that uses sweet potatoes, sugar and butter.  It is usually called just “Sweet Potato.”  It has been around over 100 years in Japan, and, although it is a more old-fashioned dessert today, it is still a great homemade treat.

Sweet Potato Dessert is found at sweet shops in Japan as well as made at home.  Even though sweet potatoes are available all year round at supermarkets, they are still considered to be a food of autumn.  For that reason, you may see Sweet Potato Dessert at shops more in fall.  The look of the browned top on the warm yellow sweet potato is also suitable and appetizing for the cooling season.  Japanese sweet potatoes are called Satsuma Imo,  which we used in this recipe, and they usually have purple skin with white flesh, but the inside turns bright yellow when it’s cooked.  The texture is much denser and thicker, and even sweeter than American counterparts, therefore, they are perfect for dessert.

Recipes for Sweet Potato Dessert vary by home and shop, but the basic idea is that cooked and mashed potatoes are sweetened and flavored, and then baked in the oven.  Some people incorporate milk or cream, or even eggs to the potato mixture, but we just used butter to make it nice and rich.  Spices like cinnamon and vanilla could be used for a flavoring, or your favorite liquor would work too.  If you prefer a smoother texture, you can sieve through a fine mesh and remove fibers in the sweet potatoes.  If you don’t mind a little chunkiness, then you can just mash the potatoes by hand.

This is a very easy and simple tasting dessert, make it at home and enjoy the taste of fall!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Sweet Potato Dessert Recipe

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: Japanese sweet potato, sweet potato

Servings: 12 pieces

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Ingredients

• 500 g Japanese sweet potatoes
• 60 g sugar
• 3 Tbsp butter room temperature
• 1 tsp rum
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp Mirin
• black sesame seeds

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
• Cut sweet potato into 1/2″ (1.2 mm) thick rounds. Let soak in water for 10 minutes. Cook in boiling water until tender. Peel the skin and mash. Sieve through a mesh strainer if you want a smoother texture.
• Mix mashed potato with sugar and soft butter. Add rum. Chill the potato mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Mix yolk and Mirin to make egg wash.
• Shape potato mixture into 12 oblong shapes. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and brush the surface with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until browned.

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