Sweet Potato Pone

Name: Sweet Potato Pone
Ingredients: 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, divided; 1 cup (packed; 200 g) dark brown sugar; 2 Tbsp. solid virgin coconut oil; 1 large egg, room temperature; Zest and juice of 1 large lime; Zest of 1 orange; 1 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated; ½ tsp. ground cinnamon; ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg; ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt; 2 large or 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1½ lb.) peeled, finely grated on a box grater (6–7 cups); ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk; 1 Tbsp. dark rum; ½ tsp. Angostura bitters; ½ tsp. vanilla extract; 1 cup (60 g) unsweetened coconut flakes, divided; 2 pints vanilla ice cream (optional)

By Brigid Washington

November 23, 2021

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Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Cyd McDowell. Food Styling by Paige Hicks

Imagine if sweet potato pie shed its crust and took a trip to the tropics and you might end up with something like this sweet potato pone. Prized for its versatility, pone is a Caribbean staple typically made with grated yuca (cassava) and can be either sweet or savory. In this version grated sweet potatoes replace the yuca and mingle with a triple coconut threat (oil, flakes, and milk), plus a dynamic mix of aromatics from rum to citrus and warm spices. The result is a dessert capable of dethroning even the most beloved of holiday desserts, especially when served with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream. While a traditional yuca pone is denser and often served in cake-like slices, this one is more scoopable, almost like a pudding. Finely grating the sweet potatoes by hand does require some elbow grease, but the results make it well worth it. —Brigid Washington

What you’ll need

Stand Mixer
$400 At Amazon
Microplane Grater
$19 At Amazon
OXO Good Grips Small Citrus Juicer
$15 At Amazon
Cast Iron Skillet
$35 At Amazon

Ingredients

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, divided

1 cup (packed; 200 g) dark brown sugar

2 Tbsp. solid virgin coconut oil

1 large egg, room temperature

Zest and juice of 1 large lime

Zest of 1 orange

1 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

2 large or 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1½ lb.) peeled, finely grated on a box grater (6–7 cups)

½ cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 Tbsp. dark rum

½ tsp. Angostura bitters

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup (60 g) unsweetened coconut flakes, divided

2 pints vanilla ice cream (optional)

Preparation

Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a medium cast-iron skillet over medium heat, swirling butter to coat skillet; set aside.
Step 2
Beat brown sugar, oil, and remaining 4 Tbsp. butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg and beat until mixture is pale brown and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add lime zest, lime juice, orange zest, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and beat to combine, about 1 minute (mixture may look curdled, which is fine). Reduce speed to low and add sweet potatoes, coconut milk, rum, bitters, vanilla, and ½ cup coconut flakes. Mix until well combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape batter into reserved skillet and top with remaining ½ cup coconut flakes.
Step 3
Bake pone until golden brown, bubbling around the edges, and the center doesn’t jiggle when you gently shake the pan, 50–60 minutes. Let pone cool in skillet 10 minutes.
Step 4
Using a large spoon, scoop pone onto small plates and serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.

TagsBon Appétit Dessert Baking Nut Free Gluten Free Caribbean Sweet Potato Potato Root Vegetable Vegetable Coconut Fruit Coconut Milk Rum Alcohol Beverages

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Recipe notes