Boniatillo (Cuban Sweet Potato Dessert)
A silky, old-fashioned Cuban pudding of white sweet potato cooked down with sugar, cinnamon and lemon peel, finished with egg yolks, butter and a splash of sherry wine. Served chilled or warm, it tastes like a Cuban grandmother's kitchen.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Boil the boniato
Put the chunks in a large pot, cover with the water and add the salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes.
- 1 kg
- 2 litres water
- 1/2 tsp salt
✅ Done when: a knife slides into the chunks with no resistance
Mash until silky
Drain the very well and mash it while it is still hot, since it mashes much more smoothly warm than cold. For the silkiest texture, push the mash through a sieve or food mill to remove any fibrous bits.
- 1 kg boiled (from step 1)
✅ Done when: the mash is completely smooth, with no lumps or strings
Make the syrup
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Combine and cook down
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Temper the yolks
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Finish with sherry and serve
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Boil the boniato
Put the chunks in a large pot, cover with the water and add the salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes.
- 1 kg
- 2 litres water
- 1/2 tsp salt
✅ Done when: a knife slides into the chunks with no resistance
Mash until silky
Drain the very well and mash it while it is still hot, since it mashes much more smoothly warm than cold. For the silkiest texture, push the mash through a sieve or food mill to remove any fibrous bits.
- 1 kg boiled (from step 1)
✅ Done when: the mash is completely smooth, with no lumps or strings
Make the syrup
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Combine and cook down
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Temper the yolks
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Finish with sherry and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Boniatillo descends from Spanish egg-and-sugar desserts brought to the island during colonial times, adapted by Cuban cooks who swapped in boniato, the starchy white sweet potato grown across the island, in place of the usual flour or bread base. Over generations it became a staple of home kitchens and holiday tables, especially around Christmas and Nochebuena.
Every Cuban family has its own small variations, some adding more egg yolks for richness, others leaving them out entirely, but the backbone of sweet potato, sugar, cinnamon and a splash of sherry stays the same.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It is one of the most beloved traditional Cuban desserts, prized for its silky texture and warm cinnamon-and-sherry flavour, often served in small glasses after a big family meal.
💡 Fun Fact
Boniato is not the same vegetable as the orange sweet potato common in the United States; its drier, starchier flesh is what gives boniatillo its characteristic thick, pudding-like texture rather than a wetter, more fibrous one.
Cuba, island-wide
23.11°N, -82.37°W
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