Helado de Batata y Coco

Try a new flavor this holiday season: ice cream made with white sweet potatoes! Kids in the Dominican Republic love this dessert, called helado de batata in Spanish. It can be served in plastic baggies or on sticks as ice pops. This recipe is made con coco, which means “with coconut.”

Helado de Batata y Coco

Yields5 Servings

Adult help needed.

 1 lb white sweet potatoes, peeled
 ¼ tsp salt
 2 cinnamon sticks
 2 cups milk
 1 cup coconut milk
 2 tsp vanilla extract
 1 tsp ground cinnamon
 ¾ cup sugar
1

Cut the sweet potatoes into small cubes.

2

Add the salt to a large stockpot of water and bring it to a boil.

3

Add the potatoes and cinnamon sticks to the pot and boil until tender. Remove from the water and let the potatoes cool to room temperature.

4

Add the potatoes, milk, coconut milk, vanilla, ground cinnamon and sugar to a blender. Blend until liquefied. Taste it and add more sugar if you want it sweeter.

5

Pour into plastic baggies or ice-pop molds. Freeze for at least 3 hours or until firm before enjoying!

Ingredients

 1 lb white sweet potatoes, peeled
 ¼ tsp salt
 2 cinnamon sticks
 2 cups milk
 1 cup coconut milk
 2 tsp vanilla extract
 1 tsp ground cinnamon
 ¾ cup sugar
Helado de Batata y Coco
IngredientsDirections

Batata

Batata!

This white sweet potato has a different flavor than the orange one popular at Thanksgiving in the United States. Look for the white sweet potato in your local grocery store. If you can’t find it, you can use any kind of sweet potato for this recipe.

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This woman in the Dominican Republic makes helado de batata con coco. She pours hers into plastic bags, which she sells in her neighborhood. 

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