Dulce de Camote, Mexican Candied Sweet Potato
Camote enmielado, sometimes just called dulce de camote, is a old-fashioned Mexican dessert of sweet potato candied in spiced syrup, sold from street carts and set out on the table for the Day of the Dead. Sweet potato is sweet enough on its own that it takes readily to a date paste in place of the usual piloncillo, glazing into glossy, spiced pieces with no refined sugar and no oil. Orange, cinnamon, and clove give it the warm holiday fragrance, and a final squeeze of lime keeps the sweetness in check. Toasted pumpkin seeds, the Mexican pepita, add a savory crunch on top. It keeps for days and is good warm or straight from the fridge, so it is an easy dessert to make ahead.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 6 wholes Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 whole Oranges, zest and juice
- 1 stick cassia cinnamon
- 3 wholes Cloves
- 1 tbsp Lime juice
- 3 tbsp Pumpkin seeds, toasted
Method
- Steam the sweet potato chunks until just tender, about 12 minutes. Stop while they still hold their shape rather than cooking to mush, since they will soften further in the syrup and you want pieces, not a puree.
- While they steam, blend the pitted dates with 0.75 cup (180 ml) water into a smooth paste. The dates are the entire sweetener, replacing the piloncillo or sugar syrup a traditional camote enmielado is cooked in, and blending them lets the sweetness glaze every piece.
- Combine the date paste, orange zest and juice, cinnamon stick, and cloves in a wide pan and bring to a simmer. Letting the spices steep in the sweet liquid for a few minutes before the potatoes go in builds the warm, festive scent that defines the dish.
- Add the steamed sweet potato and simmer gently, spooning the syrup over the pieces, until they are glazed and the liquid has reduced to a thick coat, about 12 minutes. Turn them carefully so they candy on all sides without breaking apart.
- Fish out the cinnamon stick and cloves, then stir in the lime juice off the heat. The acid balances the sweetness and keeps the dish from tasting flat, the job a pinch of salt would otherwise do. Serve warm or cold, scattered with the toasted pumpkin seeds.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 180 calories, 3 g protein, 5 g fiber, 30 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
