Though they don’t use all the spicy ingredients for which savory Haitian dishes are known, they’re still colorful and boast lots of taste. Desserts from Haiti are often bright, super sweet, and tropical or fruity. Haitians don’t just limit themselves to edible desserts, either, preferring to enjoy a sweet or fruity drink after some meals. So if you’re in the mood for something sugary, tasty, and different, check out these 10 famous Haitian desserts.
1. Haitian Orange Cake
This simple cake is one of the easiest desserts you’ll ever make, which may be why it’s so incredibly popular in Haiti. It takes only 15 minutes to prepare and another 40 to cook, and it requires only the most fundamental ingredients to make. If you have butter, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, orange peel, orange juice, vanilla extract, and rum sitting around the house, you can whip this up with no trouble. It’s light, soft, and has plenty of tasty orange flavor.
2. Coconut Candy (Tablet Kokoye)
These candies may look like a sticky mess – and they are – but they’re also unbelievably tasty. You get a bit of the cinnamon and brown sugar in the flavor, but you’ll mostly taste coconut, coconut, and more coconut. Just be sure you make plenty because you can’t eat just one.
3. Haitian French Toast
Haitian French toast is a lot like any other recipe for French toast you’ve tried, but it’s thicker (made with a baguette) and has hints of orange flavor in it. It’s rich, decadent, and delicious.
4. Haitian Sweet Potato Bread
Despite its name, this sweet treat is less like bread and more like a delectable custard-filled pie. It takes quite a while to make – 1 hour to prepare and another 3 to bake. But one bite of the crumbly crust and thick, pudding-like filling is all it will take to convince you it was time well spent. You won’t really taste the sweet potatoes, but you will taste the banana, cinnamon, raisins, molasses, nutmeg, and brown sugar. It’s a bit like banana bread actually, though more pie-like and with a totally different texture.
5. Haitian Beignets
Whether you eat them in New Orleans or Haiti, beignets are always going to be exquisite. T he deep-fried crust, the rich, spiced flavor… there’s nothing about them that isn’t incredible. Haitian beignets, though, include bananas and cinnamon in the recipe, making them a bit different but equally tasty to the New Orleans variety.
6. Haitian Hot Chocolate
If you’re looking for a thick, creamy drink to warm you up on a cold winter’s night, you can’t beat Haitian hot chocolate. It’s unbelievably chocolatey, with just a hint of cinnamon and salt added for taste. Plus, the star anise gives it a unique flavor that’s unlike any hot chocolate you’ve ever had.
7. Coconut Flan
To make this supremely tropical, coconut-heavy flan, all you’ll need is sugar, condensed milk, evaporated milk, milk, eggs, and shredded coconut. It has that silky smooth texture that only flan has, and the robust flavor of the coconut is simply delightful. Just remember it needs to chill overnight, so don’t wait until an hour or so before a meal to make it.
8. Haitian Lemonade
Desserts don’t always have to be decadent and full of chocolate and other over-the-top ingredients. Sometimes they can be as simple as a refreshing, sugary glass of lemonade. Haitian lemonade is more lemony and different from most, thanks mainly to the addition of vanilla extract. The mint is optional, but it gives it a fresh, clean taste that I love.
9. Caribbean Coconut Sugar Cakes
Bright red and full of coconut, these crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside treats are always a fun option for everyone. Don’t let the seemingly odd mix of ingredients – sugar, coconut, ginger, cream of tartar, almond essence, and red food dye – throw you off. These are much tastier than those ingredients make them sound.
10. Krema
This tasty dessert drink is especially popular during the holiday season. It’s pretty much the equivalent of spiked eggnog, though krema has a lot more going on and can easily be made vegan-friendly. The lengthy ingredients list turns some people off, but the drink takes only 15 minutes to make, and it’s incredibly delicious – smooth, creamy, spicy, and strong. If you want an alcohol-free version, simply leave out the rum. It’s just as yummy, but it may not be quite as much fun. 😉 Click on a star to rate it!
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