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–+ servings
Japanese sweet potato dessert in foil cases sprinkled with black sesame seeds

Japanese "Sweet Potato" Dessert

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 6 people

Ingredients 
 

  • 300 g Japanese sweet potato (satsumaimo) weight after peeling, see note
  • 30 g sugar
  • 25 g unsalted butter or coconut oil
  • 1 ½ tsp honey or maple syrup
  • ½ tsp mirin or extra honey/maple syrup
  • ¼ tsp vanilla essence
  • 1 ½ tbsp heavy cream or milk, or plant-based alternative
  • 1 egg yolk
  • black sesame seeds

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven 180 °C (356 °F). Cut 300 g Japanese sweet potato (satsumaimo) into slices approximately 1cm thick. Cut larger pieces in half. Place the slices in a bowl of cold water as you cut them.
    Peeled sweet potato cut into slices on a wooden chopping board
  • Add a pinch of salt to the bowl and soak the sweet potato slices for 5 minutes. Drain the water and rinse the pieces with cold running water to wash away excess starch.
    Slices of peeled sweet potato soaking in water
  • Transfer the sweet potato to a microwavable bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 5-6 minutes at 600W, mix halfway through to ensure even cooking. (Be careful of the steam when removing the plastic wrap.)
    Slices of peeled sweet potato in a glass bowl with plastic wrap over the top
    • Alternatively you can steam them. Heat a pot of water to boiling. Arrange the sweet potato slices in a single layer in a steaming basket, cover with a lid and place it over the boiling pot. Steam on high until you can pierce the thickest piece easily with a fork (about 10-12 minutes).
  • Mash while it's still hot until no lumps remain.
    mashed sweet potato in a glass bowl
  • Add 30 g sugar, 25 g unsalted butter, 1 ½ tsp honey, ½ tsp mirin, and ¼ tsp vanilla essence to the mashed potato. Mix until incorporated, then add 1 ½ tbsp heavy cream a little at a time, mixing with a spatula until incorporated. If you feel the mixture is becoming too soft, you don't need to add everything.
    Mashed sweet potato with sugar, butter, cream, honey and mirin
  • Bonus step: Scrape the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve for an extra smooth result.
    Mashed sweet potato mixture in a mesh sieve
  • Divide the mixture into equal 6 pieces and roll them into oval shapes.
    Sweet potato "dough" formed into a long oval
  • Place them in flattened cupcake cases on a baking sheet, then whisk 1 egg yolk in a small bowl and generously brush the tops and sides until fully coated.
    Brushing sweet potato with egg yolk
  • Sprinkle the tops with black sesame seeds and bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned. (Alternatively, use a toaster oven or grill and cook until browned on top.)
    Sweet potato brushed with egg yolk and sprinkled with black sesame seeds
  • Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes, then serve them warm or chill in the refrigerator and serve later. Enjoy!
    Baked sweet potato cooling on a wire rack

Notes

This recipe uses 1 medium size sweet potato (approx 350g before peeling), but ingredient quantities should be adjusted depending on the weight of the potato. For small sweet potato (200-250g/makes 4): 20g sugar, 1 tsp honey, ⅛ mirin, 16g butter, 1 tbsp cream, ⅛ vanilla. For large sweet potato (450-500g/makes 8): 40g sugar, 2 tsp honey, ¼ tsp mirin, 32g butter, 2 tbsp cream, ¼ tsp vanilla.
Serve warm or chill in the fridge. 
Store at room temperature if you're eating them within a few hours, or refrigerate and consume within 2-3 days.
To freeze, wrap individually with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. Defrost at room temperature before eating. If you prefer them hot, reheat in a toaster oven or microwave for about 20-30 seconds.