Sweet potatoes are like the versatile chameleons of the culinary world. Their natural sweetness makes them a hit in both sweet and savory dishes, bringing a unique flavor and a nutritional punch to the table. We have sweet potato cheesecakes, truffles, soufflé, sweet potato casseroles, and even smoothies. And Mbatata is one of the best sweet potato desserts.
Mbatata or sweet potato cookies are a type of sweet potato cake made in Malawi to celebrate special occasions. They are traditionally cut into heart shapes because Malawi is known as ‘the warm heart of Africa’.
I made this dish for one of my best friends, who has spent a lot of time in Malawi and has fallen in love with the country. I just hope my Mbatata sweet potato cookie recipe lives up to her expectations!
My cookies turned out more like cakes – because I made two large hearts rather than lots of little ones. You could do either, but the cake-like texture works well for a decadent dessert. The mixture is a simple one – just a bit of mashed sweet potato, a little butter and flour, a sprinkle of sugar and cinnamon. You can jazz it up any way you like, so I sought inspiration from Malawi’s tropical fruits and made a caramelized mango filling and coconut cream to drizzle over the top.
My caramelized mango filling was technically supposed to be mango jam, but I only wanted to make a small amount so ended up with tiny mango pieces in caramel. Still, it tasted good, so I used it anyway. Hey, it could be a new recipe invention that suddenly takes off, you never know!
It’s not an overly sweet dessert, and the tropical flavors work really well with the Mbatata base. They are ridiculously filling though, so you may just want to share one between two – or, if you’re anything like me, skip the main course and just feast on this dessert. It’s practically a complete meal; it’s got potato in after all!
Here is an easy recipe for sweet potato cookies:
Malawian Mbatata Sweet Potato Cookies with Coconut Cream
Ingredients
For the Mbatata Biscuits
- 1 medium-sized sweet potato
- 1 tbsp butter
- 20 ml milk
- 80 g self-raising flour I used a gluten-free blend
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 4 tbsp caster sugar
- ½ a fresh mango chopped into small pieces
For the Coconut Cream
- 2 tbsp Coconut cream
- 1 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp Icing sugar
Instructions
- Peel, chop and boil the sweet potato until tender.
- Drain and mash with the butter and milk. Leave to cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 180oC and line a baking tray.
- Stir the flour, sugar and cinnamon into the potato mixture until all ingredients are combined.
- With lightly floured hands, bring the mixture together into a ball and leave to rest for a few mins.
- Meanwhile, make the caramelized mangos by putting the mango pieces in a pan with 3 tbsp caster sugar. Stir sugar until it begins to dissolve. Leave to cook for about 10 minutes until the caramel is just golden. Remove from heat.
- Take half the potato mixture at a time and make two heart shapes on the baking tray. Make a heart-shaped indent in the centre of each and spoon in the caramelised mangos.
- Bake for 25-30 mins.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the coconut cream, Greek yoghurt and icing sugar.
- Serve the cakes warm from the oven. Drizzle over the coconut cream just before serving.
