Okinawa Dessert Bars

These Okinawa Dessert Bars were inspired by my son, Ryan. He is currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan and his birthday is in a few days. I miss him so much and wanted to feel a little closer to him by making something he might possibly enjoy while in that foreign region.

Where do purple sweet potatoes originate from?

Purple sweet potatoes were originally cultivated in Okinawa and are used in many ways, shapes and forms in recipes there.

Note: The true Okinawa sweet potato variety has a brown outer skin with purple flesh. The only ones available in my area were these “Stokes Purple” variety cultivated in North Carolina but grown in California.

They are very resilient and one of the few vegetables that are able to survive the many typhoons and tropical storms that occur there. Polynesians eventually introduced the purple sweet potatoes to the volcanic soils of Hawaii where they continue to flourish. The ones I’m using in this recipe I found at a Sprout’s Farmers Market and were harvested from California, although interestingly enough, the variety I found “Stokes Purple” was first cultivated in Stokes County, North Carolina by Mike Sizemore and he patented his variety in 2006. (As you can tell I got caught up in the worm hole while researching this interesting vegetable! 😅)

Purple sweet potatoes vs orange sweet potatoes

Purple sweet potatoes are more dense, drier and less sweet compared to the orange variety. Therefore, they will take longer to cook, and you may need to add more liquid/oil and sweeteners when baking. The purple sweet potatoes have a less sweet, slightly winey flavor and a deep purple color that doesn’t fade when baked or cooked making them a wonderful way to naturally add a bright purple color to dishes and recipes.

Health benefits of purple sweet potatoes

Complex carbohydrates are found in all sweet potato varieties and are an important source of energy our bodies need. However, anthocyanins are what sets the purple sweet potatoes apart from the others. It’s a powerful antioxidant flavonoid naturally found in purple, red and blue berries and fruits. Purple sweet potatoes have been found to be anti-inflammatory, protect against diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer. (ref) They also contain lots of vitamin A, C and have the highest dietary fiber content of any sweet potato variety.

Since Ryan’s birthday is soon, I wanted to create a birthday dessert using this unique super food. This is a simple recipe that yields a stunning double layered dessert with a smooth, silky upper layer that has a sugar cookie like crust on the bottom for a slight salty complimentary contrast. Makes 9 large bars.

How to make Okinawa Dessert Bars

Let’s begin!

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1 cup cassava flour
• 1/2 cup arrowroot powder (instant tapioca mix can be used in a pinch or if that’s what you have on hand, but it does solidify slightly during baking and adds a little bite/crunch to the crust.)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup plant butter, melted
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp Origine organic vanilla extract

Filling ingredients:

• 2 large purple sweet potatoes
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup canned coconut milk (full fat)
• 1 tsp Origine organic vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

Optional garnish: grated or shredded coconut

Instructions:

How to cook purple sweet potatoes

Prep the potatoes: Wash and dry your purple sweet potatoes. I highly recommend slow cooking them by adding 1/3 cup water to bottom of crockpot and setting on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Note: Optionally, you can bake in a 300℉ oven for 2- 2 1/2 hours or until soft, but I think that oven time (especially in warmer weather) is excessive for two potatoes and the slow cooker is much more sensible.

Note: I am not a big fan of boiling vegetables because it reduces the optimal amount of nutrients, but if that’s what you want to do here are the instructions for boiling: Slice and quarter your sweet potatoes then add to a large pot and cover with water, about 1-2 inches above sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil, uncovered, and continue boiling for about 20 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat and drain, then peel away skin and discard.

To make crust

Near the end of the potatoes cooking, you can start making the crust:

Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 325℉.

To a food processor, add flour, arrowroot powder (or tapioca mix) and salt and process for 30 seconds.

Note: If you do not have a processor, you can add to a mixing bowl and whisk together then use an electric mixer for the next few steps.

To the flour mixture, add butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract then process for another minute or two. (Or use an electric mixer on medium high for 2 minutes.)

Remove blade from processor, using a rubber spatula to scrap off dough mixture.Add dough mixture to prepared pan and spread evenly on bottom.

Bake crust for 14-16 minutes or until slightly golden brown and middle is just set. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack.

To make filling

After potatoes are cooked and cooled, remove flesh from skin and add to food processor or mixing bowl. Add all other filling ingredients and process or mix for 1-2 minutes until smooth.

Spread mixture over top of cooled crust and sprinkle with grated coconut, if desired. Refrigerate for at least two hours, or until set.

Remove from fridge and lift out of pan using parchment paper. Cut into 9 large squares and enjoy immediately or keep refrigerated up to one week, although best within 2-3 days. You can freeze them safely up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge before enjoying.

Happy 20th Birthday, Ryan! You have brought so much joy and love to my life and I’m so very proud of you! Even though we are miles apart, you are always close in my heart. Stay strong, stay safe. Love, mom. 💜

Enjoy!

💜Julie