Purple Sweet Potato Candy from Puebla
Traditional Puebla purple sweet potato candy with cinnamon, orange and raw cane sugar.
About this recipe
Traditional Puebla-style dessert of purple sweet potato cooked with sugar, cinnamon, orange and piloncillo. Intense violet-coloured sweet, typical of November in Puebla.
History & Origin
Sweet potato candy is one of the most deeply rooted culinary traditions of Puebla, a city that has elevated confectionery to an art form. Puebla's camote sweets are so famous they are made and sold across Mexico as gastronomic souvenirs, with dedicated sweet shops following a tradition dating to the colonial era. Purple sweet potato is a particular variety cultivated in the humid zones of Puebla and neighbouring states. Its intense violet colour comes from anthocyanins - the same pigments that colour dark grapes and blueberries - which are powerful antioxidants. When cooked with sugar, this colour intensifies further, creating that brilliant violet hue that makes the candy so visually striking. The original recipe is simple but requires patience: the sweet potato is cooked until very soft, mashed and mixed with sugar, piloncillo and spices, then cooked over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture forms a dense paste that lifts away from the pan. The famous "naranjitas de camote" are the more elaborate version: the paste is shaped in orange-shaped moulds and rolled in granulated sugar. Puebla's sweet potato candy is the city's sweet ambassador year-round, and especially during November's Day of the Dead.
Estimated cost
£4.00
Total cost
£0.40
Per serving
* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets
Nutritional information per serving
185
Calories
2g
Protein
44g
Carbohydrates
1g
Fat
3g
Fibre
30mg
Sodium
* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.
Method
- 1
Peel and chop 1kg purple sweet potato into pieces. Cook in water with 1 cinnamon stick and the zest of 1 orange until very soft, about 25 minutes. Drain well.
💡 The sweet potato must be very soft for easy mashing.
- 2
Mash the hot sweet potato with a fork or potato masher until very smooth. If lumpy, pass through a fine sieve.
- 3
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sweet potato purée with 200g sugar, 100g grated piloncillo (or soft dark brown sugar), the juice of 1 orange and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- 4
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula, for 30-40 minutes. The mixture is ready when it pulls away from the bottom and sides of the pan, forming a mass that does not spread.
💡 Constant stirring prevents it from burning on the bottom.
- 5
Pour into a greased mould or onto baking paper. Leave to cool completely before cutting into squares or forming rolls. Sprinkle with granulated sugar if desired.
💡 Keeps at room temperature for up to 1 week or refrigerated for 2 weeks.
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Founder, Recetas Mexas
Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 736+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for European kitchens. Based in Madrid since 2018.
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