Cassava Pone is a decadent and mildly tasty Caribbean dessert made out of grated cassava and coconut, and baked with a host of other ingredients. Enjoy a slice of this food with some ice cream or with a warm cup of tea.

Visiting the Caribbean has been on my bucket list for the longest time. I have loads of friends who are from one part of the Caribbean or another. We had a work potluck during the holiday season and that marked my first encounter with Caribbean Cassava Pone aka cassava cake. Lord oh Lord!

The aroma, the taste, the mild spiciness, it was just a unique experience. Frankly, I had not tasted anything like it. My colleague also hid the fact that it was made out of cassava until I had helped myself to a few servings.

Not that I have anything against cassava, but who would have thought that such a decadent dessert pudding could be a product of our beloved cassava?

What is Cassava Pone?

Pone refers to any baked bread or pudding. As the name implies here, cassava pone is simply described as a gluten-free cassava cake dessert.

It has been associated with the Caribbean Islands, although each culture seems to have a slight variation in its recipe. We will be sticking with a widely accepted recipe today.

Ingredients Needed for Cassava Pone

Here are the ingredients needed for Cassava pone:

Cassava

Cassava is widely consumed across Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

It is a root vegetable enriched with calcium, fiber, and protein. Most of the local stores sell cassava in their produce section. This recipe requires the cassava to be grated.

Coconut

You need your coconut also in grated form. I was able to get a whole coconut, so I grated it myself, but the packaged ones at the store work just as well.

Evaporated Milk

An alternative to this is half and half or any other type of whole milk.

Aromatics

The cassava pone is very aromatic, with lots of spices coming together to form such an appealing ensemble. Some of the ingredients needed are minced ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.

Black Pepper

This is one ingredient that must not be missing in a cassava pone from the Caribbean.

Unsalted Butter

This will be melted before being added to the mix.

Brown Sugar

You can use white sugar if that is what you have available but brown sugar has molasses which give it a caramelly essence.

The ingredients come together just quickly. The finished cassava pone is crusty on the outside but soft and mildly jelly on the inside.

The grated coconut allows for a somewhat crunchy bite. After baking, it is best practice to let it sit for a bit to firm up before serving. This can be eaten alone or with a scoop of your preferred ice cream.