Cassava Pone (Vegan, Gluten Free)

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This delicious Caribbean sweet treat called Cassava Pone. A vegan dense pudding that is made from grated cassava, coconut/almond milk, pumpkin, sweetener and spices is whipped into a smooth batter before being baked until golden.

If you are from the Caribbean or grew up in a Caribbean household then you will know all about "pone" pronounced "po-own".

Sweet treats are very common in the Caribbean. We love puddings, breads and cakes just like any other region.

Like most cultures/countries, the Caribbean has their own unique recipe. A good example of what I am referring to is this pone, which has elements of West Africa as well as the Caribbean.

Although cassava is native to south America, it was introduced to west Africa by Portuguese traders and from there to was brought to the Caribbean.

Nowadays, cassava is widely available in many countries due to cultivation just like plantain.

Furthermore, there are so many west countries that have hopped on the band wagon with consuming both of these crops, so it is no longer a scare commodity.

What is cassava pone?

In short, it is a dense pudding that is made from fresh cassava root (aka yuca) that is eaten throughout the Caribbean - Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Grenada, Antigua etc....

The vegetable is grated into a puree like consistency, then combined with pumpkin or sweet potato, spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, black pepper is optional).

I already have a Pumpkin pone recipe on the blog if you are interested.

Milk - coconut milk some use condensed or evaporated milk, sugar, salt and raisins which are optional.

All of the above is mixed together to form a smooth consistency then the raisins (if using) are added.

The mixture is transferred to a dish (like a rectangular pyrex and is baked until golden.

There is a Fillipino version of this that is similar, also made with cassava but known as cassava cake.

Fresh or frozen cassava

Anyone who has made a recipe that require grated cassava/meal texture will know grating cassava by hand is like a chore.

I'm not a huge fan of peeling fresh cassava let a lone grating it but most of the time I do it.

For this recipe, however, I used fresh cassava (2 medium sized ones). I really wasn't in the mood for grating by hand, plus those knuckle grazes are painful at the best of times.

Instead, I peeled the cassava, chopped into small enough pieces and pulse them in my food processor with a bit of water then finished it off using my spice grinder.

Reasons to make this recipe

Naturally grain and gluten free - no added flour is needed.
It's vegan friendly/no dairy.
Another great way to use cassava.
It's a Caribbean sweet treat.
Perfect crowd pleaser or pot luck dish.

How to make cassava pone

If you are using the food processor method, you will need to chop/peel the cassava into small pieces then use the fine grater hole attachment to break it down with some water.
I used my spice grinder to breakdown the texture so it was like a wet pulp but you can used a blender/pulse a few times (make sure NOT to make it become liquidised.)

steps1-6 adding the sugar milk and pumpkin

Preheat the oven to 350f/176c
Grease a rectangular pyrex with dairy free butter and set aside.
Place the raw cane sugar in a large bowl
Add the spices, half of the milk and whisk to combine.
Then add the vanilla, dairy free butter and whisk again.

Finally add the pumpkin, cassava pone and the remaining milk
Whisk for about 1 minute, add the raisins if you are including then use a large spoon to stir the mix. Scooping from the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is mixed thoroughly.
Pour the mixture into the oven proof dish.
Bake until the pone is golden 1 hr up to 2 hours. When it is ready it will be firm and NOT wobbly (use a knife to determine its readiness, it should come out clean. Baking time will vary, my pone took 1hr 30 minutes.
You may need to cover the pone with foil and continue to bake after the first hour.

Frequently asked questions

Where can you buy cassava from?

Head to a neighbourhood that has a demographic that is African, Caribbean or Latino/Asian since these groups of people consume cassava the most.

Can you use cassava that is frozen but not grated?

I haven't used cassava that is frozen unless it is grated first.

How do you know if the cassava is good?

The flesh when peeled should be porcelain white, with no dark spots, soft spots or lines.

When purchasing cassava you want to make sure it is firm, inspect it with your fingers for any soft spots. Soft spots are a good indication that the cassava is rotten, don't buy it.

If possible, break off the end of the vegetable, as this will give you an even better idea of it's overall health.

Why is my cassava pone still soft?

Keep in mind cassava pone is a pudding NOT a cake. The texture of it when baked will be gooey/dense.

The baking time will vary, for some it will be ready in an hour, others up to 2 hours.

As long as the pone is firm and not jiggly (shake the pyrex to determine this) it is ready.

Once thing, I recommend is to NOT cut into the pone while it is HOT. leave it to cool down for a few hours or overnight if possible.

Can you add flour to the pone?

I personally haven't tried this but I know some people who add some flour to give it more structure.
I cannot confidently give instructions/measurements for this method as it's not something I do.

Can you freeze any leftover pone?

Yes, Once the pone has been baked and left to cool down. Wrap the pone in parchment paper then foil and freeze for a month.

For best results, I would recommend eating it straight away not freezing it where possible.

Can you make the pone without pumpkin?

Yes, you can make the pone without pumpkin or alternatively, use sweet potato instead.

Do you have any other Caribbean sweet treats that I could try?

Notes and tips

I used a rectangular pyrex dish that is 8''width by 10''inches in length so you will want a dish around those dimensions (not smaller)
If possible, use cassava that is already grated. This will be so much easier to work with and saves a lot of time.
If you are using fresh cassava you will need to add it to a food processor first of all with some water to break it down, then transfer it to a blender to create a pulp texture/or spice grinder in batches.
Alternatively, you can use a box grater with the bigger holes.
It's okay to use shredded/desiccated coconut. I used the fine texture coconut but you can go the traditional route and use coconut that is fresh.
The texture of the cassava should be extremely fine, almost like a puree. It shouldn't be chunky or shredded. It's like a wet mass (that's the best description I can think of).
Keep in mind that the baking time will vary.

More cassava recipes to try

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