Introduction

Hey friend! Let’s talk about something truly special and incredibly beautiful today. Have you ever seen those vibrant purple sweet potatoes at the market and wondered what magical things you could make with them? Well, get ready, because we’re whipping up a dessert that’s not only stunningly gorgeous but also wonderfully chewy and sweet. This recipe for Purple Sweet Potato Balls is one of those simple pleasures that feels a little exotic, yet is surprisingly easy to make right in your own kitchen. It’s got that delightful bounce thanks to the glutinous rice flour, a gentle sweetness from palm sugar, and that dreamy, earthy flavor from the purple potatoes. I just love how simple ingredients can come together to create something so memorable. It’s perfect for a cozy afternoon treat or surprising your friends and family with something unique and delicious!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Seriously, what’s not to love about little purple balls of deliciousness? Here’s why this recipe is going to become a favorite:

Fast: From start to finish, you can have this sweet treat ready in under an hour.
Easy: No fancy equipment or complicated techniques here, just simple mixing and shaping.
Giftable: Pack these up in a cute container, and you’ve got a unique homemade gift.
Crowd-pleasing: The vibrant color and fun, chewy texture are always a hit!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to gather to make these beautiful purple delights. Most of these are pretty standard, but we’ll chat about a couple of key ones!

500g Purple Sweet Potato: The star of the show! Look for vibrant purple ones, sometimes labeled as Okinawan sweet potatoes or Ube (though Ube is slightly different, purple sweet potatoes work beautifully here). They lend that incredible color and a natural sweetness.
65g (1/2 cup) All-Purpose Flour: Just a little bit to help bind things together.
375g (3 cups) Glutinous Rice Flour: This is the magic ingredient that gives our dessert its signature chewy texture. Don’t confuse it with regular rice flour; you need the “glutinous” kind! You can usually find this in the Asian foods aisle of your grocery store or at an Asian market.
2.5g (1/2 tsp) Salt: Just a pinch to balance the sweetness and bring out the flavors.
375ml (1 1/2 cups) Water: For bringing the dough together.
Palm Sugar: This is for our simple syrup drizzle. Palm sugar has a lovely, rich caramel-like flavor. You can find it in block or granulated form. If you can’t find it, brown sugar is a decent substitute, but palm sugar is worth seeking out!
Grated Coconut: For topping! Shredded sweetened or unsweetened coconut works, or even fresh grated coconut if you’re feeling fancy.

How to Make It

Alright, let’s get our hands (a little bit) purple! Making these sweet potato balls is a really fun process. Follow along with me:

First things first, grab your purple sweet potatoes. Give them a good wash and then you’ll need to cook them until they’re super tender. You can either peel them first and steam them, or boil them whole with the skin on. Steaming often keeps the color a little more vibrant, but boiling is totally fine too! Just make sure they’re fork-tender.

Once they’re cooked, let them cool slightly so you can handle them. If you boiled them with the skin, peel it off now. Then, it’s mashing time! Get out your potato masher or even a fork and mash those beautiful purple potatoes until they are completely smooth. No lumps allowed here, friend, we want a silky texture!

Now, grab a nice big bowl. Add in your all-purpose flour, the glutinous rice flour, and that little pinch of salt. Give them a quick whisk to combine the dry ingredients evenly.

Scoop that gorgeous mashed purple sweet potato right into the bowl with the flours.

This is where the dough comes together. Start adding the water gradually. You’ll want to mix as you add it – you can start with a spoon or spatula, but honestly, clean hands are the best tools here! Mix until everything starts to come together into a soft, pliable dough. The amount of water might vary slightly depending on how moist your sweet potatoes are, so add slowly until you get that perfect soft consistency.

Once it’s mostly together, turn the dough out onto a clean surface or just keep it in the bowl and knead it gently for just a minute or two until it’s smooth and not too sticky. It should feel soft and easy to work with.

Time to shape! Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll them between your palms to form little balls, about 1/2 inch to 1 inch in diameter. You can make them uniform or embrace a more rustic look – totally up to you! If you want, you could even try shaping them into little logs or other fun shapes.

Get a pot of water boiling on the stove. Make sure it’s a decent amount of water so the balls have room to swim.

Carefully, and I mean carefully, drop your shaped dough pieces into the boiling water. Don’t overcrowd the pot; cook them in batches if you need to.

They’ll sink at first. Keep cooking them until they float up to the surface. Once they’re floating, let them cook for another minute or two to make sure they’re cooked all the way through the center. They should look slightly puffed up and have a nice, chewy texture.

While your sweet potato balls are doing their thing in the pot, you can make the simple palm sugar syrup. Get a small saucepan and add your palm sugar (however much you like for sweetness!) and a little splash of water – just enough to help the sugar dissolve. Heat it gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the syrup is slightly thickened. It should be pourable, not like candy!

Using a slotted spoon, scoop the cooked sweet potato balls out of the boiling water. Let any excess water drain off.

Serve these beautiful purple balls warm! Arrange them in a bowl or on a plate, drizzle generously with that warm palm sugar syrup, and scatter a good amount of grated coconut over the top. Absolute perfection!

Substitutions & Additions

Want to play around with this recipe? Here are a few ideas:

Different Sweet Potatoes: While purple gives you that amazing color, you could absolutely use orange sweet potatoes or even pumpkin puree (make sure it’s thick) for a different hue and flavor.
Syrup Swap: No palm sugar? Use brown sugar, maple syrup, or even a simple sugar syrup (equal parts sugar and water dissolved). You could also try a ginger-infused syrup for a little warmth.
Add a Filling: Feeling adventurous? You could flatten the dough balls slightly, add a small piece of palm sugar, red bean paste, or even a little piece of chocolate in the center, and then roll it back up before boiling. (This is similar to the traditional Onde Onde or Bua Loy!)
Topping Variations: Try toasted sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, or a drizzle of condensed milk instead of coconut.

Tips for Success

Even though this recipe is straightforward, a couple of things can make a big difference:

Sweet Potato Consistency: Make sure your mashed sweet potato is very smooth. Any lumps can make the dough uneven.
Dough Texture: The dough should be soft and pliable, like playdough. If it’s too dry, add a tiny splash more water. If it’s too sticky, add a tiny bit more glutinous rice flour. It’s better to have it slightly softer than too stiff.
Don’t Overcrowd: Boil the balls in batches so they have plenty of room to cook evenly and don’t stick together.
They Will Float: This is your sign they are mostly cooked! But give them that extra minute or two after floating just to be sure the inside is done.
Prep Ahead: You can make the dough ahead of time and store it wrapped tightly in the fridge for a day. Shape and boil just before serving. You could also shape the balls ahead of time and store them on a parchment-lined tray in the fridge (cover them so they don’t dry out), then boil when ready.

How to Store It

These are definitely best enjoyed warm and fresh! The texture is most delightful right after cooking. However, if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. The texture will firm up a bit in the fridge. To reheat, you can briefly warm them in the microwave, or even drop them back into hot water for a minute or two until softened again. The syrup can be stored separately at room temperature or in the fridge and gently reheated before serving.

FAQs

Got questions? I’ve got some answers!

Q: Can I use regular orange sweet potatoes instead of purple?
A: Yes, absolutely! The color won’t be purple, of course, but they will still be delicious and have a lovely texture. The sweetness level might vary slightly.

Q: What is glutinous rice flour? Is it the same as rice flour?
A: No, it’s different! Glutinous rice flour (also called sweet rice flour) is made from short-grain rice that becomes very sticky and chewy when cooked, thanks to its high starch content. Regular rice flour is made from different rice and won’t give you the same chewy texture. Look for “glutinous rice flour” or “sweet rice flour” on the package.

Q: Where can I find palm sugar?
A: Check the Asian or international foods aisle of your local grocery store. Asian markets are also a great place to find it in various forms (blocks, granules).

Q: Can I make this dessert less sweet?
A: The sweetness comes mainly from the palm sugar syrup. You can simply use less syrup, or make a less concentrated syrup, to control the sweetness level when serving.

Gorgeous & Chewy Purple Sweet Potato Balls

A simple, beautiful, and chewy dessert made from purple sweet potatoes and glutinous rice flour, drizzled with palm sugar syrup and topped with grated coconut. Easy to make and visually stunning.

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Equipment

Potato Masher
Fork (alternative)
Large bowl
Whisk (for dry ingredients)
Pot (for boiling)
Small saucepan (for syrup)
Slotted spoon

Ingredients

Hauptzutaten

500 g Purple Sweet Potato Look for vibrant purple ones, sometimes labeled as Okinawan sweet potatoes or Ube.
65 g All-Purpose Flour or 1/2 cup
375 g Glutinous Rice Flour or 3 cups. Not regular rice flour. Provides chewy texture.
2.5 g Salt or 1/2 tsp
375 ml Water or 1 1/2 cups
Palm Sugar For simple syrup drizzle. Use desired amount. Brown sugar is a substitute.
Grated Coconut For topping. Sweetened, unsweetened, or fresh.

Instructions

Wash the purple sweet potatoes and cook them until super tender. You can peel and steam them, or boil them whole with the skin on. Steaming often keeps the color more vibrant.
Once cooked, let them cool slightly. Peel off the skin if you boiled them with the skin on.
Mash the sweet potatoes until completely smooth with no lumps.
In a large bowl, add the all-purpose flour, glutinous rice flour, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Scoop the mashed purple sweet potato into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
Gradually add the water while mixing. You can start with a spoon, but clean hands work best. Mix until everything comes together into a soft, pliable dough. The water amount may vary depending on potato moisture; add slowly until you achieve a soft consistency.
Turn the dough out onto a clean surface or knead gently in the bowl for a minute or two until it's smooth and not too sticky.
Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll them between your palms to form little balls, about 1/2 inch to 1 inch in diameter.
Get a pot of water boiling on the stove. Make sure there is enough water so the balls have room.
Carefully drop the shaped dough pieces into the boiling water. Cook in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding.
They will sink at first. Cook until they float up to the surface. Once floating, let them cook for another minute or two to ensure they are cooked through.
While the balls are cooking, make the simple palm sugar syrup. In a small saucepan, add your desired amount of palm sugar and a little splash of water (just enough to help it dissolve). Heat gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the syrup is slightly thickened but pourable.
Using a slotted spoon, scoop the cooked sweet potato balls out of the boiling water. Let any excess water drain off.
Serve the balls warm. Arrange them in a bowl or on a plate, drizzle generously with the warm palm sugar syrup, and scatter grated coconut over the top.

Notes

Tips for Success:
- Make sure your mashed sweet potato is very smooth.
- The dough should be soft and pliable. Adjust water/flour if too dry/sticky.
- Boil in batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Balls will float when mostly cooked, give them an extra minute or two after floating.
Substitutions & Additions:
- Can use orange sweet potatoes or pumpkin puree instead of purple.
- Use brown sugar, maple syrup, or simple sugar syrup instead of palm sugar. Ginger-infused syrup is an option.
- Can add fillings like palm sugar, red bean paste, or chocolate.
- Topping variations: toasted sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, condensed milk.
Storage:
- Best enjoyed warm and fresh. Can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. Texture will firm up.
- Reheat briefly in the microwave or drop back into hot water.
- Syrup can be stored separately and reheated.