Sugar-Coated Sweet Potato Jelly Candies: The Old Brazilian Treat That Sparkles Like Christmas

Nobody ever guesses the secret ingredient.

They bite into one of these ruby red, sugar-crusted squares, taste strawberry, feel that soft chewy texture, and ask which candy shop I bought them from.

Then I tell them: sweet potato.

A Humble Candy With a Big Surprise

In Brazil, sweet potato candies are a classic of farmhouse kitchens and children's birthday parties. Grandmothers stretched a few inexpensive potatoes into trays of sweets, and one of the most charming versions is this one, colored and flavored with strawberry gelatin.

The sweet potato gives body and a velvety chew, very much like the fruit jellies sold in fancy tins at the holidays. The gelatin adds the bright color and fruity flavor, and a final roll in granulated sugar makes each square glitter like it has been dusted with frost.

What I love most is how forgiving the recipe is. There is no candy thermometer and no tricky sugar syrup. You simply cook the mixture on the stove, stirring, until it thickens enough to pull away from the bottom of the pan. Then it sets on its own in the fridge.

These little squares are perfect for cookie trays, bake sales, baby showers and holiday gift tins. Children love to help roll them in sugar, and because you can use any flavor of gelatin, you can make a rainbow of colors from one afternoon of cooking.

It costs just a few dollars to make a whole tray. Here is everything you need.