The Taiwanese Twist That Turns Plain Sweet Potatoes Into A Delicious Frozen Treat

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If the idea of a creamy, frozen treat appeals to you, but you're avoiding ice cream, why not consider a sweet potato? The idea isn't as wacky as it sounds: As the fully cooked, caramelized tuber freezes, its texture becomes creamy and smooth. These frozen, baked sweet potatoes are popular in Taiwan, eaten like an ice pop on a hot, humid summer's day, though you can enjoy them any time of the year.

Sweet potatoes are already an important ingredient in essential Taiwanese dishes, and they're sold hot as street food in Taiwan, Shanghai, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. While the frozen versions are sold in Taiwan — even in 7-Elevens — they only came onto the scene in the United States in 2021, thanks to a 19-year-old TikTok chef named George Lee, going by the handle chez_jorge. His how-to video and associated blog post gained traction, and the recipe seems to get a viral boost each summer.

This might be the most walkaway recipe there is. Wash and dry a medium-sized sweet potato. Bake it directly on the top rack of a hot oven (450 degrees Fahrenheit) for 40 to 60 minutes, with a baking sheet on the rack underneath to catch drippings. It's done when the skin is wrinkly and separated from the tender flesh. It should feel mushy. Let it cool completely, then freeze in a Zip-top bag for about five hours. Bite straight into the chewy skin, or scoop the frosty, creamy flesh with a spoon. Not only do sweet potatoes make a satisfying frozen treat, one of them is about half the calories of ⅔ cup of vanilla ice cream (180 vs. about 350), with a major fiber boost (6.6 grams) as a bonus.

The right sweet potato for this trick is a variety that bakes up with a higher sugar content. TikTok chef George Lee recommends varieties found in Southeast Asia, especially purple-skinned Japanese satsumaimo commonly available in East Asian grocery stores in the United States. If the choice is just between orange or white sweet potatoes, go with orange: they contain more of the enzyme amylase. This converts starches into easily digestible sugars, creating a creamier, sweeter flesh both when cooked and when frozen after. White sweet potatoes work — they just have a milder, less sweet flavor, with firmer flesh.

Make sure to wash and scrub the skins well. After all, you may be eating these whole. While you'll find recipes online encouraging you to prick the skins, bake the potatoes on a sheet, or peel them while they're hot, don't do any of these things. The intact skin helps caramelize the flesh and separate it from the skin. These potatoes cook best on a hot rack. And peeling them impacts their creamy transformation in the freezer.

On the other hand, dressing up your frozen baked sweet potato makes perfect sense. Maple syrup is an obvious topping, as is caramel sauce. But you can go more complex. A miso-maple sauce brings umami character to a sweet dipping sauce. Or consider a sweet soy-based option like Bachan's Original Japanese BBQ sauce. Alternatively, top them like ice cream, with whipped cream and sprinkles. Instead of eating them on their own, consider scooping berry-sized bits of frozen sweet potato onto oatmeal or congee for breakfast, or as a topping for hardy buckwheat pancakes.