Dominican sweets are another vivid part of this country’s character. Despite their complicated-sounding names, they’re all a combination of simple ingredients available to anyone in this modest country.
Most Dominican sweets are built on coconut, bananas, sweet potato, and even beans. That’s no accident — these crops grow all over the country and require no extra effort to cultivate. Shredded coconut, coconut milk, and sweet molasses often show up in cakes and pastries. Bananas or banana purée are used to make Dominican desserts too.
COCONUT FLAN
The most popular sweet in the whole country is COCONUT FLAN (Sp. Flan de Coco). This dessert combines the delicacy of flan with coconut flavor. The base is caramel, cooked in a heavy pot over low heat until it forms a light-brown syrup. The filling — quesillo — is a mix of eggs, condensed milk, and coconut milk. Once the caramel cools slightly, the quesillo is poured on top, and the dessert bakes in a water bath over low heat for an hour. To check if it’s ready, a match is inserted into the center — if it comes out dry, the dessert is done.
COCONUT CANDIES
On supermarket shelves you’ll find COCONUT CANDIES (Sp. Dulces de Coco). They resemble soft candies made of shredded coconut and molasses. They come in white — creamy — versions or dark ones based on fruit syrup. Visitors often bring them home as souvenirs, since they taste a bit like a Bounty bar.
SWEET BARS
You’ll also find whole shelves of bars in various shapes, resembling slices of halva or toffee, wrapped in plastic film with the maker’s logo. These sweets are produced across different provinces of the Dominican Republic. They’re all a blend of condensed milk with molasses and various add-ins — peanut (DULCES DE MANI), cashew (CAJUIL CON LECHE), or orange marmalade (DULCES DE NARANJA).
GUANIMES DULCES
Among the banana-based sweets, at hotel breakfasts you might come across GUANIMES DULCES — a banana purée made with coconut cream. This sweet, honeyed dessert is served in banana or corn husks, with a touch of anise, honey, and cinnamon.
BANANAS IN WINE SYRUP
This dessert is so simple you can make it yourself. First, cook the syrup: you’ll need 200 ml of a Bordeaux-style red wine, 100 g of sugar, and cinnamon. Once the syrup starts to boil, drop in a few ripe, peeled bananas and immediately take the pot off the heat. Let the bananas sit in the syrup for a few hours so they soak up the flavor.
SWEET BEANS
During Lent or Holy Week, Dominicans prepare SWEET BEANS (Sp. Habichuela con Dulce). This dessert is not only delicious but filling too. Dominican families each keep a slightly different recipe, but they’re all broadly similar.
The beans are cooked until soft, then blended into a smooth purée. Push it through a sieve, then add milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Bring the bean cream purée to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and stir constantly. After 15–20 minutes, add pre-boiled sweet potato and cook for another 10 minutes. Just before taking it off the heat, add butter and nutmeg — this adds a lovely richness and aroma. Before serving, it’s best to chill the dessert and, if you like, top it with crackers.
The people of this land of smiles adore their sweets. Try some yourself! Simple yet original, sometimes surprising in flavor, they’ll not only broaden your idea of Dominican cuisine but also become an exotic addition to your own menu at home.
