Easy Ginataang Recipe | Healthy Sweet Potato Coconut Milk Dessert / Snack

Hi friends! So, my mom has been holding out on me! At last year’s Thanksgiving, she rolled out a Filipino recipe I’d never seen before. After all this time, I thought I would have tried all of her recipes. Not that she knows every single Filipino recipe. But when I asked her about it, she was like…yea we used to eat this all the time. So casual about it too. And so I’m late to the party, but I don’t mind. I’m just glad I was introduced to this delicious recipe at all.Β Because you know what? I flippin loved it! So, today I’m sharing my mom’s Easy Ginataang Recipe.Β And in case the name seems not very descriptive, let’s just call this a healthy sweet potato coconut milk dessert that can also be enjoyed as a snack.

Looking for a healthy dessert/snack recipe? Try this easy and delicious sweet potato/taro root, coconut milk recipe for Ginataang. This Filipino treat is a FUN clean eating recipe to sneak healthy root vegetables into your diet. #recipe #healthy #healthyrecipes #cleaneating #vegan #vegetarian #desserts #dessertfoodrecipes

So the first time I saw this was at Thanksgiving 2018. My mom was mixing together a beautiful concoction in the slow cooker. Since I was under the weather, I wasn’t involved with the cooking. And I was so surprised to see a colorful mixture or orange and purple in a white sauce. What could it be?! It. looked. magical.

Note: She only put it in the slow cooker to keep it warm. This is cooked stovetop.

Looking for a healthy dessert/snack recipe? Try this easy and delicious sweet potato/taro root, coconut milk recipe for Ginataang. This Filipino treat is a FUN clean eating recipe to sneak healthy root vegetables into your diet. #recipe #healthy #healthyrecipes #cleaneating #vegan #vegetarian #desserts #dessertfoodrecipes

It turns out that my mom decided to whip up a batch of Ginataang. A recipe she said she ate a lot growing up in the Philippines.

Looking for a healthy dessert/snack recipe? Try this easy and delicious sweet potato/taro root, coconut milk recipe for Ginataang. This Filipino treat is a FUN clean eating recipe to sneak healthy root vegetables into your diet. #recipe #healthy #healthyrecipes #cleaneating #vegan #vegetarian #desserts #dessertfoodrecipes

Healthy Filipino Dessert / Snack Recipe

And you know what…this bad boy is pretty darn healthy!

Why?

Because PLANTS > CONVENTIONAL DESSERTS

Whereas common desserts like cookies and cake are made with high amounts of butter, oil, and other pretty obviously not-so-healthy ingredients, this recipe is much healthier. With this clean eating dessert, you get servings of health-boosting sweet potatoes and taro root as the main portion of this dish. Consider this an exotic way to get you / your family / your friends to eat more of the superfood we know and love – the sweet potato. And the other ingredients are great for you too. Let’s discuss some highlights…

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a great source of Vitamin A and antioxidants, among other health benefits.

But also included in this recipe are purple sweet potatoes. What’s interesting here is, these have similar health benefits, but the purple version has anti-inflammatory benefits. According to The World’s Healthiest Foods:

The purple-fleshed sweet potato anthocyaninsβ€”primarily peonidins and cyanidinsβ€”have important antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory properties.

Woop! I’ve been on the hunt for more anti-inflammatory foods to include in my diet, so this is great!

Coconut Milk

And paired with coconut milk? Well, it’s a match made in heaven. Coconuts are famous for being high in fat content. But in this case, it could be a benefit. According to The World’s Healthiest Foods:

a minimum of 3-5 grams of fat per meal significantly increases our uptake of beta-carotene from sweet potatoes.

Of course fat content varies from can to can, but I’m going to be optimistic that the coconut milk is helping boost the nutritional benefits of the sweet potatoes.

Additionally, in my research, some sources said coconut milk is an anti-inflammatory milk. Who knew?!

Taro Root

According to Organic Authority, Taro RootΒ Taro root “is also a great source of potassium, vitamin C, calcium, vitamin E, B vitamins, magnesium, manganese and copper.”

Note: taro root is toxic raw, so be sure to cook it before eating!

Tapioca Pearls

Even the tapioca pearls are health boosting!Β  According to Organic Facts:

The health benefits of tapioca include its ability to aid in weight gain, increase circulation and red blood cell count, protect against birth defects, improve digestion, lower cholesterol, and prevent diabetes. It also helps improve the metabolic activities, maintain bone mineral density, prevent Alzheimer’s disease, protect heart health, and maintain fluid balance within the body.

Check out the article for more details.

After researching the ingredients more, I’m even more impressed by this Easy Ginataang Recipe.

Looking for a healthy dessert/snack recipe? Try this easy and delicious sweet potato/taro root, coconut milk recipe for Ginataang. This Filipino treat is a FUN clean eating recipe to sneak healthy root vegetables into your diet. #recipe #healthy #healthyrecipes #cleaneating #vegan #vegetarian #desserts #dessertfoodrecipes

Plant Desserts >Β ConventionalΒ Desserts

And this is what I love so much about eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. They’re always chock full of amazing health benefits. And I barely scratched the surface of what these ingredients are good for. Definitely continue googling if you find this stuff as fascinating as me.

I’m trying to keep this section short since this is about my mom’s Easy Ginataang Recipe and not the health benefits of plants. Haha. But I wanted to highlight a bit in case you’re into this like me.

AndΒ isn’t it amazing that while there are few health benefits of chocolate chip cookies, this dessert recipe is made of multiple health boosting foods. And I’m always looking for an excuse to enjoy dessert. Who’s with me?!

My photography assistant, Bailey the corgi, helps me take photos of Ginataang - a delicious Filipino dessert/snack recipe

Shout out to my photography assistant, Bailey. He’s always around to make sure my photoshoots are going well. And to see if I drop any food on the floor. Lol!

Looking for a healthy dessert/snack recipe? Try this easy and delicious sweet potato/taro root, coconut milk recipe for Ginataang. This Filipino treat is a FUN clean eating recipe to sneak healthy root vegetables into your diet. #recipe #healthy #healthyrecipes #cleaneating #vegan #vegetarian #desserts #dessertfoodrecipes

This is one beautiful bowl of tropical tastiness! I feel like you should really be sitting on a beach whilst eating this. But since I’m not that close to the beach, I guess the couch will do.

Looking for a healthy dessert/snack recipe? Try this easy and delicious sweet potato/taro root, coconut milk recipe for Ginataang. This Filipino treat is a FUN clean eating recipe to sneak healthy root vegetables into your diet. #recipe #healthy #healthyrecipes #cleaneating #vegan #vegetarian #desserts #dessertfoodrecipes

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Looking for a healthy dessert/snack recipe? Try this easy and delicious sweet potato/taro root, coconut milk recipe for Ginataang. This Filipino treat is a FUN clean eating recipe to sneak healthy root vegetables into your diet. #recipe #healthy #healthyrecipes #cleaneating #vegan #vegetarian #desserts #dessertfoodrecipes

Easy Ginataang Recipe | Healthy Sweet Potato Coconut Milk Dessert / Snack

  • Author: Diana of thechiclife.com
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 25 mins
  • Yield: 4-6 1x

Description

Ginataang is a delicious recipe made with sweet potatoes, purple sweet potatoes, taro root, and coconut milk. Plus the fun addition of tapioca pearls. We lightened up the amount of sugar that is typically used and I used raw sugar to make this a more clean eating style recipe.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and diced bite-sized
  • 2 small or 1 medium purple sweet potato(es), peeled and diced bite-sized
  • 23 taro root, peeled and diced bite-sized
  • 1 can coconut milk (or sub coconut cream for an even creamier consistency)
  • 1 can’s worth water (use can from coconut milk)
  • 1/3 cup raw sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cup quick-cooking tapioca granules

Instructions

  1. In a medium pot or dutch oven, stir coconut milk, water, and sugar to combine. Turn heat to medium and bring to a boil. Continue stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Add potatoes and taro root, reduce heat to simmer. Stir occasionally.
  3. After 6 minutes, add tapioca granules and stir to combine.
  4. Continue cooking until potatoes are tender, stirring frequently, about 6-9 minutes more (12-15 total cook time).
  5. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Note: Keep the diced sweet potatoes and taro root in a bowl of water to keep them from turning brown.

Note on the coconut milk: If you use light coconut milk, you may need to use two cans instead of one can plus the water. Light coconut is already much less concentrated. But play around and adjust to your taste. πŸ˜‰

Note on Taro Root: I read online that cutting raw taro root may irritate your skin. So you may want to use gloves while you prepare them.

Important on Taro Root: Raw taro root is toxic, so be sure to cook it before eating!

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More Clean Eating Recipes to Love

Here’s my mom’s Filipino Pork Adobo Recipe

And for another healthy coconut treat, try this Coconut Chia Pudding with anti-inflammatory Blue Majik

Get more coconut goodness with this tasty Coconut Cake Batter Doughnuts recipe

And finally, a Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate – a tropical twist on a classic

***

Hope you enjoy thisΒ Easy Ginataang Recipe made with health boosting sweet potatoes, taro root, coconut milk, and tapioca granules. This one’s going onto my repeat list asap!

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This healthy dessert is a delicious and tropical treat! Superfoods make this a dessert you can feel good about eating. I reduced the sugar amounts from the traditional version of this Ginataang. #recipe #healthy #healthyrecipes #cleaneating #vegan #vegetarian #desserts #dessertfoodrecipes

I made this healthy version of Ginataang with reduced sugar amounts so it's still delicious but not overly sweet. Enjoy this tropical treat served warm as an easy snack or dessert. #recipe #healthy #healthyrecipes #cleaneating #vegan #vegetarian #desserts #dessertfoodrecipes

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