Sweet Potato Breakfast Custard

 

This custard is nutrient dense, delicious, and makes my children feel like they are eating pie for breakfast. It is my own version of the baby food custard in the Nourishing Traditions book of Baby and Child Care. (If you are a parent or are planning on having children I will pass on that this is my favorite book on child care I have ever read, and I reference it all the time. Click here to get your own copy.) I started making the exact version from the book when my 2nd daughter was a baby, and all of my girls have enjoyed it and over time it has morphed into what I will share here. I love to eat it too, so it’s not just for kids! We enjoy it warm or cold, you can decide which way you like it best.

3 Pounds Sweet Potatoes

6 Eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream, milk, coconut milk or almond milk

1 Tbsn maple syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ginger

Shredded coconut, pecans, sliced bananas, and pumpkin seeds, for topping

Bake sweet potatoes at 375 degrees for 60-70 minutes, or until soft. Tip: If you let the sweet potatoes cool for 20 minutes or so the natural sugars come out more and they taste sweeter. Remove skins from sweet potatoes. Separate 4 of the eggs, setting aside the four whites to use any way you want. (We use them for meringues or I eat them scrambled.) Mix all of the ingredients together until smooth, I use an immersion blender. Pour mixture into greased 9×13 casserole dish or individual ramekins. Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes if they are in the smaller ramekins to up to 55 minutes in a large Pyrex. You want them set, like a pumpkin pie. I like to do half in ramekins to eat warm that day, and the the other half into a small casserole dish that we eat cold the next day. When the custard comes out of the oven, add toppings and serve.

As my children have gotten older, they prefer to add their own toppings, and they like to get creative with it. I love a meal that can double as an activity. These days I set out the custards plain and put the toppings on the table, they can choose what they like. I save the leftover toppings to put in yogurt, oatmeal, or a smoothie.

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