Habichuelas con Dulce (Dominican Sweet Beans) is a traditional Dominican Easter dessert made with creamy blended beans, warm spices, and sweet coconut milk. A holiday favorite that’s unique and delicious!
Just like our Bacalao a la Vizcaína, Flan de Vainilla (Vanilla Flan) and Flan de Coco are staples for Easter, so is Habichuelas con Dulce in many Dominican homes. This rich and creamy dessert might sound unusual, after all, beans in a dessert? But trust me, one spoonful of this sweet, spiced treat, and you’ll be hooked!
There are two common ways to make this dessert. One version uses red beans, evaporated milk, condensed milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, and warm spices. The other, and my personal favorite, includes coconut milk for an extra layer of creaminess.
In this recipe, we’re going with the coconut milk version, it’s the way my family has always made it, and I know you’ll love it too!
Galletas de Habichuela con Dulce
No bowl of Habichuelas con Dulce is complete without its signature topping, Galletas de Habichuela con Dulce. These sweet milk cookies, often called “Jesus Cookies” because of the cross imprinted on top, have a flavor similar to animal crackers.
If you live near a Hispanic neighborhood, you’ll likely find them at a local market. But if not, animal crackers make a great substitute!
Ingredients
Step By Step Instructions
Preparing the Beans to Cook
Step 1: Add the dry beans to a bowl and sort through them, removing any rocks or debris. Rinse thoroughly under cool water, then drain.
Cooking the Beans
Step 1: Pressure Cooker Method: Cook the beans with enough water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 30–35 minutes, then allow a natural release for about 10 minutes before opening (Images 1 & 2).
Once cooked, drain the beans and reserve some of the cooking liquid for blending the beans.
Check our recipe box below for cooking beans on the stovetop.
Blending the Beans
Step 1: Add half of the cooked beans to a blender along with some of their cooking liquid and half of the evaporated milk. Blend until completely smooth (Images 3 & 4). Pour the blended mixture into a large bowl.
Repeat the process with the remaining beans, cooking liquid, and evaporated milk. Blend again until smooth.
Step 2: Using a colander over a large cooking pot, strain the blended beans to remove any bean skins (Image 5).
Cooking the Mixture
Step 3: Over medium heat, bring the blended bean mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.
Step 4: Add the remaining evaporated milk and the coconut milk, stirring to combine. Pour in the condensed milk and mix well (Image 6).
Step 5: Add the brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, whole cloves, and stir again (Images 7 & 8). Let the mixture cook for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent the sugar from caramelizing and sticking to the bottom.
Finishing the Habichuelas con Dulce
Step 6: Stir in the butter, vanilla extract, salt, and raisins (Image 9).
Step 7: Peel and cut the sweet potato (batata) into 1-inch cubes and rinse under cool water. Add the batata to the pot, stir, and continue cooking for 20 minutes, or until the batata is fork-tender, stirring occasionally (Image 10).
Step 8: Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then carefully strain out the cinnamon sticks and cloves (Image 11& 12). Return the raisins to the mixture and stir.
Your Habichuelas con Dulce is now ready to serve. Serve in small bowls or mugs and top with the galletas con leche or animal crackers.
Note: Some people skip straining out the cloves, but biting into one can be quite overpowering, so I choose to always strain them.
Serve Hot or Cold
This dessert can be enjoyed warm or chilled, it all comes down to personal preference! Some love it straight from the pot, warm, rich and comforting, while others prefer the creamy, refreshing taste after a few hours in the fridge.
Not sure which you’ll like best? Try both! Enjoy a warm bowl right after cooking, then chill the rest and see which version wins you over!
Other Holiday Desserts You Will Love
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📖 Recipe
Habichuelas con Dulce (Dominican Sweet Beans)
Equipment
- 1 large pot for cooking dessert
- pressure cooker to cook the dry beans but not necessary
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry small red beans can also use Roman or kidney beans
- 2 cans evaporated milk
- 1 (13 oz) can condensed milk
- 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
- 1½ cups light brown sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 8 whole cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 pound Caribbean sweet potato peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup raisins or to your liking optional
- galletas de leche or animal crackers
Instructions
Preparing the Beans for Cooking
- Add the dry beans to a bowl and sort through them, removing any rocks or debris. Rinse thoroughly under cool water, then drain.
Cooking the Beans (Pressure Cooker)
- Cook the beans with enough water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 30–35 minutes, then allow a natural release for about 10 minutes before opening.Once cooked, drain the beans and reserve some of the cooking liquid for blending the beans.
Cooking the Beans (Stovetop)
- Add the rinsed beans to a large pot and cover with enough water to cover them by at least 3–4 inches of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let them simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beans are soft and easily mashable. Add more water if needed during cooking. (Do not add salt to water while cooking)
Blending the Beans
- Add half of the cooked beans to a blender along with some of their cooking liquid and half of the evaporated milk. Blend until completely smooth. Pour the blended mixture into a large bowl.Repeat the process with the remaining beans, cooking liquid, and evaporated milk. Blend again until smooth.
- Using a colander over a large cooking pot, strain the blended beans to remove any bean skins.
Cooking the Mixture
- Over medium heat, bring the blended bean mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Add the remaining evaporated milk and the coconut milk, stirring to combine. Pour in the condensed milk and mix well.
- Add the brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, whole cloves, and stir again. Let the mixture cook for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent the sugar from caramelizing and sticking to the bottom.
Finishing the Habichuelas con Dulce
- Stir in the butter, vanilla extract, salt, and raisins.
- Add the Caribbean sweet potato (batata) to the pot, stir, and continue cooking for 20 minutes, or until the batata is fork-tender, stirring occasionally.
- Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then carefully strain out the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Return the raisins to the mixture and stir. Your dessert is now ready to serve.
Serve Hot or Cold
- To serve hot, serve right away in small bowls or mugs and top with the galletas con leche or animal crackers.
- To serve it cold, allow the mixture to cool some and then chill for a few hours in the refrigerator. Serve in small bowls or mugs and top with the galletas con leche or animal crackers.
Notes
Adding Caribbean sweet potato (batata) is a traditional touch, but completely optional. If you’d like to include it but can’t find batata, feel free to substitute it with regular sweet potato. Storing Leftovers Leftovers can be stored right in the pot or transferred to an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for 4–5 days. If it thickens too much, just stir in a little milk before serving. For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a little milk to bring back its creamy texture.
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