These Barbadian Bakes are made by combining flour, sugar, water, and some spices to make a stiff dough. Fry the dough in oil, and… that’s it. You have an absolutely mouth-watering dessert in under 10 minutes. And a tiny taste of Barbados!

I’m just going to say this before we move on. Today, my brother bit into these Barbadian Bakes and said “wow… I think this is the best recipe you’ve ever made for The Foreign Fork.”

He later edited himself to say, “well, that’s a lie… You’ve had some pretty awesome meat dishes. But this is definitely the best Foreign Fork dessert I’ve ever had.”

You wanna try it now…. Right?? And you should.

So What is This Magic Recipe??

These Barbados bakes are EASY. AS. PIE. to make and they are sooo good. They taste a little bit like donuts without being overly sweet. They resemble– both in look and in taste– mini elephant ears. Sweet, fried balls of dough in under 10 minutes. Seriously, what more could you ask for?

This recipe came from the blog The Crane.com, but it matches almost every other recipe for Bakes that I have ever seen. So simple, people. Flour, sugar, spices, and water. Then you fry them in some corn oil for about 3 minutes on each side, and you have yourself a delicious, sweet snack.

Barbadian Bakes…. Breakfast or Dessert?

My Michigander tastes have been comparing these Bakes to foods that we eat as dessert in America… donuts, elephant ears, etc. In Barbados, though, these Bakes are typically enjoyed as a breakfast food. They can be served with butter, jam, or powdered sugar, or you can enjoy them plain. Because of my elephant ear analogy, butter didn’t seem like the right option. Powdered sugar was getting better, but still not quite right. But the jam? Oh my goodness, warm Barbadian Bake with a spoonful of jam? I’ll gobble that up all day long. Plain is fantastic as well. Be creative! If you want to try serving them with some cheese, do it! That could be just as delicious, too.

If you liked this Barbadian Bake recipe, also check out this Coconut Bimini Bread from The Bahamas or this Kaiserschmarrn from Austria. Both compare to this dish by being delicious, sweet foods that us Americans would love to enjoy as dessert. If you make this recipe, tag @TheForeignFork on Facebook or Instagram or hashtag #TheForeignFork. LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE PLEASE! You’ll make me so happy.

Bakes (Barbados)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup- 1 cup water
corn oil for frying

Instructions

Combine all of the dry ingredients together.
Add the vanilla to the mixture, and a little water at a time until a stiff dough is formed.
Heat the oil in a frying pan.
Grab a ball of dough and use your fingers to flatten the ball into a small pancake shape about two inches across. Fry the dough in the oil, flipping in between to brown on both sides.
Remove from the oil and leave on a paper tower lined plate to remove excess oil. Enjoy with powdered sugar, butter, jelly, or plain.

Recipe Notes

Recipe from The Crane

Bakes from Barbados: A Barbadian Elephant Ear