Duckunoo, also known as blue drawers or tie-a-leaf, is one of Jamaica’s most cherished traditional desserts. It’s made by mixing grated sweet potato with coconut, brown sugar, flour and spices, then wrapping the batter in banana leaves and boiling it until set. The texture is soft and sticky, the flavor is warm and comforting and the presentation feels like a gift in every bundle. Duckunoo is typically served during holidays or family gatherings, where making it becomes part of the celebration. If you want to try authentic blue drawers for yourself, look for opportunities when you’re in port at port Ocho Rios.

Known across the English-speaking Caribbean — especially in Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados — black cake is a holiday staple that takes dessert to another level. Dried fruits are soaked in rum for weeks or sometimes months (because why the heck not?), then blended into a dense, dark cake spiced with cinnamon and clove. It’s a fixture at Christmas dinners and weddings, and no two family recipes are exactly alike. Some add browning sauce for extra depth, some blitz the fruit into a smooth puree and others guard their secret spice blends like classified intel. 

Jamaica knows how to do sweet snacks, and coconut drops are a perfect example. Made with grated coconut, ginger and brown sugar, these chewy treats deliver big flavor in small packages. They're often sold by roadside vendors wrapped in wax paper or foil — ideal for nibbling while exploring the island or waiting on fresh jerk chicken. That spicy ginger kick? It’s part of the charm, not a surprise attack. Coconut drops can be found all over Jamaica; so keep an eye out for street vendors or local bakeries in the areas of Ocho Rios.

Cassava pone is the kind of dessert that skips the fluff and gets straight to the good stuff. Found in Trinidad, Barbados and Guyana, this sticky, pudding-like dish blends grated cassava, coconut milk and warm spices into a dense slab of comfort. It’s baked until the edges caramelize just enough to make you reach for a second piece. If you’ve never had cassava in dessert form before, this is a delicious place to start questioning everything you thought you knew about starch.

This familiar favorite gets a tropical remix in the Caribbean. Pineapple upside-down cake is especially popular in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, where juicy slices of local pineapple are layered over buttery sponge cake and topped with a glossy brown sugar glaze. Baked until golden and flipped for dramatic effect, it’s a dessert with flair and flavor to match. The caramelized fruit on top is sweet enough to make forks optional. Don’t leave St. Thomas without trying a piece.

If you like your sweets with a zing, tamarind balls are calling your name. These puckery snacks are especially beloved in Trinidad and Jamaica, made by mixing tamarind pulp with sugar and rolling it into bite-sized spheres. Some versions include a pinch of salt or a dash of pepper — because in the Caribbean, even dessert isn’t afraid of bold flavors. You’ll find tamarind balls in school bags, market stalls and anywhere else that could use a little sweet-and-sour punch. If you can’t find fresh tamarind in your home-town grocery store — or you have no idea what tamarind is — then we suggest you grab some during a port day.

Sweet potato pudding has a bit of a fan club in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, and weekend kitchens are where it really gets to bask in praise. This baked beauty starts with grated sweet potatoes, then brings in coconut milk, brown sugar and a generous shake of nutmeg and cinnamon. It comes out dense, moist and just firm enough to hold a good slice. Served warm and eaten with a spoon or straight from the plate, it's basically dessert that acts like it has nowhere it needs to be. Look for it in Grand Cayman.

Bread pudding gets a Caribbean upgrade with a splash (or three) of local rum. Especially popular in the Bahamas (and more than worth checking out when you’re trying to get a taste of the local Bahamian food scene), this cozy dessert layers gently aged bread with spiced custard, golden raisins and dark rum for a rich finish. Each spoonful is soft, warm and kind of boozy — like a hug from grandpa! This dish has roots in Bahamian kitchens and is a must-try on your Princess® cruise when you dock in Nassau.

You’ve probably heard of spicy beef patties, but Jamaica has a sweet tooth too. The dessert version of these golden pockets trades meat for tropical fillings like grated coconut or guava jam. Wrapped in the same flaky pastry crust, these sweet patties are often enjoyed warm and on the go — because no one wants to sit still when there’s guava involved. They’re a common find at local bakeries and roadside stands in Falmouth and other Jamaican ports, and every bite brings a little island sunshine.

Guava? delicious. Cheese? Awesome. I think you can see where we’re going with this. Cuban-Caribbean kitchens know how to make guava shine, and guava cheese pastries are proof. These goodies layer buttery, sometimes puffed pastry around a sweet and slightly tart guava paste that holds its shape even as it warms. Some versions add cream cheese, others go pure fruit. Either way, they’re a staple in bakeries from Miami to Aruba and show just how much you can do with a few simple ingredients and the right fruit in season.

Locals sometimes call it “pinch-me-round,” and one look at those crimped, wavy edges and you’ll see why. Gizzada is a Jamaican tart that looks like it came straight from grandma’s recipe box and tastes like a bite-sized island vacation. The filling is a rich mix of sweetened coconut, ginger and nutmeg, tucked into a buttery shell that snaps just right when you bite in. It’s bold, sticky, spiced and just sweet enough to make you forget you were going to only have one. You’ll find it at celebrations, bakeries and anywhere folks appreciate a pastry that doesn’t phone it in.

Soft in the center, crisp at the edges and full of sweet banana flavor, banana fritters are comfort food with a tropical twist. Found throughout the Caribbean — especially in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic — these fried treats are made by mashing ripe bananas with flour, sugar and warm spices like cinnamon or allspice. They’re often served for breakfast but show up just as easily on the dessert table, dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with honey. Stopping at Amber Cove? Grab some you can sneak back into your stateroom.

We know what you’re thinking: ‘I have peanut brittle at home.’ Well, don’t say that out loud when you’re in St. Lucia or Trinidad, because you’ll only embarrass yourself. Caribbean-style brittle plays by its own rules. It starts with roasted peanuts, sure, but then it goes full island mode with nutmeg, cinnamon and sometimes a hint of vanilla. The result is a king among candy that crackles with flavor and finishes with a little kick to your throat. Each piece is handmade, full of attitude and nearly impossible to stop nibbling once you start.

Mango sponge cake might not be the flashiest dessert on the table, but one bite will make you rethink everything you knew about cake. This soft, airy dessert folds fresh mango purée right into the batter for a naturally sweet, tropical flavor that doesn’t need frosting to impress. It’s popular in places like Barbados and St. Vincent, where mango season means bakers get to work. Light, fruity and just rich enough to feel like dessert — it’s a local secret worth discovering.