What Are Benne Cakes? The Sierra Leonean Sesame Sweet Explained
Benne cakes are a Sierra Leonean sweet of toasted sesame seeds stirred into caramelised sugar and set into sticky bars. Here is what they are and how they are made.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Benne cakes, also spelled benni cakes and known as bennikek, are a traditional Sierra Leonean and Krio sweet made from toasted sesame seeds, called benne or benni, stirred into caramelised sugar, then set and cut into sticky bars or small cakes. They are nutty, toasty and sweet, a little like a sesame brittle or an energy bar, and are sold as a street snack as well as made at home. They should not be confused with kanya, the Sierra Leonean peanut and rice fudge, because benne cakes are the sesame sweet made from a different seed. In the UK the sesame seeds and other ingredients to make them are sold by African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Benne cakes are a Sierra Leonean and Krio sweet of toasted sesame seeds set in caramelised sugar.
- They are also spelled benni cakes and known as bennikek, benny cake or sesame cakes.
- The name comes from benne, the local word for sesame seeds.
- They are the sesame sweet, distinct from kanya, which is made from peanuts and rice.
- They contain sesame, so anyone with a sesame allergy should take care.
Toasting sesame seeds in a dry pan fills a kitchen with a warm, nutty smell that many Sierra Leoneans know at once. Benne cakes are the small, sticky sweet that appears on a market tray, wrapped for the walk home, or handed round at the end of a family meal. They carry the pleasure of something made by hand, sweet and simple, from just a few store cupboard ingredients.
There is a quiet fondness in a treat as humble as this. A handful of seeds and a little sugar become a snack people remember from childhood, a taste that says home and a mother's or grandmother's kitchen. To make benne cakes far from Freetown is to keep that memory close, and to share a piece is to pass a little of Sierra Leone across the table.
What Benne Cakes Actually Are
Benne cakes, also written benni cakes and called bennikek, are a much loved Sierra Leonean and Krio sweet built around toasted sesame seeds. Sesame is known locally as benne or benni, which is where the sweet takes its name. The seeds are toasted until golden and nutty, then stirred into sugar that has been melted and caramelised, and the mixture is pressed out and left to set before being cut into sticky bars or small cakes.
The result is a treat somewhere between a brittle and a chewy energy bar, with the deep toasty flavour of the sesame carried by the sweetness of the caramel. Benne cakes are sold as a street snack from market stalls and made at home for family and guests, and they sit among the everyday sweets and snacks of Sierra Leonean food.
Benne Cakes Versus Kanya
It is easy to group all the sweets on a Sierra Leonean tray together, but benne cakes and kanya are made from different things. Benne cakes are the sesame sweet, their flavour and texture coming from toasted sesame seeds set in caramelised sugar. Kanya, sometimes called kania, is a fudge made from ground roasted peanuts and rice flour, so it is soft and crumbly rather than sticky and seed-studded.
The two are cousins on the same sweet tray, both nutty and sweet and both made at home, but they are not the same thing. Knowing the difference helps when you are shopping or ordering, because asking for benne cakes should bring you the sesame sweet, while kanya is the peanut and rice one. Both are worth trying, but each has its own character.
How Benne Cakes Are Made and Served
Making benne cakes starts with toasting the sesame seeds in a dry pan until they are golden and fragrant, which brings out their nutty flavour. Sugar is then melted and cooked to a caramel, sometimes with a little water, and the toasted seeds are stirred through until well coated. The hot mixture is tipped onto a greased surface or tray, pressed flat, and left to cool and firm up before being cut into bars or small squares. Some cooks add a pinch of salt or a little spice, and versions with peanuts stirred in are also made.
Benne cakes are eaten as a sweet snack on their own, offered to guests, or sold from a tray at the market. A note on allergens is worth making, because the sweet is built on sesame and any peanut versions will contain groundnut too, so anyone with a sesame or peanut allergy should take care. They are also very sticky and sugary, so they are best enjoyed as an occasional treat. Whether bought or homemade, benne cakes are simple, satisfying and made for sharing.
Where to Buy Benne Cakes Ingredients in the UK
Benne cakes are a homemade and street-food sweet, and their ingredients are easy to gather in Britain from African food shops. The key is sesame seeds, sold in bags and ready to toast at home, along with plain sugar for the caramel; shops serving West African customers often stock the seeds by the larger bag, which is ideal if you plan to make a batch. Nothing about the recipe is hard to source, so benne cakes are a simple sweet to make at home. You can find African food stores near you to see what is nearby.
Frequently asked questions
What are benne cakes?
Benne cakes, also spelled benni cakes and known as bennikek, are a traditional Sierra Leonean and Krio sweet made from toasted sesame seeds stirred into caramelised sugar, then set and cut into sticky bars or small cakes. The name comes from benne, the local word for sesame. They are nutty, toasty and sweet, sold as a street snack and made at home for family and guests.
What do benne cakes taste like?
Benne cakes are sweet and nutty, with the deep toasty flavour of sesame seeds carried by caramelised sugar. The texture sits somewhere between a crisp brittle and a chewy energy bar, and they are noticeably sticky. Some versions add a pinch of salt or peanuts, which gives a little more depth.
How are benne cakes different from kanya?
Benne cakes are the sesame sweet, made from toasted sesame seeds set in caramelised sugar, so they are sticky and studded with seeds. Kanya is a Sierra Leonean fudge made from ground roasted peanuts and rice flour, so it is soft and crumbly instead. The two are cousins on the same sweet tray but are made from different ingredients.
How are benne cakes made?
Sesame seeds are toasted in a dry pan until golden, then stirred into sugar that has been melted and cooked to a caramel. The mixture is pressed flat onto a greased tray and left to set before being cut into bars or small squares. They contain sesame, and any peanut versions contain groundnut too, so anyone with those allergies should take care.
Where can I buy benne cakes ingredients in the UK?
Benne cakes are made at home, so African food shops are the place to buy the ingredients: sesame seeds and plain sugar for the caramel, plus peanuts if you want that version. Shops serving West African customers stock sesame seeds in bags, often in larger sizes ideal for a batch. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks them.