My take on classic Mexican cocadas, aka coconut candies. Only 3 ingredients for these chewy, sweet coconut heaven, perfect Cinco de Mayo treat!
I first learned about cocadas from The Kitchen on Food Network, where Marcela shared her recipe for easy coconut bark. It had two of my favorite ingredients, coconut and sweetened condensed milk, so I had to try it right away.
Later, I put my spin on this classic coconut treat and didn’t look back.
These irresistibly chewy and sweet coconut candies are ADDICTING! My mother-in-law told me not to make this again, because she can’t stop eating them. I think she meant the opposite. 🙂 There is really nothing not to love about it, unless you don’t like coconuts, of course. Buttery soft macadamia nuts add another layer of richness and texture!
And as you’ve probably watched the video above, it couldn’t get easier, right? There is really no excuse not to make them. Alright, no pressure here, but I promise you’ll love these cocadas!
If you’re planning Cinco de Mayo party, you must include these cocadas on your dessert menu. (Again, no pressure!) Just saying, these are a huge crowd-pleaser. Plus, you can even make them in advance!
Enjoy!
Cocadas- Mexican Coconut Candies
Ingredients
- 5 1/3 cups sweetened coconut flakes
- ½ cup dulce de leche
- 1/3 cup macadamia nuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly spray mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together coconut flakes, dulce de leche and macadamia nuts until well combined.
- Divide the coconut mixture into 24 mini cups packing them down tightly.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges are nicely browned.
- Cool completely before removing from the pan.
- Store the cooled cocadas in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 3 days.
This recipe was originally published on April 30th, 2014.
Sara Jimenez says
Could I make these in regular muffin tins & just not fill them up all the way? I dont have mini muffin tins.
Shinee says
Hi, Sara. Though I didn’t try this recipe in a regular muffin pan, I don’t see why you can’t. Let me know how they turn out, if you try them.
Sheila says
Could you drop them on a cookie sheet? Or would they spread out?
Shinee says
Hi, Sheila. I’ve never tried this on a cookie sheet, but I do think they’ll spread out.
Kathy Simpson says
How did you get them out of the tin? I put them in a metal non-stick muffin tin with oil rubbed on the inside of each cup and they stuck. They taste wonderful but I had to use a spoon to eat them right out of the tin. Could I use paper muffin liners?
Shinee says
Hi, Kathy. I run a butter knife, or plastic spatula thing around the edges, and it usually loosens them enough to pop them out. I wouldn’t use paper liners. Though I haven’t tried them, but I think they’ll stick to paper.
Lucy Baldock. says
I made these for my Spanish project and it turned out amazing, thanks!
Shinee says
Yay, so glad you loved it. Thanks, Lucy!
Elvia Stolzenburg says
What heat for sweet evaporated milk and 12 hours?
Shinee says
Hi, Elvia. It’s sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk. I usually boil unopened sweetened condensed milk cans in deep pot full of water for about 3 hours. I’ve written detailed directions on that in this post: https://www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.com/mini-caramel-cheesecake-bites/
Nancy says
They all stuck. I threw them all out. It was hard to clean the pans. What a waste of good ingredients.
Shinee says
Nancy, I’m sorry to hear you had to throw out your cocadas. Hope you didn’t forget to spraying cooking spray before putting the coconut mixture. Otherwise, it’ll definitely stick to the pan.
Veronica says
Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe! I followed it exactly and was beyond pleased.
I got exactly the texture I wanted: moist, chewy inside surrounded with a lovely, crisp, caramelized outside. The taste is just heavenly. I truly can’t thank you enough! <3
Shinee says
Aww, you’re welcome, Veronica. I’m so glad you tried it. Thank you for your feedback.
Alyssa Mosher says
I can tell this is flakey, sweet and addicting!!
Shinee says
So addicting. 🙂 Thanks, Alyssa!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
These look wonderful, what a great treat!
Shinee says
Thanks, Megan! Perfect treat for Cinco de Mayo and beyond…
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons says
These are so fun and actually look pretty simple! YAY!
Shinee says
They’re so simple to make! Thanks for stopping by!
Jodi says
I want to make these for a cinco de mayo party but my son has a nut allergy. Any thoughts on how to adjust the recipe without the macadamia nuts or would it just not turn out good?
Shinee says
Hi, Jodi! You can omit the nuts, it will be just fine. Hope you enjoy! If you take a pic, share it with #sweetandsavorybyshinee. I’d love to see it. 😉
Karly says
I have to try these! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Shinee says
Thanks, Karly!
Theresa @DearCreatives says
Looks & sounds yummy. Thanks for joining the Inspiration Spotlight party.
Shinee says
Thanks for stopping by, Theresa!
Dan says
This recipe has incorrect proportions. You need to use less coconut. Also the cook time is too short. It needs to be closer to 25 minutes. Ya jamwig
Shinee says
Hi, Dan! Thanks for your feedback. I’ve tested and re-tested the recipe a few times, and the amounts, specified in the recipe, do work for me. It might seem like a lot of coconut, but after thorough mix, the mixture does come together. As for baking time, everyone’s oven is different. Therefore, you will need to bake them for as long as you need to get the edges golden brown.
Jennifer says
How do you make dulche de leche?
Shinee says
Hi, Jennifer! Here in this post I shared how I make my dulce de leche. Let me know if you have any questions. Homemade Dulce de Leche
Carla says
These look absolutely delicious! Where do you find dulce de leche or how does one make it? Will definitely be making these.
Shinee says
Hi, Carla! You can buy ready dulce de leche at the grocery store. Honestly though, I never bought one myself. I usually just make it myself, since it’s super easy and cheaper.
april says
I mixed 2 bags of sweetened coconut, a can of (sweetened condensed milk cooked for nearly 12 hours to make) dulce de leche and mineral rich ancient salt. I formed half spheres with a small scoop, placed them in the upper third of a 400 degree oven and then turned it down to 375 until they started browning at the edges. Everyone loved them so I’ll have to add them to my collections of tasty treats.
Shinee says
Hi, April! I’m glad that you were inspired to make this recipe. Mineral rich ancient salt sounds amazing! And thank you for your feedback. 🙂
Liza says
Hello! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could find a captcha plugin for my
comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having trouble finding one?
Thanks a lot!
Shinee says
Hi Liza, I have never used captcha plugin myself, but this might be what you’re looking for: http://wordpress.org/plugins/captcha/. Good Luck!
How to Philosophize with Cake says
Oh my goodness these look lovely! I adore Mexican/Spanish-inspired desserts, and these seem like no exception. Almost remind me of macaroons.
Shinee says
Thank you! Yes, they’re pretty similar to coconut macaroons and they are absolutely delicious treats!