Coconut Candy (Grated Crunchy) | Superb Nigerian Dessert

January 20, 2020 Odiraa

Coconut candy refers to various candies made with coconut or coconut flavorings.

Coconut Candy is not indigenous to Nigeria alone, as some other countries have variations of the sweet Dessert.

This treat is a staple in many countries, each adding their twist and varying the recipe to suit their preferences.

Jamaicans, Ghanaians, Vietnamese, United States, etc. have a similar snack, but their version varies.

Nigerian Coconut Candy is a sweet crunchy treat and mildly chewy snack made from freshly grated coconut and granulated white sugar.

It is a very easy snack to make that is if you remove the work that goes into grating the fresh coconut meat.

Easy snack to make that is if you remove grating the fresh coconut meat.

Eating coconut candy was one of my very first tastes of sweets, yummy goodness that brings back a lot of good childhood memories.

This candy is highly addictive. I used to look forward to being part of the process of making coconut candy at home.

Especially when it comes to cracking the coconuts open and collecting the water inside.

But, coconut candies appear to be disappearing!

The drawback may be that it has a lot of white sugar, so it may not appeal to those who are diabetic, or health-conscious.

The good news is that you can substitute white sugar with brown sugar and honey.

Personally, I feel they are by far a better option for sweets than the myriads of sweet choices seen in supermarkets today.

Coconut Candy Recipe: How to Make Best Nigerian Coconut Candy

Do you have a sweet tooth? If so, then this recipe is probably right up your alley.

Making coconut candy is very easy and takes very little time. You can enjoy it with friends and families or turn it into a good business venture by selling and making money.

What You Need:

1 head fresh coconut with the juice
Granulated Brown sugar/honey/palm sugar
Water
Grater and a spatula for mixing

How to Make:

Firstly, crack the coconut, collect the juice and separate the coconut flesh from the shell (that’s if you’re using the whole coconut).
Secondly, grate along the flesh of the coconut to get long thin coconut flakes.

Similarly, grating across the flesh will only give you a clumpy mass of grated coconut pieces.

Thirdly, combine the water and brown sugar in a pot and boil on medium heat. Do not stir.
As the color changes to light brown and the mixture begins to look thicker, reduce the heat to low.
Add in the grated coconut pieces and pour water to rise to the same level as the coconut. Mix thoroughly.
Then, stir continuously till the mixture becomes browner in color and feels like grainy on your spatula

Tip: The sugar caramelizes quicker at this stage (making the contents stick closely together), and can get burnt and ruin the recipe. So watch it carefully.

After that, transfer the hot coconut candy into a wide tray to cool.
Lastly, you can mold into any shape of choice- ball or square shapes or simply leave it to cool completely and harden. Then serve as desired.

Note: To get a very hard candy, you’ll have to increase the amount of sugar used, though not recommended.

But I know a lot of folks like their coconut candy hard and crunchy!

Alternatively,

Eating these candies can be made more appealing and fun for adults and children alike by creating Coconut Candy Pops.

Exceptional to serve at parties or served to accompany other desserts. Please check it out:

After molding into any shape of choice – ball, heart, or square shapes, place a lollipop stick into each shape and allow cooling.
Serve with some melted chocolate for a more thrilling taste.

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