Easy Cocadas (Coconut Macaroons) Recipe

Cocadas are a cookie made with coconut, sweetened condensed milk and (optional) macadamia nuts! This recipe is quick, simple, and oh-so-delicious. This recipe is a great gluten free treat as well. 

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Recipe Origins

Cocadas are a popular candy/cookie not only in Bolivia but all over South America and other Latin American countries! They are also popular in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and even Spain.

In the United States, at least, these coconut treats are considered a traditional dessert from Mexico. However, the first mention of the cookie came in 1878 from Peru! 

Traditionally, cocadas were made in a baking pan like a cake and then cut into triangles.These days, the cookies is very similar to coconut macaroons and form a sphere shape with a flat bottom. They are now served in different manners across many countries, including being sold as a street food in Mexico and being featured in bakeries in Uruguay.

Why Make this Recipe

1. Quick & Easy: The “dough” for these cookies takes all of 5 minutes to whip up and 25 minutes to bake, and then you have an incredible, sweet, caramel-y cookie with bits of macadamia nuts to enjoy.
2. Gluten Free: Cocadas are a perfect gluten-free option for those with gluten restrictions, as the cookie is not made with a traditional dough. There is not even a need for any substitutes! 
3. Easy to Make with Children: Because this recipe involves simply mixing some ingredients and scooping them into balls, you can easily make this recipe with children! They will love helping you out in the kitchen. 

What Ingredients are in this Recipe? 

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.

1. Shredded Coconut: I used shredded, sweetened coconut. A more traditional option would also be coconut flakes, fresh coconut, or grated coconut if you can find them. Make sure you are using dry coconut for best results.
2. Sweetened Condensed Milk: 1 14oz can will be enough to give you what you need.
3. Macadamia Nuts: These can be omitted if you so choose. Be sure to use unsalted nuts.
4. Vanilla: Vanilla extract or pure vanilla both work. 
5. Egg: Room temperature. Some recipes call for discarding the egg yolks and just using the egg whites and other cocada recipes call for no eggs at all. We will be using the whole egg in this recipe!

How to Make Cocadas

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Step 1: Make the Dough 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine all ingredients with one large bowl and mix until combined.

Step 2: Bake

Use a cookie scoop to form the mixture into 22-24 small balls. Place these on an unlined, ungreased cookie sheet with four sides.

Bake at 325 for about 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

• Use a cookie scoop to form the cookies for the most uniform results.
• Allow the cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes after baking, and then remove them to a wire rack to allow them to cool the rest of the way.
• If you find that the cookies are sticking to your baking sheet, you can try lining the sheet with parchment paper.
• If the bottom of your cookies burn (which sometimes happens based on your cookie sheet), you can turn the oven down to 300 degrees.

Variations

Because cocadas are eaten in so many different countries, it seems that there are endless ways to make them correctly! Below are some ways you can change up your cocadas for a fun variation of this recipe:

• Instead of making the recipe with Sweetened Condensed Milk, you can use Dulce de Leche for an extra pop of flavor.
• Cocadas often come in a variety of colors due to food coloring. If you want to change the color of your cookie, feel free to add fun colors to the coconut mixture!
• Garnish the tops of the cookies with almonds or add dried fruit for extra flavor and fun colors.
• Use two cocadas to make a sandwich, placing dulce de leche or manjarblanco between the two bottoms.
• If you want to add an extra touch of magic to your cocadas, you can dip the bottoms in chocolate as well.
• “Black Cocada” in Brazil is a variation of this cookie made by using brown sugar and charred coconut.

Shape Variations

While this recipe calls for forming the cookies into a dome (like is common in most Mexican recipes), there are plenty of other shapes that your sweet treat can take as well.

• Make them long and thin like in Brazil
• Shape them like a flat cookie similar to Colombia
• In Venezuela, the word “Cocada” references a drink
• They can also be shaped into squares or rectangles

Recipe FAQs 

If you loved these sweet coconut cookies, don’t forget to check out these other recipes on my site that you might like: 

• Butter Cookies from Egypt
• Traditional Italian Pizzelle Recipe
• Traditional Italian Biscotti Recipe
• 5 South American Desserts You Can Make at Home