Looking for quick coconut candy recipe? Here's one you should try!
This coconut candy is a famous sweet treat in Malaysia. You often see it in bright pink and green cubes sold by street vendors and is truly loved by many.

Quick and Easy Coconut Candy Recipe
The candy recipe calls for the use of 3 main ingredients i.e. grated coconut, condensed milk, and sugar. To these, I also add butter, vanilla, and coloring for a yummy tray for coconut candy.
This coconut candy recipe uses freshly grated coconut. The coconut in this natural form is very moist and unsweetened. I also have another recipe for this coconut candy, but that is made using desiccated coconut. It is pretty much the same as this coconut candy recipe, but given the very dry texture of desiccated coconut, the amount of condensed milk, sugar, and butter used in that recipe vary significantly.
This coconut candy is firm and crusty on the outside, but soft on the inside. It can be cut into bars or squares and can be colored to any color you like. It can also be wrapped in pretty candy wrappers for gifting.
How to Make Coconut Candy
Ingredients
- Grated coconut (fresh & unsweetened)
- Condensed milk
- Sugar
- Butter
- Vanilla
- Food color (Americolor Electric pink)
Making the candy
- Prepare the tray for the candy. Line it with parchment and apply some butter to it.
- Measure the condensed milk into a large pot or pan.
- Add sugar and turn on the heat.
- Keep mixing until the sugar starts to melt.
- Add in the butter and stir until the butter is melted.
- Also, add the vanilla and food coloring at this stage.
- Stir until the color is well distributed. Turn off the heat if the condensed milk is turning too thick.
- Next, add the grated coconut. Mix thoroughly. Continue to cook the coconut candy over low heat until it becomes dry. To know if the candy is ready, you will see the sugar traces at the side of the pot turning white.
- Turn off the heat. Transfer the candy into a greased and lined tray.
- Press the coconut candy with the back of a spoon (butter the spoon to avoid sticking) until it is packed and flat. You can also place a parchment paper on the candy and press it down with your palm. Whichever way, do it when the candy is still hot. Once the top is all flat, leave the candy tray to cool down completely.
Cutting the candy
- Wait until the candy is completely cool before cutting it. Use a sharp, buttered knife (apply some butter to the knife) to cut the candy into squares or bars.
- You can cut the candy directly in the tray or carefully lift it out onto a cutting board to cut.
- If you see any stray strands of coconut as you cut the candy, use 2 knives to tidy them by pressing them to the sides of the cut candy.
- Store the coconut candy in an airtight container. This candy can last at least one week, provided it does not come into contact with any moisture.
Coconut Candy Recipe
Coconut Candy Recipe Notes
What is fresh grated coconut and how is it different from desiccated coconut
- Grated coconut is the white coconut flesh in grated form. It is a lot finer than coconut flakes and is normally sold fresh or in dry form. The freshly grated coconut has high moisture content. Desiccated coconut, on the other hand, is the grated coconut in dry form. It is literally dehydrated grated coconut and is often a lot lighter in weight than freshly grated coconut.
- This recipe calls for the use of unsweetened, fresh grated coconut. If you want to make the candy with desiccated coconut, use my other recipe here. The ingredients measure differ due to the very dry nature of desiccated coconut.
Cooking the condensed milk and sugar
- When heating up the condensed milk and sugar, keep stirring the solution all the time. The condensed milk tends to burn very quickly especially as it starts to boil and thicken, hence, always keep stirring to avoid the bottom from burning.
How to know if the candy is cooked and ready to be transafered out to a tray?
- This is quite tricky. If the coconut candy is not cooked well, it will not set as it should, once transferred out onto a tray.
- The key is to cook it until it appears dry and there are no longer any traces of liquid in the pot. You will notice the sugar traces on the side of your pan turning white, which means the candy is ready.
What if the candy does not set after transfering into the tray.
- If your candy remains very soft, it is not cooked enough. Simply return it to the pot, and continue to cook for a little longer.
How to avoid the candy from sticking to the knife when cutting?
- If you cut the candy while it is still warm, it will tend to stick to the knife.
- The best way to cut this candy is to wait until it has completely cooled down. This can take at least about an hour.
- Also, buttering your knife will help ensure a smooth cutting process. Buttering the knife simply means applying some butter to the knife, similar to greasing a cake tin for baking cakes.
- Once the candy is set, use a sharp knife to cut it into squares or bars. If you see any loose coconut strands after cutting, press them to the sides of the candy with the knife to tidy them up.
How much candy does this recipe make
- This recipe makes one block of candy measuring 12 cm by 18 cm, with a thickness of about 1.5 cm.
How long does the candy last
- This coconut candy lasts for a good one week. However, it is very sensitive to moisture, hence make sure the candy container is free from moisture.
How to store the candy
- The candy can be stored in any container. It is probably best to use a flat and wide container rather than a tall and narrow cookie jar to avoid the candy from breaking from being stacked on one another.
Coconut Candy Recipe
Here is the full printable version of my coconut candy recipe.
📖Recipe
Coconut Candy Recipe
For best results, use the metrics measurements. US customary measurements have not been tested and are only meant for guide.
Ingredients
- 200 g grated coconut (fresh)
- 75 g granulated sugar
- 110 g condensed milk
- 7.5 g butter (salted)
- Food color
Instructions
- Line and grease a square or rectangle tin measuring at least 12cm by 18cm.
- Measure the condensed milk into a medium-sized pot or pan. Add sugar and turn on the heat.
- Mix continuously until the sugar starts to dissolve. Pay attention to the bottom of the pan to avoid the sugar and condensed milk from burning.
- Add butter and vanilla. Stir until the butter is melted.
- Add food coloring. Mix well. Turn off the heat if the condensed milk is too thickened.
- Add the grated coconut and stir until it is well combined. Turn on the heat again and retain it on low.
- Stir the coconut continuously until it turns dry. The sugar traces on the sides of the pan should be turning white.
- While the candy is still hot, transfer it into the prepared tray.
- Press the candy down with the back of a buttered spoon or with a parchment paper.
- Leave the candy aside to cool completely, for at least one hour. The candy should be firm to touch.
- Turn the candy out onto a cutting board and cut into squares or bars with a sharp, butterred knife.
- Store the candy in a container.
Nutrition
And that's my super yummy coconut candy recipe.
Coconut Candy Recipe
Here are my other posts you might want to check out:
- Coconut Loaf Cake with Lemon Glaze Topping
- Cherry Coconut Cookies - Easy Christmas Cookie Idea
- Orange Layer Cake with Orange Buttercream and Candied Peels
- Light Fruit Cake
Enjoy 🙂
Sharon
This coconut andy is so sweet and tropical. I love that it uses fresh coconut instead of the bagged stuff.
Angie
Your coconut candy looks so pretty! I love to bake sweet treats with coconut though most of my family do not share my love for coconut. But I can just imagine tasting the buttery sweetness of your sweet coconut treats.
Allyssa
Thank you so much for sharing this delicious and really tasty coconut candy recipe! So easy to make as well! Highly recommended! Will surely have this again!
Amanda
I just love making homemade candy, and this was delicious! Every bite was full of coconut flavor, and they were so simple to make.
Debra
Super easy to make...and so much fun. We made it purple!
Lucy
Coconut is my favourite flavour. This candy is such a delicious indulgent treat. The colour is absolutely beautiful too!
Millie Louise Mae
I made this for my brother in law and his 2 kids. They were so happy and loved them. A great recipe for some home-made cooking (with love) to gift to friends and family. Thank you for the recipe. x
Jeri
Oh my! This coconut candy was so much fun to make! I loved that we used natural coconut, and it was so easy to make! Thanks for the great instructions!
veenaazmanov
This is such a quick and easy dessert. Love the color too. Perfect for any festive occassion.
Amy Casey
I made this delish coconut treat for one of my personal chef clients. They just love coconut and this special treat was a hit!
Lilly
This is such a sweet treat! My family loved them and they were super fun to make! Thanks for the recipe!
Luca
This was super quick to make and so yummy!
Loreto and Nicoletta
Thank you so much for sharing part of your cultural treats with us. These are so colirfuk, just looking at them makes me smile, but I am very tempted to grab one. I can only imagine the richness and sweetness, so vivid and ultra yummy especially if you are a voconut lover!😋🥰❤
Cheers!
Jacqueline
This coconut candy looks so pretty. Love the colour. Great for a party too!
Chenée
Delicious! I love how easy this coconut candy was to make! I'll be making it so often!
Moop Brown
These look like the perfect treat and like something everyone will enjoy!