What are cocadas made of?

Made with eggs and shredded coconut , cocadas come in a variety of colors due to the modern use of food coloring, however the traditional variations are golden brown. They are often garnished with almonds, either whole or chopped.

What country are coconut macaroons from?

The coconut macaroon was first discovered in the 1890s by a French company that added shredded coconut to the macaroon to help the macaroon from spoiling during long shipping processes. The same issue happened in the US, too, when a North American baker received a shipment of coconuts from a Cuban businessman.

Are cocadas gluten free?

Yes! Cocadas make a great quick snack for anyone on a gluten-free diet.

What's the difference between French macarons and coconut macaroons?

Difference Between Macaron and Macaroon Macarons and macaroons are different in their appearance, taste, and texture. A macaron is a meringue-based sandwich cookie that is tinted with food coloring. A macaroon is a drop cookie made with shredded coconut . The preparation for these two cookies is also very different.

What are the 2 types of macaroons?

French macarons are softer with chewy shells and more subtly sweet taste, giving you more of that distinct almond flavour. Whereas Italian macarons are more crisp, even powdery at times and have a more pronounced sweet taste. A trained eye may even be able to tell the difference simply by looking at them.

What is cocada in English?

feminine noun. Central America) (Cookery) coconut sweet .

This periodicity is especially remarkable because their life cycles are so long—13 or 17 years. No other species of cicada in the world (among perhaps 3,000 species) synchronize their development in this way.

Are coconut macaroons good for you?

That said, because macaroons are high in sugar and offer little nutrition, eating too many of them regularly could be problematic , especially if they replace more nutritious foods in your diet.

Is the paper on coconut macaroons edible?

Product Description. 6 Coconut macaroons with chocolate flavoured decoration on edible rice paper .

How long can coconut macaroons last?

Coconut macaroons can last for up to 1 week if you store them in an airtight cookie storage container . To make them last longer, you can freeze them by placing them in a single layer on a sheet pan in the freezer.

Where did cocadas originate from?

Latin America Cocada / Place of origin Latin America is a collective region of the Americas where Romance languages—languages derived from Latin—are predominantly spoken. The term was coined in France in the mid-19th century to refer to regions in the Americas that were ruled by the Spanish, Portuguese, and French empires. Wikipedia

Is Sonic celiac safe?

The best choices look to be non-food options, like sodas and coffee, which are naturally gluten-free, and likely safe. However, there's nothing in the way of food that looks like a safe bet for people with celiac disease. For this reason, we consider Sonic to be not gluten-free or gluten-friendly .

Can celiacs eat at Sonic?

While Sonic offers an array of gluten-free options , there are a few menu items you should avoid if you have gluten sensitivities. Steer clear of items like corn dogs, onion rings, fried chicken sandwiches, and any menu items containing wheat-based buns or other gluten-containing ingredients.

Is desiccated coconut the same as macaroon coconut?

There are two different styles of coconut macaroons—those made with unsweetened, desiccated coconut (which is the kind that has been fully dried and contains no additives ) and those made with moist, sweetened, shredded ribbons of coconut.

Easy Cocadas (Coconut Macaroons) Recipe

Home » Dessert » Cookies » Easy Cocadas (Coconut Macaroons) Recipe

Published on Jul 5, 2022 Modified: May 24, 2021 by Alexandria Drzazgowski. This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

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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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“Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!”

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

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.
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!
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.

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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.
Sweetened Condensed Milk: 1 14oz can will be enough to give you what you need.
Macadamia Nuts: These can be omitted if you so choose. Be sure to use unsalted nuts.
Vanilla: Vanilla extract or pure vanilla both work.
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

Step 1: Make the Dough

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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

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

Step 2: Bake

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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

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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

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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

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What Happens when Sweetened Condensed Milk is Baked?

When baked or boiled for long enough, sweetened condensed milk transforms from a sweet, milk-like substance, to a dark, delicious caramel. In fact, boiling a can of sweetened condensed milk is one of the easiest ways to make Dulce de Leche (which is REALLY delicious served with Alfajores).

When making these Cocadas, the sweetened condensed milk is no different.

Once it hits the oven, the sweetened condensed milk transforms into an incredible, thick caramel that holds the cookies together. This makes the cookies soft and chewy and so sweet. Can someone say YUM?!?!?

Storing Leftovers

If you want to keep leftovers, make sure to store the cookies in an airtight container! They will stay good on the counter top for up to 5 days (if they last that long). This means that you can easily prep your cookies ahead of time if necessary!

What to Serve with this Recipe

This sweet dessert is eaten at any time of the day in most countries, from morning until night. This means that it would be delicious if paired with a cup of coffee in the morning, but would also be so good as an after-dinner treat.

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