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Cocada is a chewy, golden coconut candy from northeastern Brazil, sold on trays by street vendors and at beach stalls. This white cocada is made with coconut, coconut milk and allulose, cooked until thick and dropped into little mounds.
Per serving: 117 calories · 1.3 g net carbs · 1 g protein · 11 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup allulose
- 3/4 cup canned coconut milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon butter plus more for the tray
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and butter it lightly.
- Combine the allulose, coconut milk and water in a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the allulose dissolves.
- Add the coconut, butter and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the mixture is thick, sticky and just starting to turn golden at the edges.
- Drop heaping tablespoons onto the parchment, shaping them into rough mounds. Let cool for at least 1 hour, until set.
Notes
Nutrition
About This Dish
Cocada is one of the oldest sweets of northeastern Brazil, born from the region's sugar plantations and abundant coconut palms. In Salvador, Bahia, cocadas are sold alongside acarajé by the baianas, women in traditional white dress who sell food from street stalls. There are many styles, from white cocada to dark cocada preta made with burnt sugar, and soft cocadas eaten with a spoon. Coconut palms were brought to Brazil by the Portuguese. Cocada is also popular in other Latin American countries, each with its own version.
This recipe is from The Ultimate Brazilian Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 11: Desserts (Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar)). See all Brazilian recipes