🇵🇦 Panamanian Cuisine

Cocada

Coconut Candy

Prep Time 10 min

Servings 12

Difficulty Easy

Calories 154 kcal

Dense, chewy coconut candy made with grated coconut, sugar, and spices — a beloved Panamanian sweet sold at markets and street corners.

Ingredients

3 cups freshly grated coconut
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 tsp lime zest (optional)

Instructions

1 Combine sugar and water in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
2 Add grated coconut, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Stir continuously.
3 Cook 20-25 min, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and pulls away from the pan.
4 Drop spoonfuls onto parchment paper to form small rounds.
5 Let cool completely until firm and chewy.
6 Store in an airtight container.

Did You Know?

Afro-Panamanian women called "cocaderas" carry trays of cocadas balanced on their heads through the streets — a living tradition of Caribbean commerce.