Coconut Desserts

In Brazil, the abundance of coconut makes it a popular ingredient in desserts and beverages, and the occasional savory dish like moqueca Baiana, a fish stew laced with coconut milk and coconut oil. A culinary additive that originated in the northeast Brazilian state of Bahia with African slaves in the seventeenth century, coconut is an intrinsic Latin flavoring.

While you’re in town for a visit, make like a local, and be sure to order some top-selling samples. First up, a coco gelado. At kiosks on the beach, a machete-wielding vendor will slice a hole into a chilled, fresh green coconut. You just add a straw and sip the sweet, refreshing water. You can also buy whole coconuts and hole-cutters in the grocery store and get it freshly drained by the bottle from street vendors. Don't leave the country without also trying a picolé de coco (coconut popsicle), available everywhere from gas stations to street vendors. When you're on the beach, make sure to order the ever-popular sacolé, a homemade variety of popsicle without the stick that’s sold in a plastic baggie. Simply slurp from a bitten-off corner. Finally, make sure to try a cuscus de coco, a dense cake made of tiny tapioca pearls topped with layers of fresh coconut and a drizzle of condensed milk.

However, if you find yourself longing for coconut and far from the shores of Rio, there are a few coconut desserts you can enjoy anywhere in the world, as along as you have access to a kitchen. Beijinho de Coco, shiny orb-shaped indulgences made of sweetened condensed milk and shredded coconut; Cocada, a rick coconut pudding straight from the stovetop; and Quindim, a coconut and egg custard. 

With these recipes, you'll never be far from Rio.

Beijinhos de Coco

• 2 14-ounce cans of sweetened condensed milk
• 12 ounces unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• coarse decorating sugars, for rolling
• cloves (optional)

Get the full recipe.

Cocada

• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 ounces unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Get the full recipe.

Quindim

• 10 egg yolks
• 7 ounces of sugar plus extra for coating the pan
• 1 200 ml (6.8 ounce) bottle of coconut milk
• 2 ounces unsweetened shredded coconut
• unsalted butter for coating the pan

Get the full recipe.