Coconut Ice {Easy, No-Cook Recipe} (2024)

These coconut ice squares are soft and chewy, they look adorable and make a great addition to your festive Christmas dessert platter! You need just 3 ingredients to whip up these no-cook, delicious coconut treats.

Hi folks! I truly hope that everyone is doing well during these tough and challenging times. Apologies for being MIA, this was my longest break ever. I had a lot goin on, so blogging took a backseat.

I’ve missed sharing so much in the past 5 months and more so during this festive season, but I couldn’t let the holidays pass by without sharing some of my favorite recipes with you guys 🙂

I’ve already shared quite a lot of traditional Christmas sweets on the blog here like neureos, kormolas, guava cheese (Perad),milk cream, marzipan, etc to name a few.

I do intend to share more Christmas treats in the coming days. On that note, let me start off with this ridiculously easy recipe, that needs no cooking! After all, who doesn’t love a good no-cook or no-bake recipe, right? I’m always up for one, especially during the holidays when things can get hectic.

I know everyone is busy during Christmas, and trust me, a lot of our traditional Goan sweets are time consuming and laborious. I’m sure many of you will be pre-ordering the sweets and there’s absolutely no harm in it, as not everyone has the time or energy.

But if you are up to preparing something this season, that’s really as easy as 1-2-3, this is the recipe for you! Mix, layer, set, and cut into squares, bars, or any desired shapes using fancy cookie cutters. It is a fun activity to get the kids involved and spend some quality time with your family 🙂

What is coconut ice?

Coconut ice is a British confectionery prepared using grated desiccated coconut or just grated coconut, condensed milk, and sugar, which is formed to create a solid, soft candy. It typically has a chewy, soft, and mildly grainy texture; some versions are semi-hard.It is also available in South Africa, some areas of Australia, and New Zealand.

The origin of the use of the word “ice” in the confectionery’s name is not known, but it may have derived from its general appearance and coloration. (Wiki)

Honestly, I didn’t know one of my favorite Christmas sweets also happens to be popular in Britain. I always thought of it as a traditional Goan Christmas sweet.

Why you will love this recipe

I’m sure you will love this recipe as ;

• It tastes so good, it is highly addictive
• Requires a few ingredients
• It does not involve any cooking
• Looks attractive
• Perfect for gifting, wrap them in cellophane and tie them with ribbons for a gourmet touch

The hardest part of this recipe is just waiting for it to set!

Ingredients required

The traditional method to make this dessert involves cooking grated coconut along with milk and sugar, somewhat similar to this coconut toffee recipe that I’ve shared earlier. That is more of a firm and chewy candy, that has a bite to it.

Today, I’m sharing the no-cook method which calls for 3 ingredients;

1. Unsweetened desiccated coconut, easily found in the baking aisle
2. Sweetened condensed milk
3. And icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar

I’ve flavored it with vanilla and rose essence. These ingredients are completely optional. You can use whatever you have at hand. Check out the variations listed further below at the bottom of the post.

How to make coconut ice squares – Step by step

Step 1: Prepare the pan

Grease a 7 or 8-inch square pan with oil or non-stick spray. Line the pan with parchment paper and set aside. (image 1)

Step 2: Prepare the white mixture

In a large bowl, add 200 grams condensed milk, 100 grams icing sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir well until combined. (image 2 and 3)

Next, add 175 grams of desiccated coconut, mix well until combined. You may use your hands the mix thoroughly if it gets difficult to mix. (image 4 and 5)

Press the white mixture firmly over the base of the pan, smooth out the surface with an offset spatula or your hands. Set aside. (image 6 and 7)

Step 3: Prepare the pink mixture

Wipe out the bowl, and add the remaining 200 grams condensed milk, 100 grams icing sugar, 1/4 teaspoon pink food color, and 1/4 teaspoon rose essence, stir well until combined. (image 8 and 9)

Next, add the remaining 175 grams of desiccated coconut, mix well until combined. (image 10 and 11)

You can also use 2 bowls, and prepare the separate layers simultaneously, whatever is convenient for you.

Step 4: Layer and set

Press the pink mixture over the white layer, smooth out the surface with an offset spatula, back of measuring cup, or your hands. (image 12)

Cover the pan with a cling film or aluminum foil. Refrigerate overnight. It usually sets in 2-3 hours, but for best results refrigerate it overnight. You may also let it air-dry, uncovered, at room temperature. I prefer setting it in the refrigerator as it is is a quicker alternative.

Step 5: Cut and serve

Lift the parchment paper out of the pan. Let the coconut ice stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. I trimmed off the edges to have clean ends, but that is completely optional. Cut into desired sized pieces. (image 13 and 14)

You may also cut them into bars but I find that it is too much of a serving portion.

FAQs

How long does coconut ice last?

Once the coconut ice squares have dried out completely, store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks, though I highly doubt it will last that long 😀

For longer shelf life, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Remove the required number of squares you intend to serve, let it sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before serving.

Coconut ice not setting

That problem could arise with the traditional cooking method, which calls for milk, sugar, and coconut. In this no-cook recipe, the icing sugar helps it to set. Ideally, you should not have this problem here.

If at all you do face this problem, the simplest way to troubleshoot is by making laddoos or balls out of it and rolling it in more desiccated coconut. Place it on a parchment-lined plate or tray and leave it to dry for a few hours.

Next time, try increasing the desiccated coconut to 350 or 400 grams for it to set.

Can I skip the icing sugar?

I do not suggest skipping the icing sugar as it helps in setting the coconut ice.

I’ve tested this recipe with 3 ratios of icing sugar,

• 100 grams: More coconut flavor and very subtle in terms of sweetness, perfect if you prefer less-sweet desserts.
• 200 grams: What I’ve used in this recipe and it was just the right amount of sweetness for us.
• 350 grams: The entire dessert was way too sweet, and had less coconut flavor.

The dessert set well with all these proportions, so feel free to increase/decrease the icing sugar depending on how sweet you like it.

Can I use fresh shredded coconut in this recipe?

You cannot use it as a direct substitute in this recipe. However, you can make your own homemade desiccated coconut by dry roasting the freshly shredded coconut in a skillet over medium-low heat, to remove all the moisture. Keep stirring continuously to prevent the coconut from burning and changing color.

Then transfer onto a plate and set aside to cool down. If the shreds are big, pulse in the blender to break it down to a finer consistency. Then you can use it in the recipe.

Variations

You can get creative with the flavors and colors and make your own unique flavored coconut ice. These are some of the variations that I think you may enjoy, feel free to experiment.

• Holiday-themed: Add a few drops of peppermint extract. You can make 2 layers of red and green.
• Pistachio flavored: Add about 1/4 teaspoon of pistachio extract and green food color to one half of the mixture. Layer over the white mixture.
• Cardamom flavored: Add 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom essence or 1/2 teaspoon of powdered cardamom along with green food color to one half of the mixture. Layer over the white mixture.
• Pink coconut ice: Add about 1/2 teaspoon of strawberry/raspberry extract and pink food color.
• For the white layer, you can also use almond extract.
• Caramel flavored: Use the same amount of dulce de leche instead of the condensed milk.
• Coconut snowballs: Once you prepare the mixture, take a portion of the mixture and form balls. Coat it with more desiccated coconut.
• Chocolate coated: Melt some bittersweet or dark chocolate, dip the squares completely in the chocolate, then transfer to a wire rack or parchment-lined tray to dry completely. Avoid using milk chocolate or white chocolate as it will make the entire thing too sweet.

Avoid going overboard with the extracts, as some of them are quite strong and little goes a long way.

★ Did you enjoy this super easy and delicious coconut ice recipe? If you happen to try it out, I would love to hear from you! I’d appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review below in the comments. Your reviews help others know the recipe better too. Thanks so much 🙂

p.s: I hope you have already soaked the dried fruits to make the rich, boozy, Christmas fruit cake. If you haven’t, it is still not too late, here’s all that you need to know to soak the dried fruits.

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