Macapuno Balls Recipe
Macapuno balls are a chewy Filipino coconut candy made with real bits of macapuno and condensed milk, cooked until thick, rolled into balls, and coated in desiccated coconut.
Servings: 17
Calories: 110kcal
Equipment
- Fine mesh sieve
- Small bowl and whisk
- Nonstick pan
- Silicone spatula
- #40 scoop (about 26 grams)
- Food-safe gloves
- Airtight container
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounce jar macapuno strings, drained, rinsed, and roughly chopped
- 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk, or ¾ can for less sweetness
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup desiccated coconut or powdered milk for coating
Instructions
- Drain the macapuno strings in a sieve and give them a quick rinse under running water. Let them drain well, then chop them roughly.1 12 ounce jar macapuno strings, drained, rinsed, and roughly chopped
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water together until smooth. Set it aside.¼ cup cornstarch, ¼ cup water
- Add the chopped macapuno, condensed milk, and salt to a nonstick pan. Cook over low to medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the mixture is hot.1 12 ounce jar macapuno strings, drained, rinsed, and roughly chopped, 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk, or ¾ can for less sweetness, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Stir the slurry again, then pour it in slowly while stirring constantly. Lower the heat to low or medium-low and keep stirring for 8 to 12 minutes, until the mixture is very thick and pulls away from the sides of the pan as one mass.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate it for 1 to 2 hours, until it's cool and firm.
- Put on food-safe gloves. Use a #40 scoop to portion the dough, then roll each portion into a ball. You should get 17 balls.
- Roll each ball in desiccated coconut or powdered milk until it's fully coated.¾ cup desiccated coconut or powdered milk
- If they've been in the fridge, let them sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Sweetness: Use ¾ of the can of condensed milk for a less sweet candy. The mixture still thickens the same way.
- Doneness: Don't take the mixture off the heat until it pulls away from the pan as one mass. If it's still loose, the balls will be too soft to roll.
- Chopping: Chop the macapuno roughly instead of blending it, so you get chewy pieces in every ball.
- Rolling: The dough stays sticky even after chilling, so gloves make rolling much easier.
- Storage: Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.
- Serving: Let them sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before eating, so they soften back up and taste chewy.
Nutrition
Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 47mg | Sugar: 16g
