A nostalgic Newfoundland Christmastime confection, Marshmallow Coconut Balls are a no-bake cookie that will quickly become your new holiday favourite! If you add chocolate chips to the mix, they're almost like s'mores! #marshmallow #balls #christmas #holiday #nobake

Marshmallow Coconut Balls are the one confection that my mom used to make probably more than any other cookie you’ve seen in this series. I could not find her recipe, but I think this is exactly the one she used.

I searched everywhere; every Newfoundland cooking Facebook group I could find. I did internet searches with every keyword I could think of. And, I scrolled through pages and pages on Pinterest, but could not find the recipe.

Finally, I asked my ex wife. She was able to get the recipe from her mom and there you have it! Marshmallow Coconut Balls just like my mom used to make, sourced by my ex wife and mother in law. Whew!

LITTLE INGREDIENTS; BIG TASTE!

I love this recipe. It’s just so easy to make and takes so little time. It has only four ingredients too, which makes it very budget friendly. Normally, I talk about substitutions, but there’s really nothing to substitute!

Let’s see – condensed milk. I always use Eagle brand. I find it has the best texture and just the right amount of sweetness. In Canada, sweetened condensed milk comes in 14 ounce cans. I do think that is different from the can size in the United States, so please make note of that.

For the marshmallows, you can use all white like I did, or you can use the little multi-coloured type. I found that the white was more Christmas-like rather than the yellow and pink mini marshmallows, but it’s your call.

Because you want the balls to form easily, please use a finely grated unsweetened coconut. If you use flaked or shredded coconut, they balls will not form as nicely nor will they look this cohesive.

The only substitution I can think of which might actually be quite good. I’m just thinking of this now!! How about using chocolate graham crumbs rather than the honey gold crumbs? It would change the taste completely, but I bet they would be delicious!

Did you know that I’ve been posting a 24 Cookies of Christmas series for a few years now? There are over 100 Christmas cookie recipes that you can find right here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen! To make it easier to find, I have created a page for each series. Just click on the image below and you’ll find the full series for that volume all one page!

VARIATIONS AND ADD-INS:

Other than switching the graham crumbs like I just mentioned, there are a few things you can do to enhance or build on this recipe. I know, for example, in Newfoundland, many people will add chopped candied cherries to the mixture before rolling it into balls.

I’ve also seen these with mini chocolate chips scattered throughout them as well. Again, the mini chocolate chips would be added to the Marshmallow Coconut Balls mixture before being formed into balls and being rolled into the coconut.

Today, however, I decided to be a purist and not add anything to them. I love the chewiness of the marshmallows along with the slight crunch of the graham crumbs and the coconut. To me, they’re perfect just the way they are!

MORE CHRISTMAS CONFECTIONS!

In some cases, we want more than a cookie. That’s why I have two more Christmas-themed collections you might want to consider. The first, is my 12 Bundt Cakes of Christmas, and the second is my 12 Biscotti of Christmas. Click on the image below to see each collection all on one page with links to each recipe!

MAKE THESE AHEAD AND FREEZE THEM!

Oh yes, Dear Reader, Marshmallow Coconut Balls can be made up to two months in advance and frozen. To prevent a sticky mess, follow these steps. Once you have rolled all of the balls and have placed them onto a baking sheet, place the entire baking sheet in your freezer.

Once the balls are frozen, transfer them to a food-safe container, or even a Ziploc bag, and put them back in the freezer. Whenever you feel like having one or two, remove as many as you need and let them thaw at room temperature. Keep the rest frozen. Enjoy!

This concludes Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas – Volume 2. I hope you enjoyed this journey with me. There’s so many Christmas cookies here now, I’m sure you can find many cookies that are just right for you and your family. Maybe I’ll see you back here next year for Volume 3! Enjoy!!

3.90 from 20 votes

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