Martha Washington Candy has a pecan and coconut center covered in chocolate. This old-fashioned favorite is perfect for holiday gift giving.
My favorite childhood Christmas memories are around food. Especially sweets. (Read more about me here.)
Along with Buckeye Balls, these candies are what I look most forward to making each holiday season and they get gobbled up quickly.
If you haven’t already made candy-making a holiday tradition, now is the time to start and these easy coconut candies are the perfect easy candy recipe to begin with.
Origination of Martha Washington Candy
I don’t know the exact history behind Martha Washington Candy. There was a chain of Martha Washington candy stores started back in the 1890s and I think they are connected. Anyone have any knowledge?
This candy has been a popular addition to southern candy and cookie trays for generations. Also called “Coconut Bonbons”, these homemade candies are divine. The center is so rich, buttery, and full of coconut flavor with crunchy pieces of pecan. If you are a fan of coconut, you will love these little bites of heaven!
Ingredients Needed
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Unsalted Butter
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut
- Powdered Sugar
- Chopped Pecans
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Vegetable Shortening– Coconut Oil can be used instead.
Plan Ahead
You will need to do the first step of this recipe, mixing together the sweetened condensed milk, melted butter, coconut, chopped pecans, and powdered sugar, a day in advance.
How To Make Martha Washington Candy
- Mix together the sweetened condensed milk, melted butter, shredded coconut, powdered sugar, and pecans in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight so that the mixture gets firm enough to shape into balls.
- Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Melt the chocolate and shortening.
- Dip the balls in the chocolate.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 2 months.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItTry These Other Easy Candy Recipes
- Buckeye Balls
- Old-Fashioned Potato Candy
- Bourbon Graham Cracker Candy
- Saltine Cracker Candy
- Microwave Pralines
- Cherry Bourbon Balls
- Crock Pot Nut Clusters
Martha Washington Candy
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 (14-ounce) bag sweetened shredded coconut
- 2 1/3 cups powdered sugar, may need more
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
- 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the sweetened condensed milk, melted butter, coconut, powdered sugar, and pecans. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Shape into 1-inch balls and place an a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Place the chocolate and shortening in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth.
- Take about 10 balls out of the refrigerator at a time. One at a time dip them into the chocolate, lifting them out with a fork so the excess chocolate can drip down. Place them on wax paper. Let them sit until the chocolate has set.
- Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Source: Deep South Dish
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Will be making these for Christmas gifts for my neighbors. Can I add cherries to this Martha Washington candy? I know to drain all juices from cherries.
I haven’t tried it, but I would think it would work well.
When I make these I put a whole cherry in the center. Time consuming and the the ball is huge. I recommend (which I will do next year ) chopping them up and mix in the mixture. Sort of like a cherry crush.
An additional recipe i read, called for 2/3 cup of paraffin per every 3 cups of chocolate
Is the shortening in lieu of the paraffin? To make it shiny?
I use paraffin
I don’t see paraffin wax listed in your ingredients. How much is needed??
I have dipping chocolate for my Dipping pot will that work? My late Mother-n-law made these plus other candies similar and send us a box of goodies every Holiday. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
How much parifin do you add to the chocolate
You don’t have to put paraffin in chocolate. My mom did use paraffin. I think it makes the chocolate shimmer or shine. If you aren’t careful your chocolate might end up with too much paraffin and taste like a chocolate candle. 😂
Do you need to keep them refrigerated once the chocolate is on
We STILL use paraffin wax here when making candy, especially peanut butter & coconut balls! I wonder how coconut oil would work on these “coconut balls”?
Without paraffin wax in your chocolate, the candies will be dull and thick, and difficult to work with. Using
wax will make them shiny and beautiful ! I make hundreds of candies at different holidays. Could not do it without the use of paraffin wax.
How much of the way do I use
No way I’m in eating paragon. GAG!
If you are using quality chocolate, then the only way to get that snap and shine is to temper it yourself. Instructions both written as well as the videos cab be found on Google or YouTube.
My mom always used the chocolate chips with paraffin. I loved how it always made dipping easier and completely. I also made it that way for years after her death. I’ve also tempered it a few years as well.
I started updating the recipes 10 years ago to start working more healthy versions of the same recipes I loved. So for example, her peanut butter bonbons, instead of two jars of Skippy creamy, and an entire pound of unsalted butter at room temperature. We swapped out the pound of butter for slightly chilled version of organic coconut oil
And added 1 tp 2 tablespoons of butter flavoring. Also when making the Martha Washington’s we swapped out the butter in the coconut, butter, pecans and a little salt with sweetened flake coconut mixed with desiccated unsweetened coconut flakes so to make it less sickening sweet. I think it makes the coconut flavor come out so much better. Also, we used both a mixture of sweetened condensed milk and in the first years half of the sweet milk and half coco Lopez, once that’s mixed well, we’d add some vanilla paste, tsp of butter flavoring, and some rum extract as well. And then add powdered sugar to the coconut dough and refrigerate overnight. Same with peanut butter dough would also get powdered sugar till the dough could holds its shape and wasn’t too sticky.
5 years ago we swapped tempering chocolate ourselves, and the use of paraffin harder to find, made using the adding organic coconut oiloil as to the chocolate to chocolate pots, or double boilers. What you can get is similar to “a magic shell” that would make a crack shell over ice cream. Quite simple, tasty and was better for us too. We would roll all doughs into balls and refrigerate
The night and dip everything together making sure to have some desiccated coconut slightly toasted to sprinkle on just the coconut ones. PB bonbons would get some sprinkles. The last time I made them, I couldn’t get coco Lopez, so we used an organic butter flavored coconut manna (coconut butter.) It’s a mixture of coconut oils and and ground coconut. It can be found online and it health food stores or high-end grocery stores. The coconut bonbons that year were better than anything else. Now we use that instead of the condensed milk. Great texture, and I suggest toasting or roasting the pecans yourself.
You can still make and eat your holiday traditions and make changes that make them lighter and it’s your choice whether you tell anyone.
Would you mind sharing your recipes? some of the things you mentioned I have never heard of , ie: Coconut butter.
Do you just exchange those with the “old recipe” amounts? Like 1/2 cup real butter for 1/2 cup coconut butter? etc.
Thank you in advance.
My sister makes these every year. Her recipe was so old that there was wax in the chocolate coating.
When we coat the candy we simply melt the chocolate. Or make a ganache (recipes all over the internet).
I feel like the added corn syrup would definitely give you a sugar attack.
My mom’s recipe that I’ve made for years had paraffin wax in the chocolate too!
Can you use Karo syrup instead of solid vegetable shortening?
Karo syrup is a sweetener and solid vegetable shortening is a fat so they don’t equate. You can use vegetable oil instead of shortening or softened butter or coconut oil.
Thanks! I wondered about that