Sweet almond-scented coconut trees dipped in chocolate and decorated with green sugar ready in two hours.
In Austin, where a "White Christmas" usually means it's just foggy outside, we have to get creative to bring snowy vibes to our holiday tables. These Coconut Yule Trees are a delightful throwback to mid-century holiday parties-a time when confections were cute, colorful, and unapologetically sweet. Essentially a firm, shapeable coconut cream filling (reminiscent of the inside of a Mounds bar) flavored with almond, these trees are a fun, hands-on project that doesn't require turning on the oven. They provide a bright, chewy contrast to the heavier baked cookies on a platter, and their whimsical appearance makes them an instant conversation starter.
The secret to successfully shaping these trees lies in the moisture of your hands. The mixture is extremely sticky due to the sugar and butter. Keep a small bowl of cold water nearby and dampen your palms slightly before rolling the cones. This prevents the mixture from sticking to you and allows you to achieve a smooth, tapered tree shape.
A Retro Coconut Cream Treat
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No-Bake Ease: This is a mixing bowl recipe that saves precious oven space during the busy holiday season.
- Interactive Baking: Shaping and decorating the trees is a fantastic activity to do with children or friends.
- Gluten-Free Friendly: Because the base is purely coconut, sugar, and dairy, this is naturally gluten-free (just check your sprinkles and extracts).
- Distinct Flavor: The almond extract gives these a marzipan-like quality that elevates them above simple sugar candy.
Ingredients
To ensure the trees hold their shape, the balance of dry to wet ingredients is crucial.
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut: 3 cups. Do not use unsweetened or desiccated coconut; the moisture and sugar in the sweetened variety are structural binders here.
- Confectioners' Sugar: 2 cups. This acts as the "cement" that holds the coconut together.
- Butter: ¼ cup, softened. This adds richness and firmness once chilled.
- Half-and-Half Cream: ¼ cup. You can substitute heavy cream for a richer tree, but milk might be too thin.
- Almond Extract: 1 teaspoon. This is the primary flavor profile.
- Dark Chocolate Candy Coating: 2 to 4 ounces. This is used to create the tree "trunks" and add a bit of bitterness to cut the sweet.
- Decoration: Vanilla frosting (for glue), green sanding sugar, and assorted sprinkles (nonpareils work best as "ornaments").
How to Make Coconut Yule Trees
Mix the Dough
In a large bowl, combine the sweetened shredded coconut, confectioners' sugar, softened butter, half-and-half, and almond extract. Mix thoroughly. You may need to use your hands to knead it together until it forms a cohesive, sticky mass that holds its shape when squeezed.
First Chill
Drop the mixture by tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. They don't need to be shaped perfectly yet; just get the portions separated. Cover the sheet loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. This hardens the butter, making the dough firm enough to sculpt.
Shape the Trees
Once chilled, roll each mound between your palms to form a cone shape-wide at the bottom and tapered at the top. If they soften too much from the heat of your hands, pop them back in the fridge for 10 minutes. Return the shaped trees to the baking sheet.
Create the Trunks
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the dark chocolate candy coating in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. To create the trunk, you can either dip the flat bottom of the tree into the chocolate or spoon a little chocolate onto the waxed paper and set the tree on top of it. This creates a dark base that looks like wood. Let the chocolate set completely.
Decorate
This is the fun part. You can brush the trees lightly with a little vanilla frosting to make them sticky, then roll them in green sugar to coat. Alternatively, leave them white for a "snow-covered" look. Use small dots of frosting to attach sprinkles as ornaments.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Skipping the Chill: If you try to shape the trees immediately after mixing, they will slump into puddles. The butter must be cold to hold the vertical structure.
- Using Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar will result in a gritty, crunchy texture. You need the powdery consistency of confectioners' sugar to create a smooth fondant-like filling.
- Overheating the Chocolate: Candy coating seizes easily. Melt it slowly and stir often. If it gets too thick, it won't create a smooth base for your trees.
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Dying the Dough: For a deeper green tree without the mess of rolling in sugar, you can add green gel food coloring directly to the dough mixture during the first step.
- Cookie Scoop: Use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough initially. This ensures all your trees are the same height and width, which looks better on the serving platter.
- The "Snow" Base: When serving, scatter extra coconut on the platter to look like snow, then arrange the trees on top for a full winter scene.
Variations
- Snowmen: Instead of cones, roll the mixture into two or three balls of decreasing size and stack them to create coconut snowmen. Use mini chocolate chips for buttons.
- Chocolate Dipped: For a "Almond Joy" experience, freeze the shaped trees and then dip the entire cone in melted dark chocolate.
- Peppermint Twist: Swap the almond extract for peppermint extract and roll the trees in crushed candy canes instead of green sugar.
How to Serve
These are very sweet, concentrated confections. Serve them alongside coffee or hot tea to balance the sugar intensity. They are excellent finger foods for holiday parties.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Refrigeration: Because these contain milk and butter and are not baked, they must be stored in the refrigerator. They will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezing: You can freeze the undecorated shaped trees for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before decorating with sugar and sprinkles.
Recipe Notes / What I Learned
During testing, I found that rolling the trees in green sugar can be messy if the coconut is too dry. A very thin layer of corn syrup or piping gel brushed on the outside of the tree acts as a better adhesive than frosting if you want a fully green-coated tree.
Nutrition Snapshot
One tree contains approximately 160 calories, 9g fat, and 22g carbohydrates.
Coconut Yule Trees
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Baking sheet
- Waxed paper
- Microwave safe bowl
Ingredients
Group: Coconut Dough
- 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup half-and-half cream
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Group: Coating & Decorating
- 2 to 4 ounces dark chocolate candy coating
- Vanilla frosting
- Green sugar
- Assorted sprinkles
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients (coconut, sugar, butter, half-and-half, and almond extract). Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a waxed-paper lined baking sheet; refrigerate, covered, 1 hour. Shape into trees; return to baking sheet.
- In a microwave, melt chocolate coating; stir until smooth. Spoon over or dip trunks of trees; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.
- Decorate trees as desired with frosting, green sugar and sprinkles.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
Can I use unsweetened coconut?
No. Unsweetened coconut is much drier and flakier. It will not bind with the sugar and butter in the same way, and the trees will crumble apart.
Why are my trees slumping?
If the kitchen is warm, the butter in the mixture softens. Keep the trees in the fridge until the very last moment before serving.
Can I make these dairy-free?
Yes. Substitute the butter for a vegan butter stick and use full-fat coconut milk (canned) instead of the half-and-half.
