Jamaican Coconut Drops

Lyla and her family are excited when Auntie Rita sends them a package full of sweet treats from Jamaica. Unfortunately, the package was delivered to the wrong place. Lyla, her dad, and Stu go on a mission to find their package.

Coconut drops are a popular Jamaican sweet treat made with coconut, ginger, and brown sugar. Some people like to add cinnamon leaf, almond extract or nutmeg but anyone can create their own coconut drop.

Encourage your child to find Jamaica on a map. You can discuss how close the island is to your home.

Directions

Use a clean hammer or the back of a butcher knife to hit along the center of the coconut until it cracks open. Then use a chef’s knife to cut into small pieces then put it in a bowl and set it aside. If you are using prepackaged coconut chunks, use a chef’s knife to finely chop them.

Use a peeler or spoon to peel your ginger. Use a grater to grate the ginger until you can fill 1 ½ tablespoons and add it to another bowl. If you would like a stronger ginger flavor, add 2 ½ tablespoons instead. Or you can add a 1/2 tablespoon of ginger for a fainter taste.

Boil 4 cups of water. Add the coconut, ginger, dark brown sugar, and pure vanilla extract. Reduce heat to medium high and let the mixture cook for at least 30 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture to prevent it from burning or sticking to the pot. Cook until the mixture begins to caramelize and become very sticky then reduce it to low.

Use two wooden spoons to drop a spoonful of the mixture on a parchment paper- lined baking sheet. The parchment paper is not necessary but it makes clean up time easier.

Explore Further

For more information about Jamaican culture and popular dishes, check out these great children’s books

“Granny's Kitchen” by Sadé Smith, illustrated by Ken Daley
“Jamaica in My Tummy” by Jean Hawthorn-DaCosta, illustrated by Pete McDaniel

Have a discussion with your child about your favorite sweet treats while you make this recipe. If it is similar to Jamaican coconut drops, explain how your culture makes it differently.