How to substitute unsweetened coconut for sweetened coconut?

I'm planning to make a coconut macaroon recipe that calls for:

1 cup of cream of coconut
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
4 egg whites
3 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut
3 cups of sweetened shredded coconut

plus small amounts of salt and vanilla (which are probably not relevant for this question.)

My local grocer was out of sweetened coconut, so I need to make the recipe with only unsweetened coconut instead. What should I add to the unsweetened coconut to make it sufficiently sweet and moist? How much?

The recipe, ironically, gives instructions on how to substitute sweetened coconut for the unsweetened (reduce cream of coconut to 1/2 c, omit corn syrup, add 2 Tbsp cake flour), but does not say how to go the other direction; and the presence of the additional cake flour makes it difficult to reverse the directions.

Best Answer

Assuming you want to keep the recipe as close as possible to the original, you could simply replace the 3 cups of sweetened shredded coconut by sweetening yourself 3 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut.

Here, as an example, this is a recipe to sweeten 1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut. You can find the details and adjust the recipe to make 3 cups. Keep in mind that it is designed for organic unsweetened shredded coconut, so the quality of your coconut should play an important role in the result. As a quick summary of the recipe they provide this image

PS: If you plan on storing some, remember to allow to dry as the recipe says.

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Quick Answer about "How to substitute unsweetened coconut for sweetened coconut?"

For home-sweetened coconut, the ratios are 1 tablespoon of water to 1 teaspoon of sugar for every ¼ cup of unsweetened coconut.

How do you make unsweetened coconut into sweetened coconut?

All you have to do is combine 1/4 cup of water and 4 teaspoons of sugar, then heat the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved. Next, stir in 1 cup of all natural unsweetened coconut flakes until all the liquid is absorbed. You can then let it dry before storing in the fridge, or use immediately.

Can you substitute unsweetened coconut for sweetened?

Sweetened coconut is generally used in sweet recipes, like cakes and cookies, while unsweetened coconut is generally used in savory recipes, like curries and granola. A cake that calls for sweetened coconut will be very different in both texture and flavor if made with unsweetened coconut.

How do you use unsweetened coconut when recipe calls for sweetened?

When you substitute unsweetened coconut for the sweetened product, you need to add more moisture to your recipe. This can come in the form of water or oil. To moisturize with water, moisten each 1/2 cup of coconut with 1 tablespoon of hot water. Allow it to stand for 10 minutes before adding the coconut to your recipe.

Can I substitute unsweetened coconut flakes for sweetened coconut flakes?

The simple answer is that the two are pretty much identical in how they behave in recipes, mixing in easily and adding a nice, chewy texture. You can use these two types of coconut interchangeably in a recipe and get good results.

How To Make Sweetened Coconut Shreds - Homemade When Recipe Requires \u0026 Not Available In The Grocery

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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