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Angolan · Portuguese

Cocada amarela

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

A rich, golden Angolan dessert of grated coconut cooked in cinnamon-scented syrup and thickened with egg yolks, served in small dishes dusted with cinnamon.

Cocada amarela is an Angolan dessert, ready in about 1 hour 40 minutes and made with desiccated coconut and egg yolk. It serves 8 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Rest
1 h
Total
1 h 40 min
Serves
8
Level
Easy
Calories
352

Ingredients

8 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Boil the sugar (opens in a new tab) and water with the cinnamon (opens in a new tab) stick and cloves (opens in a new tab) until it forms a light syrup.

  2. Step 2

    Remove the cloves (opens in a new tab), stir in the coconut and lemon zest (opens in a new tab) and simmer, stirring, until the coconut is translucent and most of the syrup is absorbed.

    • 12 min
    • medium-low heat

  3. Step 3

    Beat the yolks in a bowl, whisk (opens in a new tab) in a ladle of the hot coconut to temper them, then pour back into the pan. Stir over very low heat until thick and glossy.

    Food safety: Keep stirring until the mixture is steaming and thick so the yolks are fully cooked.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Remove the cinnamon stick, spoon into small dishes and leave to cool. Dust with a little ground cinnamon (opens in a new tab) before serving.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
Angola · Commonly attributedBelongs to the Portuguese tradition of egg-yolk and sugar sweets.Also popular in PortugalMore food from Angola
Dish
Dessert · Desserts
Cooking method
Simmered
Taste
sweet, rich, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Desiccated coconut · Egg yolk · Sugar · Cinnamon · Cloves
Techniques
Simmering · Tadka (tempering)

Allergens

  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg yolk

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

352 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 113 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 4%
  • Carbohydrate 48%
  • Fat 48%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy352 kcal311 kcal
Protein3.8 g3.3 g
Carbohydrate44.2 g39 g
Net carbohydrate39.9 g35.3 g
Sugars39.3 g34.8 g
Added sugars37.5 g33.1 g
Fibre4.3 g3.8 g
Fat19.5 g17.3 g
Saturated fat15.5 g13.7 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol138 mg122 mg
Sodium17 mg15 mg
Salt equivalent0 g0 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
152 mg
Calcium
31 mg
Iron
1.2 mg
Magnesium
24 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
49 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0.7 µg
Vitamin B12
0.2 µg
Folate (DFE)
21 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: lemon zest.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Freshly grated coconut gives a softer, juicier cocada; desiccated coconut works but absorbs more syrup.

Common mistakes

  • Adding cold yolks straight to the hot pan scrambles them — temper first.

Storage

  • Keeps 4 days covered in the fridge.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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