These adorable Aunt Lil’s Coconut Strawberries are a fun no-bake candy made with sweetened condensed milk, shredded coconut, and strawberry-flavored Jello powder. The mixture is shaped by hand to look like fresh strawberries, then coated in Jello powder and decorated with green icing and finished with a green toothpick. Sweet, chewy, and packed with fruity coconut flavor, they’re a beautiful addition to dessert tables, holiday platters, baby showers, Valentine’s Day, and spring celebrations.
If you love making fun candies, then also try our Homemade Salted Caramels or our Easy Chocolate Walnut Fudge.
Coconut Strawberries are bite-sized candies. Unlike chocolate-covered strawberries, these treats don’t contain fresh fruit. Instead, they’re made by combining sweetened condensed milk, shredded coconut, and strawberry gelatin powder into a soft dough that’s shaped into strawberries and decorated to resemble the real fruit.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Brings back fond memories for my husband
- Super cute
- Easy to make
- Great for many events like showers, summer gatherings, kids’ parties and more
- Nostalgic treat
HELPFUL ITEMS FOR THIS RECIPE
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Do you have a little hidden family recipe that a loved one used to make you? These Aunt Lil’s Coconut Strawberries were made by Ken’s aunt Lil, and he remembers them well. Sweet and delicious, fun and full of summer memories for him being out on the farm.
I love how he puts the little green tops on them and dyes the toothpicks green, too. These little delicacies would be great packed up for a picnic, a summer shower, BBQ, backyard gathering, potluck and more!! Kids will love them, and adults will be intrigued by them.
What Ingredients are in these Coconut Strawberries?
Ingredients
Strawberry jello – This gives the strawberries their color and flavor. You can use other flavors, but shaping them to look like that fruit may be more difficult.
Sweetened condensed milk – This is used to glue the coconut and gelatin together.
Fine coconut – You want to use fine coconut as anything larger won’t give you the results you want.
Icing
Confectioners’ sugar – This is also called icing or powdered sugar.
Cream – This makes the sugar into icing; you only need a very small amount.
Green food coloring – This is used to color the icing for “leaves” and the toothpicks for the “stems”.
Toothpicks – Dipped in green food coloring to create the stem.
How to Make Aunt Lil’s Coconut Strawberries
Reserve 2 Tbsp. jello powder. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut, Jello and condensed milk. Chill mixture for 1 hour. Dip 24 toothpicks into green food coloring, dipping in about 1/2 way. Let dry on wax paper.
Shape the mixture into 24 strawberries and then roll in the reserved jello powder.
Mix together the confectioners’ sugar, cream, and food coloring. Swipe with the back of a spoon a little green top onto the strawberries and insert the toothpick. Refrigerate in a sealed container until ready to serve.
This recipe is very easy, actually, and for the strawberries themselves, there are only 3 ingredients. Strawberry Jello powder, coconut and sweetened condensed milk. The taste of these is delicious, a sugary treat that is retro-cool. If you have a sweet tooth, these will be right up your alley!! Not only are they pretty for the summer months, but they would be gorgeous on a Christmas tray, too.
I am very happy to pass this recipe down to you all to enjoy!! Have fun with it, and maybe someone in your family made them too, and it brings back memories for you!!
Serving Suggestions
These sweet treats are perfect for:
- Baby showers
- Bridal showers
- Valentine’s Day
- Easter celebrations
- Birthday parties
- Holiday cookie trays
- Homemade edible gifts
Recipe Pro Tips
Storage
Store Coconut Strawberries in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For the best texture and flavor, serve them chilled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do these contain real strawberries?
No. The strawberry flavor comes from strawberry-flavored Jello powder, while the texture comes from coconut and sweetened condensed milk.
Can I use a different Jello flavor?
Yes! Raspberry, cherry, or watermelon gelatin will also work, though the candies may have a different flavor and color.
Can I freeze Coconut Strawberries?
Yes. Freeze them in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
LOVE HOMEMADE CANDY AND WANT MORE?
We love making homemade candy, and here are some of our favorites to make.
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Aunt Lil’s Coconut Strawberries
Video
Ingredients
- 6 oz. strawberry jello
- 1 10 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 14 oz. fine coconut
Icing
- 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar also called icing or powdered sugar
- 1 scant tsp. cream
- 4 drops green food coloring
- Toothpicks dipped in green food coloring
Instructions
- Reserve 2 Tbsp. jello powder. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut, Jello and condensed milk. Chill mixture for 1 hour. Dip 24 toothpicks into green food coloring, dipping in about 1/2 way. Let dry on wax paper.
- Shape the mixture into 24 strawberries and then roll in the reserved jello powder. Mix together the confectioners' sugar, cream and food coloring. Swipe with the back of a spoon a little green top onto the strawberries and insert the toothpick. Refrigerate in a sealed container until ready to serve.
Comments & Reviews
Robin says
So many memories! I used to help my mom make these for bridal showers and baby showers when I was a kid!!!!
Tara Noland says
I am so glad you found them here too!! Enjoy the memories!!
Anne Jenkins says
My mother made these when I was a kid, I’m 67 so that was a long time ago. I have made them every Christmas and they are always the highlight of my cookie platter. EVERYONE asks about them says they are a favorite of theirs. I have seen this recipe on several sites and no one finishes them the way my mother and I do. I always roll them in some red sugar to give them a sparkle and to seal them or diminish the stickiness. I have never refrigerated these creations and never had a problem with them going bad. Of course they don’t last long and that is likely why.
Tara Noland says
Thanks for the great tips to share with everyone!! Hubby just loves these!!
Ellen says
I made these years ago but with slivered almonds dyed green for the stems. They were called Strawberries in December. Unfortunately I lost the recipe so I was thrilled to find yours. My best friend loves them so I would like to make these for her for Christmas. My question is can these be made ahead and frozen?
Tara Noland says
These are my hubby’s family recipe and he said yes, absolutely!!
Rosie Cernic says
Will they start to melt if you don’t keep them in the fridgedaire
Tara Noland says
No they don’t melt but they are good served cold and for storage they need to be kept in the refrigerator.
Kjm says
This recipe made 4 dozen for me. I used a 1″ ball to form them.
Tara Noland says
Yes, we make them a bit bigger than that but smaller is good too!
Rhonda says
Theses bring back memories for me. We used almond slivers colored green with no icing. Fun memory
Tara Noland says
Glad they brought back fond memories, they really do for my husband.
Tiffany Kelly says
Yes! I was looking for these. We added 1tsp almond extract and a bit of red food coloring, too! Love the addition of the toothpicks. Definitely doing that next time 😀
Tara Noland says
So glad you found the recipe, enjoy!!
Antonia Traficante says
Can I use unsweetened coconut? It’s what I have on hand.
Tara Noland says
Yes, for sure, they are pretty sweet anyway!!
Antonia Traficante says
Thanks. My grandmother always made these when I was a kid! Can’t wait to try.
Tara Noland says
Enjoy!! Happy Holidays!!
Laurie says
So cute.
Can you freeze them?
Thanks
Tara Noland says
Yes you can!!
Di says
I used to make these 20-some years ago, as part of our family Christmas cookie plates! The recipe I have has a few more ingredients added but probably tastes very similar!
Tara Noland says
It is a memory or my husband and he talks about them often as he loved his Aunt Lil.
Irene Ruth Williams says
I used this recipe for decorations with brownies and chocolate cookies . Every one remarked how pretty they looked and then they started eating the strawberries and they were a big hit. Thank you so much.
Tara Noland says
That was Ken’s aunt that made those and he is very happy that they were a big hit for you too!!
Sinisa says
It looks so delicious. I love sweets. I wish I could have some right now.
Claudia Krusch says
I am always looking for new recipes to try. These Aunt Lil’s Coconut Strawberries look so yummy. I am sure they will be a big hit.
reesa says
Oh my goodness! How adorable are these?! I never heard of anything like this before!
Amy Desrosiers says
Ok, I have never heard of these, and think they look good. I would love to try them out sometime.
Sarah says
These are adorable and they sound so tasty as well. I had to read the recipe twice because I thought that there had to be real strawberries underneath all of the coconut goodness. I was smiling when I found out it was Jell-O.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
These sound so good! When I first saw the picture, I thought you had somehow covered strawberries in coconut. LOL Love it!
Kami says
These look scrumptious!! I think I want to make them for a bridal shower I’m hosting this summer!
Jeanette says
Oh my gosh these are darling! It looks like such fun to make I might just have to do this on our tropical beach vacation that we have the summer. It would really bring home the whole idea of sitting on the beach.
Jill says
I love these retro goodies!
Tara Noland says
Thanks Jill, kinda fun!