Maria-mole: the classic recipe for Brazil’s coconut marshmallow candy

If you’ve ever been to a birthday party or a Brazilian June festival (festa junina), you’ve probably eaten maria-mole: a soft white candy, fluffy like a marshmallow, coated in shredded coconut. It’s one of Brazil’s most traditional sweets — and also one of the easiest to make at home, with no oven required.

Where maria-mole comes from

The recipe is credited to Antonio Bergamo, a confectioner of Italian descent from São Paulo. According to the most-told version of the story, he was trying to use up leftover egg whites from other recipes: he whipped them into a stiff meringue and decided to add gelatin, just to see what would happen. The result cooled down softer and floppier than he expected — which is exactly why the name “maria-mole” (literally “soft/floppy Mary”) stuck.

Maria-mole recipe (easy version, no raw egg)

The original recipe uses whipped egg whites, but these days most home cooks make this simplified version instead, using only gelatin, sugar and coconut — no raw egg, and the same fluffy result.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet (12 g / about 1 tbsp) unflavored gelatin
• ½ cup (120 ml) cold water, to bloom the gelatin
• 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
• 2 cups (300 g) sugar
• 100 g (about 1 cup) shredded coconut, for lining and finishing

Method:

1. In a stand mixer bowl, bloom the gelatin in the cold water and let it sit for 1 minute.
2. Add the sugar, then pour the boiling water over it. Beat on high speed for about 10-15 minutes, until the mixture turns white, glossy and marshmallow-like (when you lift the beater, it falls slowly, holding soft peaks).
3. Lightly grease a rectangular pan and dust the bottom with shredded coconut.
4. Pour the whipped mixture into the pan and smooth it out with a spatula. Sprinkle more coconut on top.
5. Refrigerate for about 2 hours, until fully set.
6. Turn it out, cut into squares or diamonds, and roll the cut edges in shredded coconut so they don’t stick together.

Tip: store in a sealed container in the fridge and eat within 3-4 days — since it’s mostly gelatin and water, maria-mole doesn’t hold up well outside the cold for long.