Coconut Burfi

Coconut burfi is soft, slightly chewy, and delicious. Sugar, milk, and desiccated coconut are the main ingredients in this burfi. In India, coconut burfi is a popular festival sweet. This recipe is naturally gluten-free and can be made vegan. 

COCONUT BURFI

Coconut burfi (Barfi, or Barfee) is a popular Indian sweet made with fresh or dry desiccated coconut, milk, and sugar and flavored with some green cardamom.

It is known by different names in different parts of India. In North India, it is known as nariyal ki burfi. In Maharashtra, it is called Khobar Pak barfi or khopra pak and in South India, it is known as thengai burfi.

It is one of the popular sweets in India and is made during festivals like Raksha Bandhan, Diwali, Holi, Navratri, and on special occasions like weddings, and puja.

This coconut burfi is my go-to recipe. Everyone in my family loves this burfi, especially my hubby. Today, I am sharing my easy recipe for this delicious, coconut burfi with just a few ingredients.

INGREDIENTS FOR COCONUT BURFI

3 cups desiccated coconut powder

1 1/2 cups dry milk powder

2 cups full-fat milk, divided (1 1/2 cups + 1/2 cup)

2 tablespoon heavy cream, optional

3/4 cup organic sugar, adjust to taste

2 tablespoons ghee

2-3 green cardamom pods, optional

Pic Shown: Coconut Burfi

HOW TO MAKE COCONUT BURFI

Homemade coconut burfi is simple to make and with a handful of ingredients, you can make soft, chewy, delicious burfi. This coconut fudge is quick and easy to prepare and is incredibly moist and satisfying. This recipe is naturally gluten-free and can easily be adapted to make it vegan.

DIRECTIONS FOR COCONUT BURFI

Place a parchment paper or silicon mat in an 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Grease the silicon mat with some ghee, and set it aside.

Heat the milk in a saucepan. Turn off the heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. 

Mix desiccated coconut powder with 1 1/2 cup of hot milk. Set it aside for 20 minutes.

Mix dry milk powder with the remaining hot milk. Set it aside for 20 minutes.

Heat a non-stick pan, and add ghee. When the ghee melts, add the dry milk powder mixture, and stir continuously on medium heat until it forms into a soft dough ball.

Add desiccated coconut mixture to the milk mixture, and cook on medium heat stirring frequently to avoid the coconut from browning. Cook until all the moisture is evaporated and the mixture starts to form into a soft dough.

Add sugar, and cook on medium heat stirring frequently until the mixture starts to form into a soft dough.

Transfer the mixture onto a greased pan, and press firmly. Optional, sprinkle some green cardamom powder on top of the burfi and gently press.

Allow the burfi to set, cut into the desired shape and enjoy.

Pic Shown: Coconut Burfi

TIPS FOR THE BEST COCONUT BURFI

Soak the desiccated coconut in warm milk for a minimum of 20 minutes. This helps softens the dry coconut, and makes it moist.

If using green cardamom in the recipe, use freshly ground cardamom powder for best results.

Adjust the heat as and when needed. I use the medium to low heat to make the burfi. Hence assuring that the burfi does not stick or burn.

Keep stirring frequently to avoid any burfi sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Do not overcook the coconut mixture otherwise, the burfi will turn dry and crumbly. The coconut mixture should form into a soft dough shape. It should not have any traces of liquid, but moist to touch and not wet. It should hold shape and not crumble when rolled into a ball.

Firmly press the burfi tight so it does not crumble or fall apart when cut into pieces. Refrigerate for 20 minutes for the burfi to set and then cut into desired pieces.

Line the baking pan with a silicon mat or parchment paper, and grease it with some ghee. This makes it easier to lift and transfer the burfi once set out of the baking pan.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT TYPE OF COCONUT

First, the coconut must be finely shredded, and second, it must be unsweetened.

I have used unsweetened desiccated coconut (coconut powder) for this recipe. Fresh or frozen grated coconut works too.

WHERE TO FIND DESICCATED COCONUT

I buy desiccated coconut powder from an Indian or Asian supermarket.

WHAT BRAND OF MILK POWDER

I have used full-fat milk powder for this recipe. I bought it from Walmart. You can find milk powder in most Indian or Asian supermarkets. Use the full-fat one.

CAN I USE LOW-FAT MILK

I prefer full-fat milk as it makes the burfi quite rich and creamy. You can use 2% milk instead.

Pic Shown: Coconut Burfi

CAN I SKIP THE CREAM

I used about 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream for a rich and creamier burfi. You can skip the cream if you prefer.

WHAT FLAVORING TO USE

Saffron and green cardamom go great with coconut. I used some green cardamom as a garnish for the burfi.

CAN I USE GRANULATED SUGAR

I use organic cane sugar in my cooking. It is slightly mild in flavor as compared to granulated sugar. Feel free to swap raw sugar with granulated sugar.

CAN I ADD SOME NUTS

Nuts add a nice crunch and flavor to the burfi. Feel free to add nuts of your choice.

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN BURFI

This recipe can be made vegan. You can substitute milk with coconut milk, cream with coconut milk, dry milk powder with the coconut milk powder, and ghee with coconut oil. The rest of the recipe remains the same.

WHAT OTHER GARNISH TO USE

I have used green cardamom powder as a garnish. Edible silver leaves, nuts, and dry rose petals make a great garnish.

CAN I MAKE BURFI AHEAD OF TIME

This burfi can be made ahead of time. You can make it 3-5 days ahead and store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. It stays fresh for up to a week.

MY COCONUT BURFI IS NOT SETTING

When the coconut burfi does not set properly, there are mainly two reasons. Either the mixture was overcooked or it was undercooked.

When the coconut mixture is overcooked, the mixture turns dry and crumbly and does not set properly. Simply transfer the coconut mixture to the pan, add a few tablespoons of milk and cook the mixture to a soft dough ball consistency.

If you undercooked the mixture, the mixture has too much moisture, which prevents it from holding its shape. Return the mixture to the pan, and cook down the mixture to a soft dough ball consistency.

CAN I FREEZE COCONUT BURFI

Yes, you can freeze this coconut burfi for up to 3 months. Store it in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag. Thaw it in the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter and enjoy the burfi.

TRIED THIS RECIPE?

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