These traditional chocolate dipped cream candies are a snap to make.
They have a delicious coconut-pecan taste.
Traditionally, the chocolate is melted with paraffin wax to give the candies a hard, shiny finish.
I dislike the texture and taste of wax, so my recipe omits that step.
If you would like to try the traditional method, add 1 block paraffin wax to the chocolate when you melt it.
Fill your holiday tin with Martha Washington Candy. You will be ready at a moments notice to take them to a party, school or just have on hand for your own holiday table!
Don’t get caught empty handed! Enjoy.
Bonus: if you don’t stock condensed milk or your local store doesn’t carry it you can see my recipe for How to Make Condensed Milk.
Martha Washington Candy
Ingredients
- 1 cup margarine
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups shredded coconut
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups pecans Chopped
Instructions
- Line 2 cookie sheets with wax paper. Set aside.
- Mix margarine, sugar and sweetened condensed milk in large mixing bowl. Add coconut, pecans, and vanilla; mix well, using a sturdy large spoon. Chill until firm enough to handle.
- Form into small balls and place on prepared cookie sheets . Chill until very firm.
- Melt chocolate chips in top pot of double boiler over simmering water. Using a toothpick, dip balls into melted chocolate. Let cool on wax paper.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients used.
Conversion Information We get a lot of requests to help with conversions especially between various countries like Canada, the U.K. and Australia. These tables should help you make those conversions. For your convenience we have included a Conversion Chart.
Disclaimer Unless indicated recipes influenced by cookbooks, magazines or family traditions.
I am Marilyn Lesniak. Writer, Photographer and Chief Bottle Washer behind the scenes at Marilyn's Treats. Don’t burn down the kitchen!! Let me help with my Kitchen Tips, Hacks and Recipes for all levels of Chefs.
OMG! These were a tradition in my home growing up and are my favorite Christmas treat! But we just called them Chocolate Balls. I did not realize that there was a real name for them! Super Cool! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for linking up @LiveLifeWell!
Blessings,
Amy
I am glad this recipe brought back such great memories. I hope you get a chance to make these candies. Merry Christmas!
Chocolate, Coconut, Pecan – 3 of my favorite flavors all rolled up in one!
I’m so glad you shared this on our Encouraging Hearts & Home blog hop this week!
Have a very Merry Christmas!
1You are welcome Linda! I am glad it appeals to you. Merry Christmas
It looks yummy and I love how easy it is to make!
Thank you Lanae. We really like to give this treat to all our friends at the holiday. Merry Christmas!
Yummmm!! I love these candies. Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner Party. Have a wonderful week!
Thanks Helen. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.
These look and sound so good! I am going to try and make them with butter instead of margarine, fingers crossed they come out ok!
They will be fine. I always use butter. Enjoy! Enjoy the holidays. Merry Christmas!
I definitely agree with you on leaving out the wax!!! These sound fabulous and surprisingly simple. Thank you for sharing.
The wax makes the candy shine, but I think it leaves an after taste. Thanks for stopping! Merry Christmas.
These sound SO good! I can’t wait to try them out in the future! Thanks for linking up with us at Bloggy Brunch.
You are welcome Pam. Thanks for visitng. Have a good week.
Another amazing confection. These look delicious and featuring when my party opens tonight!
Thank you so much Carol. I appreciate the pin. I don’t know how I missed your comment. Soory it took so long to answer!
OMG! These bites look so delicious!!! I love both chocolate and coconut! Thank you for sharing with us in Sweet Inspiration Link Party!
Thank you for allowing me to share my link!! Do something special today just for yourself!
My goodness, I think I am going to have to make these–probably eat them, too. Delicious–pinned!
They were worth the trouble Donna! Enjoy your week!
I love pecans! I will have to try these. Thank you for sharing at Ravenwould.
You are welcome Kileen. I love your party.Enjoy a safe and fun week.
Yum coconut and pecan – yes please I love these recipes Marilyn
I don’t make candy often but this is worth it! Enjoy your week.
A lovely photo of your candy. They would make a yum treat and everyone would love them as well.
Kathleen
Blogger’s Pit Stop
Thank you. Have a great week!
I pinned your delicious candy! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday, it is great to see you here.
Miz Helen
Thanks for the pin. Have a great week!
This recipe had me at the coconut! Can’t wait to try them. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I rarely make candy with coconut, but I love these! Have a great week!
Yum! These seem right up my alley! Sweetened condensed milk makes anything good. This combination with the pecans and coconut sounds so delicious!
It is a real treat. Have a great week!
Looks wonderful I’ll be trying these soon!!!!
I know you will enjoy these. Have a great week!
I saw these over at #FridayFrivolity and thought, “These have Marilyn’s Treats written all over them.” Score! 😉 Also, yum.
I am happy to finally become recognizable!! Have a great week!
These looks super delicious. I know my family will love them, and bleck to parafin lol.
I would never add WAX!! Thanks for the vote there. Have a great week!
These look delicious! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
I have a question for you. Have you ever made these using butter instead of margarine? Just wondering if that would work or if there would be a difference in texture.
Thanks so much for sharing these at the Grace at Home party!
No I haven’t tried substuting butter for the margarine in this particular recipe. I know subbing butter for crisco is a nono. But for most things lately I use butter as it is so much healthier than margarine. I read that margarine is just ONE molecule off of plastic. If you try, let me know. I won’t be making these again until the holidays.
These look so tasty!! The flavors are my fav! Will have to try these!
Let me know how they work out for you! Enjoy.
We used to add paraffin to our chocolate when we made buckeyes, but found out later that it’s unnecessary because there is already paraffin in most of the commercially available chocolate chips! Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!
I like to think that adding parafin to chocolate as an added ingredient is a thing of the past. I am starting finally to jump on the healthier bandwagon. It takes so much time though to redo all my recipes! Thanks Leslie!
These look fantastic and their gluten free too! My daughter has already copied the recipe and plans for us to make them this weekend! Thanks, for sharing!
Please come back and let me know how they worked for you. I love getting feedback from readers. Enjoy!
Sounds amazing!
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Thanks Jess!
I have never heard of these. I wonder how they became famous.
Well, I looked it up! What I did find was that there was a chain of candy stores named “Martha Washington Candies” that was started in the 1890’s. They sold ice cream and candy confections of different varieties. After the depression they went out of business. They are still made in the deep South for the holidays.
The candy looks yummy!
Thank you so much! Enjoy your day.
I love anything with a combination of coconut and pecans. I have never heard of these delightful treats, but I am so glad you are sharing the easy recipe. I am sure they make for a perfect gift too. Yum….
Thank you Marsha. They are easy to make also. Enjoy your day.
Yum! I had never heard of these, and I’m so glad I came across your recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
Thank you Amy! If you get the chance, let me know how you like them! Have a great 4th!
Love the name of these candies, and they sound so tasty! I’m so glad you made these without the wax – so much healthier and more delicious too. Sharing later today on our Hearth and Soul Facebook page. Thank you so much for being a part of Hearth and Soul, Marilyn.
You are welcome April. These are delicious, and I see no reason in adding wax just to make them shine and take longer to melt. They don’t last that long anyway! Thanks for the share and have a great 4th!
Marilyn,
I’m visiting from Inspire Me Monday. This looks like a yummy candy. The only thing is DH may be allergic to coconut. I am going to save your recipe with the hope of trying it at time where it’s not up to us to eat it all as it may cause DH tummy problems. Thanks for sharing. Have a safe and fun 4th!
Welcome Cathy. You can easily leave out the coconut. I make it half and half since my kids don’t like it. I hope DH grows out of the allergy. It is hard when you have dietary restrictions. Have a great week!
My mother made these every Christmas! Our baby sitter came and helped her. They covered the considerable counter space in the kitchen and breakfast room with huge trays covered in waxed paper just waiting for the candy. My three siblings and I tried every trick we had to swipe a piece of candy, dipped or not. Oh, yum!
Such great memories Susan. Thanks for sharing. I hope you get to make these this year. Enjoy a wonderful week!
My mom made these exact candies every Christmas. I have searched everywhere for the recipe! Thank you so much for helping me find a lost treasure!
I am glad you saw it! This is the very reason I blog. It also helps remind me of recipes I have ignored too long. Have a good week!
it looks fantastic! never tried to make, but now it is great chance to try your recipe 🙂 thank you for sharing 🙂
You are very welcome. I am glad you like it!
These look delicious, Marilyn! I’ve made a similar candy, but never thought to add nuts to it. I’ll definitely be trying your recipe. Thanks for partying with us! Pinning.
Thx Beverly. I you like nuts then this is a good one! Happy Holiday!
These look so yummy and sound nice and easy to make too! Pinned.
Thank you for the pin. Enjoy the holiday!
They all look so perfect and so delicious. Pinning these for the future.. thanks
Thank you for the pin Judee! Much appreciated. Enjoy your holiday!
Wow!! These look so good and easy to make. I am pinning them.
Thx for the pin Barbara! Glad you like them. Thx and enjoy your day!
Pinned! I cannot wait to try these out 🙂
Thank you for the pin Edye. Enjoy your week.
These look delicious. I have pinned them.
Debi @ Adorned From Above
Thank you for the pinDebra! I am glad you like them. Enjoy your week.
My mom used to make a candy similar to this at Christmas and I’ve got her recipe but it calls for the paraffin and I’ve never even tried it. I think I’ll try yours instead b/c this looks so darn good! I always leave your site hungry!
Thanks Shelley. The best recipes are the ones that bring back find memories. Enjoy your week!
I love this stuff and it reminds me of childhood Christmases. We regularly had this candy around Christmas time. We would make them in all different flavors, strawberry, lemon, rum, etc. Thanks for the memories.
🙂 gwingal
That is so cool! Bringing back memories for me and readers is why I love my blog. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your week!
Wow, this looks great!!! Sweet, yet satisfying too. 🙂
Thank you! . Enjoy your week!