Shuku Shuku (Coconut Balls)
Shuku shuku (coconut balls) are quick, easy, and addictively sweet bite-sized African treats made with coconut flakes and a few other ingredients. So good that you’ll be popping these one after the other!
West Africa has an abundance of quick, easy, and delicious snack foods: chin chin, puff puff, kelewele, and suya, that taste great and we all lust over them (at least those of us living abroad), although a plethora of snacks surrounds us.
Shuku shuku is another strong contender, one of those addictive snacks that bring back pleasurable childhood memories, making you want to relive your childhood all over again. Well, not really, just some parts of it. Anyways, back to these mouthfuls of joy.
What Is Shuku Shuku?
If you love macaroons, you’re in for a treat because these bits of delight are somewhat similar in taste and texture. However, coconut balls are crunchy on the outside, chewy inside, and slightly less sweet, which allows the coconut to shine through.
Shuku shuku is a sweet Nigerian snack that found its way to neighboring countries, where it was heartily embraced. Why? Because it tastes great, can be made in less than no time, and the star ingredient is coconut. Eggs, sugar, and flour turn it all into coconut balls. I include vanilla bean in my recipe for added flavor. You can do the same, and a dash of nutmeg makes it even tastier.
How to Make Shuku Shuku
- Split open the vanilla bean, scrape the inside with the dull side of a knife, and add it to the coconut mixture. Mix well until fully combined. (Photo 1)
- Combine the shredded coconut, eggs, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Put the flour in a shallow bowl. (Photo 2)
- Scoop a spoonful of mixture using your hands, and roll it into bite-sized balls. Then, roll the coconut balls in the flour and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or foil, and coated with cooking spray. (Photo 3)
- Bake at 375°F (190℃) for 15-20 minutes or until it slightly browns, cool, and store in an airtight container. (Photo 4)
Recipe Tips
- Unsweetened coconut flakes make it traditional without making it overly sweet. If you only have sweetened coconut, use a whole egg and 1 egg yolk, reduce the sugar by half, increase the coconut flakes to 1½ cups, and generously roll the balls in flour.
- Serve it at room temperature for the best experience. It will develop the right texture and flavor while cooling.
Make Ahead and Storage
These addictive balls of joy will last 4-5 days at room temperature in a cool, dry place, 2 weeks in the fridge, or 6 months in the freezer. If you freeze them in a single layer in a tray or plate, you can pop them in a ziplock bag and pull out as many as you want at a time.
More Tempting African Snack Recipes to Try
By Imma
This blog post was originally published in July 2013 and has been updated with additional tips and beautiful photos.
Shuku Shuku (Coconut Balls)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (60g) unsweetened coconut flakes (or unsweetened shredded coconut)
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup (50g) sugar
- 1 vanilla bean or ¼ teaspoon (<1g) of ground nutmeg
- ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour or self-rising flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190℃). Line a cookie sheet with parchment or foil, and coat with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded coconut, eggs, and sugar. Pour the flour into a shallow bowl.
- Split open the vanilla bean, scrape the inside with the dull side of a knife, and add it to the coconut mixture (or add the nutmeg). Mix well until fully combined.
- Scoop a spoonful of mixture using your hands, and roll it into bite-sized balls. Then, roll each coconut ball in flour and place it on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until it slightly browns—cool and store in an airtight container.
Tips & Notes:
- If you don’t have a vanilla bean, feel free to add a teaspoon of homemade vanilla extract.
- Coconut flakes are larger chunks, shredded coconut is smaller but in longer, thicker strands, and grated coconut is the smallest. The texture will change, but feel free to use what you have.
- Dessicated coconut has had most of the moisture and fat removed, which means it will be thirstier. You might need to add another egg to get the right texture.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. Can I fry instead of bake them?
Hi Hadiza, I have not tried frying them, so I can’t say for sure what the outcome with be. If you please let me know how it works out for you. Thanks
hi! i’m making this recipe for my african dance class and i was wondering if you had any insight on how this recipe is included in african culture, thank you so much!
Hi Jessica, sorry nothing much to offer. Just a tasty treat made with coconut.
I know, I have a friend who is Nigerian, and after reading this recipe I want to make it for book club because of the book we are reading. He says his mother made these very often when he was growing up and it was what they had also on holidays. So according to him, these are very popular in Lagos, Nigeria.
Thank you so much, Connie, for those details.
they look yummy!
Thanks Dina
I did make the shuku shuku today but mine didn’t look juicy like yours. So my question is what made yours to have that yellowish colour because mine was white. And is there anything i can do to make it juicer. The taste was great though. Thanks a lot.
Hi Kelsey. Did you put too much coconut & not enough egg yolk in your recipe? And maybe too much flour? Try adding extra egg yolk until you get the consistency you are after. I do, and they come out perfect every time. Good luck 🙂
Thanks, Kelsey. I agree. Good quality egg yolks will make the dough yellow. And coconut flour is very thirsty, so getting just a little too much can be easy. The dough should stick together enough to make balls but not be too dry. I hope that helps:)
Hi Immaculate, I have been trying out each and every one of yr recipe,when I bake the Kassava Coconut cake, it was so delicious that my friends wanted to have the recipe.Thank u so much.
Thank you so much for sharing.
It looks delicious but did you forget to include the recipe? Thanks for bringing to us the best.
Silly me, technology pulled a fast one on me. Thanks Kelsey