Coconut Roll

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Last Updated on November 13, 2019 by Chef Mireille

Caribbean Coconut Roll is a delicious Caribbean pastry with versions on many different Caribbean islands. A delicious flavored coconut stuffing is baked inside a flaky pastry for the perfect tea time dessert.

Coconut Roll

When I was a child, every Saturday we used to go to Allan’s Bakery. Practically every Caribbean person who lived in Brooklyn made a weekly trip to this bakery. Even today decades later, on the weekends, the line is out of the store and down the block.

This Trinidadian bakery serves many Caribbean delights like coconut bread, cross buns, meat patties, coconut drops, currant and coconut rolls. Did you notice all the coconut items? Many Caribbean foods and especially our sweets revolve around coconut.

Different islands have different versions of coconut roll. In Guyana, they call it salara and use a yeasted bread crust instead of a short pastry crust and also color some of the coconut red with food coloring.

In this version popular in Trinidad, Dominica and other islands, the coconut isn’t colored with red or pink food coloring as it is in the Guyanese version.

Ingredients

  • all purpose flour
  • teaspoon salt
  • cold butter
  • cold vegetable shortening
  • frozen grated coconut
  • sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • almond essence
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • egg

How to Make Coconut Roll

  • Make the pastry by first combining flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
  • Add shortening and butter. Using a pastry blender, cut fat into flour until it resembles small peas.
  • Add water and mix just until dough comes together.
  • Chill in fridge for 1 hour.
  • Combine all filling ingredients until thoroughly combined.
  • On a lightly floured board, roll out dough into a rectangle. Spread filling on top and roll into a cylinder.
  • Brush the top with egg wash. Sprinkle sugar on top.
  • Bake for 1 hour.
roll -edit

Oh My…I haven’t visited Allan’s in a number of years and this has brought back so many memories…

coconut -edit

Perfectly flaky crust with a moist coconut filling…what could be better?

Caribbean Coconut Roll -edit
Coconut Roll
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3.91 from 11 votes
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Coconut Roll

Caribbean Coconut Roll is a delicious sweet pastry of a flavored coconut stuffing baked inside a flaky short crust pastry.
Prep Time1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Caribbean
Servings: 12 -14 slices
Calories: 174kcal

Ingredients

Pastry Ingredients

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 cup cold butter chopped
  • 1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening
  • 4 tablespoons cold water

Filling Ingredients

  • 1 cup frozen grated coconut defrosted
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond essence
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • Topping Ingredients:
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

  • First make the pastry.
  • In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt.
  • Add shortening and butter. Using a pastry blender, cut fat into flour until it resembles small peas.
  • Add water a little at a time, adding just enough until dough comes together. You may not need all of the water.
  • Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.
  • Combine all filling ingredients until thoroughly combined.
  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spray with non stick spray.
  • Make egg wash by whisking together the egg and water for the topping.
  • On a lightly floured board, roll out dough into a rectangle.
  • Spread filling on top. Starting on the long side, roll into a tight cylinder, sealing the ends. Transfer to cookie sheet.
  • Brush the top with egg wash. Sprinkle sugar on top.
  • Bake for 1 hour, until golden brown.

Notes

If using freshly grated coconut, add 1 tablespoon of water to the filling

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 62mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 138IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
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Comments

  1. Tried them when I bought at a bake sale. They tasted delicious, thanks for sharing this recipe, going to make them soon.

  2. Allan’s bakery sounds like a popular bakery in Brooklyn. Coconut rolls looks delicious and interesting to know different versions of it.

  3. Just finished eating one of these fine confections from Allan’s bakery and googled to see if I could find a recipe to give it a try for myself. Can’t wait to try. Allan’s bakery is so fantastic so I don’t know if I’ll do as well, but I love to cook.

  4. Your version is very close to Allah’s bakery Brooklyn as with the short crust pastry. My only one correction to the island origin of the bakery founder is from the island of St. Vincent not Trinidad. He has since carried on the tradtion back to his home island where you can find the same coconut rolls as in the flag ship store of Brooklyn

3.91 from 11 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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