Introduction to Martha Washington Vintage Candy

Martha Washington candy has been showing up on Christmas trays since long before anyone thought to photograph it. The filling is a coconut and cherry cream studded with pecans, rolled into balls and dipped in chocolate, and cutting one open is half the pleasure — the white centre flecked with red and green is why this candy survived a century.

It is an old recipe and it behaves like one. There is no cooking, but there is chilling, and plenty of it. The filling has to be genuinely cold before it will hold its shape in melted chocolate. Plan it across an afternoon rather than an hour and it is one of the easiest candies there is.

Why You’ll Love This Martha Washington Candy

• No stove, no thermometer — it is mixing, chilling and dipping.
• One batch makes around sixty pieces, which is why it has always been a gifting candy.
• The filling can be made a day ahead and dipped whenever you have time.
• It looks like something from an old-fashioned confectioner’s window.
• Coconut, cherry and pecan is a combination that tastes distinctly of the holidays.

Ingredients for Martha Washington Candy

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 14 oz shredded coconut
• 10 oz maraschino cherries
• 3 cups chopped pecans
• 6 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 4 tbsp shortening

The cherries need real attention. Drain them, chop them, then spread them on paper towels and blot until they stop bleeding. Wet cherries turn the whole filling pink and, worse, make it too soft to roll.

How to Make Martha Washington Candy

Step 1: Prepare the Cherries

Drain the maraschino cherries, chop them roughly, and spread them on a double layer of paper towels. Press another layer on top and leave them while you mix everything else. They should feel barely damp by the time you use them.

Step 2: Cream the Base

Beat the softened butter with the vanilla until light, then beat in the sweetened condensed milk. Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time, beating after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and thick.

Step 3: Fold in the Good Stuff

Switch to a sturdy spoon or spatula and fold in the shredded coconut, the blotted cherries and the chopped pecans. The mixture will be very stiff and that is exactly right.

Step 4: Chill the Filling

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight. This is the step that decides whether the candy works. Filling that has not chilled properly will not hold a ball.

Step 5: Roll and Freeze

Roll the chilled mixture into one-inch balls and set them on parchment-lined trays. Freeze for 30 minutes. Cold, firm centres are what let you dip them without the chocolate seizing or the ball falling apart.

Step 6: Dip and Set

Melt the chocolate chips with the shortening in 30-second microwave bursts, stirring each time, until smooth. Drop each ball in, lift it out with a fork, tap off the excess and set it back on the parchment. Let them set at room temperature until firm.

Tips for Success

• Blot the cherries until they stop staining the paper towel. This one step separates a good batch from a soft, pink one.
• Work with half the balls at a time and keep the rest in the freezer. Once they warm up they get difficult.
• The shortening is not optional. It thins the chocolate so it coats evenly and gives a clean snap when it sets.
• Use a dipping fork or a regular table fork, not a spoon — you want the excess chocolate to drain away.
• If the chocolate thickens while you work, warm it for 15 seconds and stir.

Equipment Needed

• A stand mixer or hand mixer
• A very large mixing bowl
• Parchment-lined baking sheets
• A dipping fork or table fork
• Freezer space for two trays

Variations

• Use half dark and half milk chocolate for the coating.
• Leave the cherries out entirely for a plain coconut pecan version.
• Swap the pecans for walnuts or toasted almonds.
• Add a teaspoon of almond extract alongside the vanilla.
• Drizzle the set candies with white chocolate for contrast.

Serving Suggestions

These belong on a tiered tray with other holiday candy — clusters, caramels and turtles all sit well beside them. Because they are rich, cut a few in half so people can see the centre and take smaller portions. They pack well into tins with parchment between layers, and they are the piece most people ask about afterward.

FAQs about Martha Washington Candy

Why is my filling too soft to roll? Either the cherries were not blotted enough or it has not chilled long enough. Return it to the fridge for another hour and try again.

Can I use a different chocolate? Melting wafers or almond bark both work and set harder. If you use them, skip the shortening.

How far ahead can I make these? The filling keeps three days in the fridge before dipping. Once dipped, the candies keep two weeks in a cool place.

Can I freeze them? Yes, up to three months. Freeze on trays first, then pack in layers and thaw sealed.

Do I have to use sweetened coconut? The recipe is built around it. Unsweetened coconut works but the candy tastes noticeably less like the original.

Final Thoughts

Martha Washington candy takes patience rather than skill. Blot the cherries, chill the filling properly, keep the balls cold while you dip, and the rest looks after itself. It makes a big batch of something genuinely old-fashioned, and that is exactly why it still turns up on holiday trays a hundred years on.

Looking for more? This recipe is part of our collection of 6 easy homemade candy recipes — no-bake clusters and cups, turtles, vintage coconut candy and soft salted caramels, all in one place.