Scottish Macaroon Bars are made from a surprising main ingredient: potatoes! Bet you wouldn’t have guessed that! This treat is a quintessential Scottish sweet, especially loved by those who adore coconut.
If you don’t already know that potatoes are one of my favorite foods, now you know.
I have over 34 posts which either feature or include potatoes in one form or another, ranging from appetizers to soups to main dishes, and as of today, I can add candy to the list.
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Potatoes are so incredibly versatile, and to highlight this fact, The Idaho Potato Commission sponsored an event called Potato Palooza where everything on the menu included potatoes.
Another Scottish coconut recipe: snowballs!
Although I didn’t need to bring anything to share, I couldn’t resist taking along a sweet I’ve been planning to post for a long time: Scottish Macaroons. It was perfect because they are made with potatoes! You’d never, ever guess that these sweets are made with potatoes even if you make them yourself; I’m still amazed each time I eat one. And did I mention that they’re gluten-free?
My Dad used to sell Scottish Macaroon Bars in his fish and chip shop in Scotland, and being a coconut lover since I can remember, they were a delightful treat. If you don’t have a sweet tooth, they might not be for you since they are very sweet, which is why I decided to make smaller versions of the ones on store shelves.
After reading the ingredients (ugh) in the Lee’s brand macaroons, I am much happier to make my own with a few simple ingredients, including a potato!
My recipe was featured in Scotland Now and was received with much excitement!
If you love chocolate and coconut, you will probably also love this recipe from my Aunt Virginia in Scotland! Homemade Bounty/Mounds bars!
Scottish Macaroon Bars
Ingredients
- 4 oz potato, preferably Idaho© Russet (you need a dry potato)
- 1 lb (16 oz) powdered sugar (more or less as needed)
- dark or milk chocolate for dipping (use good quality chocolate, no Hersheys)
- finely shredded coconut for coating (I use coconut with no added sugar or preservatives)
Make the center
Boil the unpeeled potato until ready. Drain, peel and mash the potato and allow to cool completely.
Begin adding some powdered sugar, about half a cup at a time. Don’t fret if the mixture becomes gooey, because it will.
Just keep adding the sugar and mixing well, and soon it will have a fondant texture. Add enough sugar so that it comes together and is very stiff.
If you’d like to make a pink version (I made half the batch pink for Valentine’s Day) just add a drop of red food coloring.
Prepare a cookie sheet (which will fit into your freezer) with waxed paper or a silicone liner.
Shape the Scottish macaroon bars
At this point, you can roll the macaroon mixture into small balls and flatten them, or for the traditional style, shape it into a rectangle on the sheet and then place in the freezer for about 4 hours or longer.
Prepare the coconut, by placing it on a cookie sheet in a preheated 300 ºF oven for 5 minutes.
Stir the coconut and continue to monitor closely as it will turn brown very quickly.
Remove from the oven when it’s a nice brown color; cool and mix with an equal amount of untoasted coconut.
Place in a plate which will be a good size for dipping the macaroons. If you made a rectangle shape of macaroons, cut them into your preferred size and shape.
Keep in the freezer until ready to dip.
When you are ready to finish the macaroons, melt the chocolate.
Dip the centers
Dip each piece into the chocolate, and immediately coat with the combination of shredded coconut.
Place on a tray to set. I am using a two pronged candy fork.
Once the chocolate has hardened, there is no need to freeze or refrigerate the Scottish Macaroon bars.
Keep in a cool, dry place, preferably in a tin, and consume within 7 to 10 days
(the last part shouldn’t be a problem)! I hope you enjoyed my recipe for Scottish Macaroon Bars.
Life in LA…
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Scottish Macaroon Bars
A traditional Scottish sweet/candy made with potatoes.
Ingredients
- 114 g (4 ounces) potato, boiled, peeled and mashed
- 450 g (16 ounces) powdered sugar (more or less as needed)
- 350 g (12 ounces) dark or milk chocolate for dipping
- 114 g (4 ounces) finely shredded coconut for coating (divided in half)
Instructions
- Place cooled mashed potato in a bowl and begin adding powdered sugar, a little at a time, Continue adding the sugar and mixing well, and soon it will have a fondant texture. Add enough sugar so that it comes together and is very stiff.
- Line a baking sheet (which will fit into your freezer) with greaseproof/wax paper or a silicone baking mat. Shape mixture into a rectangle on the sheet and place in the freezer for about 4 hours or longer.
- Prepare the coconut, by placing half of it on a baking sheet in a preheated (150ºC) 300 ºF oven for 5 minutes. Stir the coconut and continue to monitor closely as it will brown quickly. Remove from the oven when golden brown; cool and mix with the other half of untoasted coconut and transfer to a plate for dipping.
- Remove the macaroons from the freezer and cut into your preferred size and shape, but keep in the freezer until ready to dip. When you are ready to finish the macaroons, melt the chocolate. Dip each piece into the chocolate, and immediately coat with the combination of shredded coconut.
- Place on a tray to set. Keep in a cool, dry place, preferably in a tin, and consume within 7 to 10 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 pieceAmount Per Serving:Calories: 173Total Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
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Every Christmas Dad would make his potato candy. When I talked about it people thought I was Crazy. Just powdered sugar and potato. Will have 2 try yours with the chocolate and coconut. Looks Scrumptious!
You’re not crazy, they’re just ill-informed! You’ll love it with the coconut and chocolate, I’m sure! :)
Thank you, for the macaroon bars recipe. I grew up in Scotland, but my cousin, who lived in England , loved macaroon, but could not get them there. My mum used to send them to her. Thanks for the recipe and for bringing back the memory.
Isabel
Oh you’re so very welcome, Isabel! Happy to help share some food memories; they’re the best! Stay safe!
Do u add butter to ur mashed potato
No, recipe as stated.
I’m almost 80 and my Mom made these when I was a little girl. She always made lots of different candies at Christmas. She would colour the filling different colours and add the appropriate flavour. We couldn’t afford boxes of chocolates so she made them for us. Delicious!!!
My family is Scottish on both sides. Mom’s family from Aberdeen and Dad’s Glasgow.
Hi, can you tell me if you add butter or milk when mashing the potatoes please? I have tried making this previously but I could still taste the potatoes.
No, just follow the recipe as stated and it shouldn’t taste of potatoes at all. CC
No. Just buy a good white mashing potato
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These are Needhams. We’ve been making them in Maine for generations. I’m sure they originally came from our Scottish ancestors. Like the name? Get it… NEED ‘EM! LOL
I’ve heard this from others on the East Coast, Christina. Are they made exactly the same way? Cute name :)
Good ole southern tater candy with a twist.
Really? I bet it was the Scottish immigrants who brought it over! Cool!
[…] Scottish Macaroon Bars […]
Lovely to see more people are.making these delicious sweets. I’ve been making them for about 35 years. My mother made them before that. Always a favourite in the family.
Keep it going, Deborah! Good for you! :)
I’m trying to figure out how to have a thinner coating of chocolate….?
Hi Cindy, the warmer the chocolate is, the runnier it will be, but you can’t overheat it. Good luck! :)
I know this is an older post, but I find this recipe fascinating. I grew up making delicious potato candy (basically potatoes, powdered sugar, and peanut butter) and thought using potatoes in candy was just some weird rural US thing. Now that I think about it, it makes sense that there would be other variations of potato candy out there too!
Oh, I’ve never heard of the peanut butter version, Jane! How interesting! I may try that one day, thank you!! :)
Going to try this recipe today! I found Lee’s Macaroon Bars for sale in a local shop in Wales this morning but it tasted awful and my Scottish mother told me they must have changed the recipe since she was a child because she used to love them. Fascinating about the potato..
YES! They absolutely have changed the recipe as I threw the last ones out that I had bought when someone had asked me to buy them for him, but he never got them from me. They are terrible now and all filled with fake ingredients :( You’ll love this recipe, Ellie! Good luck :)
I tried following recipe for Scottish Macaroons, but each time the centre is too soft. Are home made ones meant to be a little softer in middle, and if not, how do I harden the centre. Read article about using TYLOSE, is this wise?
Hi David, no not at all, they have the exact same consistency/hardness as the bought ones. You just need to keep adding sugar as I directed, until it’s no longer soft. I don’t know what Tylose is, but I just googled it and there’s no need for this ingredient at all. Just add more sugar and keep mixing :)
Never knew about the potatoes. Will definitely try these, as I live in Norway will try and get a dry potato as we have different types here, only one familiar futon Scotland in Pimpernel. Thank you for such clear instructions.
Wonderful, Mairi! You’ll love them! ;)
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Thank you so much for this recipe, you may have made my Christmas!
We’ve recently moved from Scotland and have had trouble finding these anywhere. All these years buying them and I had no idea they were so easy to make or contained potato, it’s so simple and great for kids to get involved too.
Oh that’s wonderful to hear, Heidi! So happy you found my recipe! You’ll also feel better that your family isn’t eating all those processed ingredients, too! Merry Christmas! CC
Hi just wondering if you have considered making and selling these wonderful products? If not is theere anyone on line that you know of that would? Thank you for listening
Hi Ann Michelle, I haven’t actually. I don’t know of anyone who does, either! The Lee’s are still available, but they aren’t homemade. :) Good luck!
Christina!
These are fantastic! Dare I say, they look even better than the original that we grew up with in our lovely Scotland. I made them for the first time last Christmas and was surprised how my tastes had changed over the years as they were just so sweet and so I made mini snowball versions, like my Granny would have done. But seeing your pro photos of them, there’s nothing more nostalgic as seeing the good ol’ macaroon bar! Bravo.
Oh thank you, Jill! They are very sweet, but there’s something about eating a treat from one’s childhood that just brings back so many memories! I’m so happy to get YOUR stamp of approval on these! That means a lot to me! :)
Hello!
Ive mad these a couple of time, they are sooo good!
Do you know if they can be frozen? I am making them as wedding favors (I am scottish) but would like to do it a bit in advance of the wedding! xxx
Hi Suzanne! I’m so glad you like them, but I don’t think I would freeze them as when you take them out, they’ll probably sweat and may ruin the chocolate coating and who knows how the inside will do with freezing? They do last quite a while in tins and you don’t usually have the heat to deal with in Scotland. How far in advance do you want to make them?
Wow Christina these look so professional and I’ve never heard of these bars before but want to try now:-)
Those look so delicious! I love macaroons! I can’t wait to try yours! Congrats!
I have read your posts recipes before & love macaroon
bars, thinking of having a go , wonder if Buchanan’s Belgian chocolate bars 110g have same contents as Lees, will check .Well you’ve got me going now , how about Scottish Snowballs And Abernathy biscuits.
Scottish snowballs were I think amazingly deemed not to be cake category and sweet I think by some food organisation.
Do you have recipies for above mentioned, great articles
Hi James! I do have the recipe for snowballs if you mean the homebaked ones (not the marshmallow ones) Here is the recipe. I don’t have the Abernethy biscuit recipe yet, but you can type Scottish into the search bar on my page and all of my Scottish recipes should appear. Thank you so much! Stay safe!
Where I come from in Northern New England, these ( minus the coconut ) are called Needhams. For many years they were made and sold by a company in Lewiston Me.
A friend and fellow blogger from Maine told me the same thing, Ray, and we surmised that it was probably a Scot who brought the recipe over. Would be great to know if our hypothesis is correct, though. :)
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Wow these are amaseing thank you! Im from scotland actually stirling!but i stay in coatbridge. and this is actually where the lees factory is!, that makes mass produced fondant ones!i make cupcakes,french macaroons,scotish macaroon bars n bites, crow nuts,ice cream, and rock,candies and sweets, i had some time trying to ask my friends and samplers what do you think they are made with? And no one got the answer correct . made some tonight! followed your weight for potatoes but because i had done them before. i thought ” i just add a few more quaters” honestly added about four.and had to go buy more icinng . the thing is with these is there is not really a select potatoe or a best potatoe but make sure you dry them throughly and work quick ! .use a good one for chips and mash like a king ed, russet, maris or rooster beause the dryer it is ,means it tastes better and gives the macaroon bar or macaroon bites the corrrect texture and taste
Don’t know how I missed replying to your lovely comment, David! So sorry! I’m so glad you found my recipe. I grew up just down the road from Coatbridge in Garrowhill! Thanks so much for your comment and again, sorry I’m replying years later! I was probably traveling at the time and missed it. CC
Hi Christina Iam originally from airdrie my mum taught at drum park school for many years . We had very good friends of our family that lived in harrow hill so Iam familiar with the area you are from and I grew
Up with lees macaroon bats and snowballs. This recipe looks easy I’m not a baker but I might give it a shot. Thank you Christina have a great day
A wee variation on this recipe would be to add a few drops of peppermint essence with (optional) green food colouring.
Absolutely, Diane! Lots of ways to change it up with flavours and colours. CC
Can’t wait to try these – they are very like a Maine delight, here they call them Needhams :) I love using potatoes in sweet recipes – I have made cake with mashed potatoes!
I just googled, “Needhams” and yes, they are so similar! Just coconut inside instead of outside! I’m sure I’d love those too. Wonder if they were made by a Scots immigrant a long time ago and the recipe changed over the years?
My favorite use of potatoes are cinnamon rolls, so you your recipe doesn’t shock me… it entices me! I can’t wait to try this one.
Wow, never heard of potatoes in a cinnamon roll recipe, Cathy! I’m also intrigued!! :)
I was born in Northern England to a French mum and a dad with Spanish heritage and I live in Australia. I think I totally get you and your love of potatoes and macaroons. They look delish.
Oh, I didn’t know you are from the UK, too- but now I know you understand the potato/macaroon thing! ;)
Those macaroons were a perfect ending to a potato filled day.
Thank you, Judy! You and Erika did a fabulous job putting on Potato Palooza!
Using potatoes in such recipe is..surprising :) really intriguing :) The problem that I have after I moved to Australia- I can’t find good potatoes, they are just different here.
That’s a shame, Medeja! Good potatoes are a must for many dishes, but I honestly don’t think you wouldn’t like these because of the difference in potato flavor. You should give it a try sometime, and see what you think. Thank you for stopping by! :)
Hi Chistina,
Wow! I never would have guessed it was made with potatoes! That is amazing, I also love potatoes any kind, cooked anyway. I absolutely love macaroons, as coconut is one of my favorites as well. But your SCOTTISH MACAROON BARS look so yummy and satisfying. I will have to try this one for sure. I also love when you show us step by step the recipe. Thanks for sharing these…
Blessings on a good weekend…Dotiie :)
Thank YOU, Dottie, for you very kind words! I know you’ll love these if you love coconut! The center is just such a unique concoction, but tastes exactly like the ones which are mass produced (without potatoes)! I hope you have a lovely weekend, too! CC :)
Love them, reminds me of growing up. Your recipe sounds and looks amazing. Regarding the life in L.A pic, I’ve been to car events with him, he gives Lamborghini owners a bad name.
Thank you, Janette! I just think it’s so funny that you recognize the car/driver in the photo! Small world for sure! CC
OMG! Those were amazing and I was going to write you and ask for the recipe a few days ago! You forgot to mention they are GLUTEN-FREE! (now I see why they’re so good—a pound of sugar! ;)
You are right!! I need to mention that, Adair! I will go edit the post right now! Thank you!! Glad you have the recipe now :) CC