Puerto Rican Candy: 15 Classic Sweets You Grew Up With

Some flavors need no introduction. A red pilón at the town festival, the coconut turrón your grandmother kept in her purse, the chewy mampostial from the corner colmado after school. Puerto Rican candy is small, inexpensive and deeply ours: almost all of it comes from three ingredients the island always had on hand—coconut, sugarcane and fruit—and from a tradition of homemade sweets passed down through generations.

If you grew up on the island and now live in the States, or you simply fell in love with these flavors on a trip, this guide covers the 15 sweets that belong in every Boricua pantry, what they're made of, and how to get them delivered to your door.

Coconut sweets: the heart of Puerto Rican candy

If one ingredient defines Puerto Rican candy, it's coconut. It's grated, cooked with sugar or molasses until thick, and shaped into bars, drops or lollipops.

1. Coconut turrón (turrón de coco)

Soft white bars with a clean, fresh coconut flavor. It travels well and is one of the first things people ask for when they live far away. Oro Candy coconut turrón comes in a pack of several bars, perfect for sharing.

2. Mampostial

The most Boricua of them all: grated coconut cooked with sugarcane molasses until it turns dark, chewy and a little sticky. Try the coconut mampostial, or the 6 oz bag if you're a true fan.

3. Coconut macaroons (besitos de coco)

Little baked coconut mounds, golden outside and moist inside—the classic afternoon snack with coffee. Order besitos de coco.

4. Guava and coconut candy

The most tropical pairing: sweet coconut with tart guava. Dulces La Fe guava coconut candy comes in squares, ready for a serving tray.

Pilones: the festival candy

A pilón is a cone-shaped hard candy on a stick, and it's impossible not to associate it with fiestas patronales, fairs and candy carts.

5. Red pilones

The classic: bright red, sweet and pure childhood. Oro Candy red pilones are one of the best-selling sweets in our store.

6. Coconut pilones

The white version, made with coconut, milder and slowly melting. Find them as coconut pilones.

7. Coconut-pineapple pilones

Coconut and pineapple on the same stick, a favorite with kids: coconut pineapple pilones.

8. Sesame pilones

Crunchy, toasted and less sweet—the grown-up pilón. Look for sesame pilones, 6 oz.

Sesame, peanut and other turrones

9. Sesame candy (dulce de ajonjolí)

Toasted sesame bars with gentle sweetness and an almost savory finish, and a perfect match for coffee. Oro Candy sesame candy is a store best-seller.

10. Peanut turrón

Whole peanuts bound in caramel: crunchy and great for road trips. Get the peanut turrón or the 6 oz bag.

11. Gofio

Toasted, sweetened corn flour eaten by the spoonful as a powder. It has Canary Islands roots, like much of our culture, and few people outside the island know it. Try corn gofio.

Fruit sweets: orange and guava

12. Orange sweet paste (dulce de naranja)

A dense amber paste with the perfume of orange peel and a slightly bitter note that balances the sugar. Delicious on its own or with white cheese. Order Oro Candy orange sweet.

13. Guava paste

The most versatile sweet in the Puerto Rican kitchen: eaten with queso del país, used in pastelillos and mallorcas, melted into glazes. Dulzura guava paste comes in a large block for slicing.

Cookies and bakery sweets

14. Polvorones and mantecaditos

Buttery cookies that melt in your mouth and never miss the Christmas table: polvorones and mantecaditos.

15. Ginger cucas and sprinkle cookies

Ginger cucas are dark molasses-and-spice cookies from the old days; sprinkle cookies are the birthday-party classic.

How to build your Puerto Rican candy box

• The classic box: red pilones, coconut turrón, mampostial and sesame candy—the four flavors everyone recognizes.
• The coconut lover's box: coconut pilones, coconut turrón, besitos de coco and guava-coconut candy.
• The party box: the Dulces La Fe assorted candy party bowl (30 oz) plus a few packs of pilones for the kids.

Shipping to someone in the States? Add something from the pantry, like Puerto Rican coffee or the butter cookies in a Puerto Rico–shaped tin. For more ideas, see our guides to gifts from Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican snacks you miss in the States.

A practical tip: on orders over $100 in our online store, 10% off is applied automatically in the cart, no code needed. If you're building boxes for several relatives, combine them into one order.

Puerto Rican candy FAQ

What is the most popular Puerto Rican candy?

Pilones and coconut turrón are among the best known. In our store, red pilones, sesame candy and mampostial are consistent best-sellers.

What is mampostial?

A candy made of grated coconut cooked with sugarcane molasses. It's dark, chewy and tastes like rich caramel.

Can you ship Puerto Rican candy to the United States?

Yes. These are packaged products that travel well. Shipping to the continental U.S. is 50% off, and shipping within Puerto Rico is free on orders over $40.

How long does Puerto Rican candy last?

It depends on the product; check the expiration date printed on each package and store it in a cool, dry place.