A Taste of Maine: Needhams Christmas Dessert Recipe

I live in Maine, and I love lighthouses, pine trees, Christmas, and Needhams, the iconic Maine confection. These delicious candies are dipped in melted semi-sweet chocolate that covers a filling of coconut, vanilla, and….mashed potato.

What??? You betcha!

Needhams are the traditional Maine potato candy (Spoiler alert! They don’t taste anything like potato)! Originally concocted in the Seavey’s Sweets kitchen in the early 1870’s, this candy treat has stood the test of time.

One story is that there was an abundant crop of Maine potatoes that year and a contest was held to see what new recipes could be concocted using the plain old potato. However they came to be, Needhams were mostly likely named after George C .Needham, an Irish immigrant and evangelical preacher famous throughout New England in the early 1870’s. Factual or not, the rest is history.

Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins are all gearing up right now to make Needhams. Good at any time of year, they are especially popular at Christmas. They make lovely gifts teamed up with other candies, and they are delicious with an afternoon cup of tea. They can be frozen, and they keep in the fridge for several weeks (if nobody eats them first!).

I got my recipe for Needhams from Mona B. over 20 years ago. She was well into her 90’s, had been widowed decades ago but was a strong, independent, and resilient Maine woman. She was an accomplished seamstress and home decorator who wall papered her entire house herself when she was in her mid-eighties. She also taught me an important lesson: never make fudge on a rainy day.

For several Christmases, I made Mona’s Needhams – until our rottweiler/lab mix, Millie, discovered them and ate an entire batch off the kitchen counter one December. She must have been lying in wait, her nose picking up the delectable scent of melting chocolate and coconut. I had left the kitchen for just a moment, and when I returned—gone! Every last one of them!

Thankfully Millie suffered no ill effects. However, that incident may have contributed to my making Needhams a little less frequently.

Reasons You’ll Love Needhams

  • Classic New England Christmas treat that even non-New Englanders can enjoy
  • Mouth-watering combination of chocolate and coconut
  • Kind of like a homemade Mounds candy bar
  • Excellent make-ahead dessert treat during a busy holiday season
  • A much appreciated and unique gift
  • Perfect for Christmas and holiday parties
  • Easy for beginners – and fun to do with children or grandchildren.

Filling Ingredients You’ll Need for Mona’s Needhams

  • ¾ cup mashed potato
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Two 1-pound packages of confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 stick margarine
  • ½ pound flaked coconut
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

How to Make the Needham Filling

1. Cook the potato and mash it, but don’t season it or use butter.

2. Measure ¾ cup of the mashed potato. Add salt, and set aside

3. Using a double boiler, place stick of margarine in it and melt over boiling water.

4. Add mashed potato, confectioners’ sugar, coconut, and vanilla.

5. Mix well, then turn into buttered jelly roll pan (or sheet pan).

6. Spread evenly, and place in a cool place to harden.

7. Cut into small squares and get ready to dip in the chocolate mixture.

Ingredients You’ll Need for the Chocolate Mixture

  • One 12 ounce package chocolate bits
  • 4 squares unsweetened chocolate
  • ½ cake paraffin (2 ½” by2 ½ “)

How to Make the Chocolate Mixture and Finish the Needhams

1. Using a double boiler, melt the paraffin.

2. Add chocolate, stirring well to mix ingredients.

3. Dip the cooled Needham squares into chocolate to cover all sides completely. You can use a toothpick, cake tester, or slotted spatula.

4. Hold each square above the chocolate after dipping, so the square drains well.

5. Place on waxed paper to harden.

*This recipe makes 66 good-sized Needhams, and it halves easily.

When is the Best Time to Serve Needhams? (Spoiler Alert! Anytime Really!)

  • Thanksgiving dessert
  • A Christmas Eve buffet
  • Christmas dinner dessert
  • Holiday parties
  • Holiday cookie exchanges
  • New Year’s celebrations
  • Family gatherings

Serve along with:

  • Coffee
  • Tea
  • Eggnog
  • Warm apple cider
  • Just by themselves!

Author Biography

Nancy A. Foran is a Maine author and ordained United Church of Christ pastor with more than fifty years of experience speaking and writing about Christmas, family, tradition, humor, and the meaning found in life’s imperfect moments. She is the author of the recently released Christmas memoir, The Grapefruit Dish: Imperfect Moments Revealing the Meaning of Christmas. Learn more about The Grapefruit Dish here on Amazon and on her website, www.nancyforan.com.

Nancy and her husband, Joe, live at Little Farm in Naples, Maine, where they share life with two dogs, a hobby apiary, the numerous maple trees that they tap each spring, and gardens that keep them busy throughout the growing season.

Each December 1, Nancy happily embraces the role her family has long given her: Mother Christmas, a name inspired by her enthusiasm for creating a holiday season filled with warmth, wonder, and cherished memories. She spends the weeks leading up to Christmas making wreaths, baking cookies, Needhams, and plum puddings, decorating the house one day at a time, and creating a place where family and friends are welcomed with warmth, hospitality, and the enduring magic of the season.

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