5 13 Published Oct 07, 2022, Updated Oct 13, 2023 This homemade version is the perfect alternative to make for Halloween this year when you’re craving something sweet, but are trying to avoid store-bought candy. This recipe is seriously so easy to make! All you need are 5 simple ingredients and a little patience while the bars chill in the freezer (that’s the hardest part, IMO!) and you’ll have a delicious bite-size treat that tastes just like the real deal minus the refined sugars or artificial ingredients.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The combination of coconut + chocolate = chef’s kiss! You only need 5 simple ingredients! These bars are gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free and vegan. They taste just like regular Almond Joy bars but are loaded with real, whole food ingredients.
Making Homemade Almond Joy Bars
Almond Joys have always been one of my favorite candy bars, along with Twix, Reese’s peanut butter cups and Snickers… I’m all about chocolate candies if you couldn’t tell! The only problem with all the store-bought candy is that they’re made with lots of not-so-good-for-you ingredients. For instance, Almond Joy bars are loaded with corn syrup (the first ingredient!), white sugar, vegetable oil, soy lecithin, pgpr (what even is this?!) and hydrolyzed milk protein. No thank you! That’s where this homemade Almond Joy bars recipe comes in. This recipe is made with just 5 simple ingredients that you can actually pronounce like shredded coconut, sweetened condensed coconut milk, almond and chocolate chips. Plus, it’s gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free and vegan. It made me feel good knowing exactly what ingredients are going into the sweet treats that I’m eating!
Ingredients Needed
unsweetened finely shredded/desiccated coconut – make sure you’re using unsweetened fine or desiccated shredded coconut. If you use longer shreds, the bars might not hold together as well. My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill shredded coconut. sweetened condensed coconut milk – to keep this recipe vegan we’re using sweetened condensed coconut milk instead of regular condensed milk. This is the key to the coconut filling holding together for the bars! I used Nature’s Charm sweetened condensed coconut milk, but any brand should work. Just make sure you’re using 1 cup! You can also make homemade sweetened condensed coconut milk if you prefer. almonds – you’ll need 20 almonds to press into the center of the coconut mixture. I recommend using raw, unsalted almonds for this recipe! dark chocolate chips – your favorite brand of chocolate chips will work, just make sure you’re grabbing dairy-free to keep this recipe vegan. I used the Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips, which are vegan and allergen-friendly, but I also like Lily’s dark chocolate chips for a low sugar option. coconut oil – this is used to help make the melted chocolate a bit thinner, which makes it easier to dip the Almond Joy bars. You can skip it, but your melted chocolate will likely be pretty thick.
How to Make
Make coconut mixture: Combine coconut and condensed milk in a large bowl. Make bars: Use a tablespoon to scoop the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet, forming into rectangles. Place one almond at the center of each bar. Chill: Place baking tray in the freezer for the bites to harden for at least 2 hours. Melt chocolate: Once bars have hardened, place chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl and microwave in 15-second increments, stirring between each time, until the chocolate is fully melted. Coat bars: Once the chocolate has melted, use a fork to dip each bar into the chocolate until fully coated. Freeze: Place the bars back onto the parchment paper and into the freezer to let the chocolate harden for at least 1 hour. Once chocolate has set, it’s time to enjoy!
How to Store
I recommend storing these bars in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. I like these glass storage containers or my Stasher bags for storing. They should last up at least a week in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer… but they don’t usually last long around here! I recommend letting them sit for 5 minutes after taking them out of the freezer so they’re aren’t too hard.
More Candy Recipes to Try
Healthier Butterfingers Snickers Stuffed Dates Healthy Twix Bars Chocolate Almond Crispy Bites Peanut Butter Cups Cookie Dough Bites Chocolate Turtles Chocolate Hazelnut Balls Date Mounds Bars
More Healthy Treats to Try
Homemade Samoas Cookies Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites No Bake Almond Cookies Cottage Cheese Cookie Dough Frozen Cottage Cheese Bark Coconut Crunch Donuts (Hostess Copycat) Healthy No Bake Cookies Healthy Peanut Butter Balls Oat Flour Brownies Healthy Vanilla Cupcakes Vegan Chocolate Pie Almond Joy Baked Oatmeal
Be sure to check out the full collection of dessert recipes on EBF!
