Chocolate coconut candy bites are a delicious allergy friendly treat that will satisfy your sweet tooth! A chewy coconut center is surrounded by a dark chocolate shell, making a sweet treat that you’re sure to love.
I made these chocolatey treats an embarrassing number of times this summer. For some reason, it was a chocolate coconut candy bite sort of summer at our house. And I didn’t mind one bit!
These homemade candies are made with shredded coconut, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and organic coconut oil. If you have food allergies, you know it can be hard to find safe candy in the store. Making your own candy is a great way to enjoy a dessert that’s safe for your specific dietary needs.
The combination of coconut and chocolate reminds me of a store bought candy bar, but I think these taste even better!
For anyone who has been missing Mounds bars or Almond Joy bars, this is the candy for you. This could be a great treat to make for Valentine’s day. You could package these up in a cute little heart shaped box for a special someone.
Ingredient Notes
- Shredded Coconut – You want unsweetened coconut flakes for this recipe. The finer the shred, the better.
- Coconut Oil – Coconut oil is the only type of oil that works in this recipe, because it solidifies when it gets cool. I would encourage you to call and check on any brands that you are going to try, but the last time I called Dr. Bronner’s, their coconut oil was made in a coconut only facility. You can find this brand on Amazon or at Whole Foods.
- Cocoa Powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder is easy to find in most grocery stores. We use Hershey cocoa powder.
- Maple Syrup – I like maple syrup for sweetening these candies, but you could probably use honey or agave syrup if you prefer.
Tips for Success
These are easy to make, and if you don’t mind a little mess, they’re fun for kids to help make. There’s something so fun about dipping things in chocolate, isn’t there? The secret to an extra rich chocolate coating is to dunk these coconut candy bites at least twice.
I recommend allowing these to sit on a wire rack so that the excess chocolate can drip off of them, but if you don’t have a wire rack, you can just place some waxed paper on a cookie sheet and set the candies on that. They will just have a little excess chocolate on the bottom of each candy. But when has extra chocolate ever been a bad thing? :)
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Storage
Make sure to store these in the refrigerator because with the high coconut oil content, they will become very soft at room temperature. If you store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container, they should stay fresh for up to a week.
Freezing
You can freeze these candies if you like. Just make sure to thaw them before trying to bite into them, because they will be rock hard when you take them out of the freezer.
Watch the short video below to see how easy it is to make these candies.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Recipe
Chocolate Coconut Candy Bites.
A sweet coconut filling is surrounded by rich chocolate, making these homemade candies simply irresistible!
Ingredients
For the coconut filling:
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 ½ Tablespoons organic coconut oil
- 2 ½ Tablespoons maple syrup
For the chocolate coating:
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup organic unrefined coconut oil
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
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Spoon the coconut oil into a bowl, and heat in the microwave until melted – about 10 seconds.
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Stir in the maple syrup and shredded coconut. Use your hands to form one inch balls, and place these on a parchment paper lined plate or cookie sheet. Place in the freezer for one hour.
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Once the candy is frozen, make the coating. Place the coconut oil in a bowl, and microwave until melted – about 10 seconds. Stir in the maple syrup and cocoa powder.
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Place a wire rack over some wax paper so that the chocolate can drip off of the candy.
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Take one candy at a time and roll in your hands to reshape if necessary. Use a fork to drop it into the bowl of chocolate coating. Lift it out, and then dunk it in again. Lift it out and place on the wire rack.
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Repeat with all of the candy.
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Store the finished candy in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
Store this candy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Nutrition facts are for one piece of chocolate coconut candy.
This post was originally published in September 2016. It has been updated with more tips and details.
Katie
Delicious recipe!
Darryl
Very tasty!
Jennifer
Is there a different oil I can use? I love coconut, but not the oil.
Could I use agave syrup instead of maple?
Thanks J
Kelly Roenicke
Yes, you can use agave syrup, but the oil needs to be one that solidifies as it cools. I’m not sure what other oil would work. Refined coconut oil doesn’t taste as strongly of coconut, if that’s the issue.
Medha
These look delicious and I love how simple and healthy the ingredients are :)
Kelly Roenicke
Thank you, Medha!
Maria
These look so yummy! But isn’t ‘coconut powder’ for the coating a typo?
Kelly Roenicke
Thank you! I fixed the typo. :)