Chocolate covered coconut bars are an easy candy treat that’s gluten free and vegan! You will love this rich and decadent chocolatey dessert.
Taking a trip down the candy aisle can be a frustrating situation for someone with food allergies. There are so many candies that contain dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy…you name it. Candy is loaded with allergens.
Thankfully, there are allergy friendly brands of candy now, like PASCHA Chocolate, or Enjoy Life. But you can also make your own homemade chocolate candy, which I think is even more delicious.
These chocolate covered coconut bars are so super rich and decadent – I think you will love them even more than traditional versions like mounds bars or almond joy.
It’s easy to make your own candy – we love these caramel chocolate Easter eggs and this simple chocolate coconut bark.
These thick coconut bars are a favorite dessert of my husband’s. The good news is, it’s so simple to make these! Just a few minutes of active time, and then time chilling in the refrigerator so that they firm up.
Ingredient Notes
- Sweetener – I used sugar in this recipe, but you can also use maple syrup if you wish. The coconut layer will be a little bit stickier if you choose to use a liquid sweetener.
- Coconut Oil – Unrefined coconut oil will have a nice coconut flavor, and that’s what I used in this recipe.
- Dairy Free Chocolate Chips – Enjoy Life or PASCHA brand both make dairy free chocolate chips that will work well in this recipe.
Step by Step Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil and sugar in a small saucepan and stir until melted.
- Add the coconut flakes and stir. Pour into a loaf pan that is lined with parchment paper.
- Pat the coconut down firmly and then put the pan in the refrigerator to chill.
- Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil, and pour over the coconut layer.
- Refrigerate again until firm – about one hour.
How to Slice
These bars have a firmer texture than the original candy bar version. It’s best to store them in the refrigerator and pull them out a little bit before you want to serve them.
To slice these bars, pull the parchment paper up and out to release the bars from the pan. Place on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice.
Learn to make SAFE, tasty food for your family. Join my community today and start getting all my best tips, tricks, and allergy friendly recipes in your inbox.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Recipe
Chocolate Covered Coconut Bars.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 ½ Tablespoons organic cane sugar
- 6 Tablespoons organic coconut oil
For the topping:
- ¾ cups dairy free chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon organic coconut oil
Instructions
- Line an 8×4 inch loaf pan with waxed paper, and grease with a little bit of coconut oil.
- In a sauce pan, combine the coconut oil and the sugar. Heat over medium low heat until melted and combined.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in the unsweetened coconut flakes.
- Press the mixture into the loaf pan and press down firmly with a piece of waxed paper so the coconut is very flat and tightly packed. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Microwave the chocolate chips for 45 seconds, stir, and microwave for 10 second intervals if needed until fully melted. Stir in the ½ teaspoon of coconut oil.
- Spread the chocolate over the chilled coconut bar mixture. Refrigerate again until fully cooled.
- Remove from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before serving. Slice into bars of desired size.
Notes
Nutrition
Lisa
A keeper! Made these for my daughter’s birthday but class has all sorts of allergies and one is vegan so I was going crazy trying to figure out what to make. Made one set with white chocolate and 100s & 1000s on top to make it colourful. Much better than expected!!!
Valerie
How far ahead can I make them and they’ll still taste good…days, a week?
How do you think they would freeze?
Kelly Roenicke
I think they would be good for 5-7 days.
I think they would freeze well, but I haven’t tried that.