I tried on about thirty different pairs of skinny jeans last week. It wasn’t cute. This trend is not ok with me.
I have thighs. They rub together a little.
These candies might be why.
If you feel compelled to make some sort of joke about the word ‘joy’ in the title of this recipe and my name… which is also Joy.
Well… go on. Get it out of your system.
Just don’t make any Joy to the World jokes. I’m so over those.
I really like what’s going on with these little gems. I combined unsweetened coconut with sweetened condensed milk and toasted almonds… and I covered the whole thing in dark chocolate. Seriously good.
But aren’t Almond Joys kind of a Grandpa candy bar? No… that’s Baby Ruth… totally an old dude candy bar.
Homemade Almond Joy
makes about 30 little bars
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7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
30 almonds
about 20 ounces (a bag and a half) of good quality semi sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, spread raw almonds onto a baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Stir in the unsweetened coconut. The mixture will be thick. Place mixture in the freezer for 3o minutes. It’s easier to work with if it’s a little cold.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the coconut mixture from the freezer. With clean hands shape one tablespoon of coconut into a little log about 2 inches long and 3/4-inch thick. Press the logs together very well so they don’t crack when dipped. Place the log on the lined baking sheet and continue until all of the coconut mixture is gone. Rinse hands occasionally if they get too sticky. Press an almond on top of each coconut log. It might not completely stick. That’s ok. Place the baking sheet in the fridge to chill while you melt the chocolate.
Place a medium pot with two inches of water over a medium flame. Bring the water to a simmer. Place chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and place the bowl over the simmering water. Stir the chocolate as it melts. Turn off the flame once the chocolate has melted but keep the bowl of melted chocolate over the hot water.
Remove the coconut candies from the fridge. Place one coconut almond log on a fork. Use a spoon to scoop a bit of chocolate over the almond. This will help the almond stick to the candy and not fall off during dipping. Lower fork into chocolate and spoon chocolate over candy to coat. Lift fork and gently shake to release some of the chocolate. Scrape the bottom of the fork along the side of the bowl and place on the lined baking sheet. You might need a toothpick to help get the candy off the fork. Repeat until all candy is coated in chocolate. If chocolate gets thick, just turn on the flame and heat slightly.
Let dipped candy harden in the fridge for 45 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. If you need to layer the candy in a container, use waxed paper to separate the layers.
I secretly love Almond Joys. The only time of the year they enter my house is when my kids go trick or treating and a few of them get put in their bag. At that point, I either take a few bites or I freeze them for later. Oh the joys of finding a long lost Almond Joy when I am searching for peas in the freezer!
At my house, we have a thing for chocolate. My daughter loves chocolate, my husband loves to sneak a bite or two after dinner… and the rest of us go along and eat chocolate because we love it.
Week after week, the Almond Joys stare at me while I’m at the grocery check out line. I silently tell myself no and focus on
Coconut, almonds, and chocolate, whoever came up with that combination was a genius!
What I love about these Homemade Almond Joys is that they are the perfect size. If you haven’t noticed, I like to make treats bite sized. When things are bite sized, you can pack them easier in a lunchbox to bring to work, school, camp, or as a mid-afternoon snack.
I love making a pan of these bite sized homemade Almond Joys and and keeping extras in the freezer. If you don’t like almonds, you can omit them and make your own Mounds. For a real treat, use dark chocolate and…WOW. You’ll be blown away at how simple and delicious this is!
PrintHomemade Almond Joy Bites
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Good until the last bite.
- Author: Laura Fuentes
- Yield: 30-36pcs
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup condensed milk*
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 36 roasted almonds
- 2 cups dark chocolate chunks, from a chocolate block*
- 36 mini cupcake pan liners
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix shredded coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla. The mixture will be sticky but pliable for you to shape.
- In a double broiler (a bowl over a pan filled with water), melt the chocolate. If you choose to use the microwave to melt your chocolate, it will take 1-2 minutes but make sure you stir every 15-30 seconds so the chocolate doesn’t burn.
- Line a mini cupcake pan with liners (I find it easier this way so they hold up). Add a teaspoon or so of melted chocolate into the bottom of each cup – enough to fill the bottom. Top with a teaspoon of coconut mixture and press down lightly using your spoon. Top the coconut with an almond, press down to sink into the coconut slightly, and top with more melted chocolate (enough to cover).
- Repeat process until all almond joy bites are made. Refrigerate to set and enjoy!
Storage: I store mine in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months -if they last that long.
Equipment
Clean Treats Cookbook
Buy Now →Notes
I used condensed coconut milk (recipe will be coming soon), but the result is the same with regular condensed milk.
You can also use chocolate chips instead of chocolate chunks from the block. Being the chocolate addicts that we are, the richer the chocolate the better.