They are the perfect coconut candy for your Christmas dessert platter or delicious bite-size dessert for coconut lovers.
Ingredients and Substitutions
All you need to make these coconut balls are a few simple ingredients. In this recipe, I will also share how I use wholesome ingredients to mimic sweetened condensed milk and avoid the added refined sugar in this treat
Unsweetened Shredded Coconut – I use ultra-fine unsweetened coconut flakes, also called unsweetened desiccated coconut, for best results. Canned Coconut Cream – Use the top of the can. Depending on the brand, it’s hard and thick, or liquid and very creamy. What you don’t want is the clear liquid at the bottom of the can. Maple Syrup or any liquid sweetener you love, like agave syrup, brown rice syrup, or coconut nectar. Coconut Oil – melted Dark Chocolate for coating. Feel free to use any dark chocolate bars dairy-free milk or dark chocolate chips you love. I recommend chocolate chips with 70% to 85% for a less sweet treat. Optional – add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or coconut extract.
How To Make Chocolate Coconut Balls
It’s very easy to make coconut chocolate balls as a quick dessert for the holiday season. They taste like bounty candy bars with their sweet, moist coconut filling coated with crunchy chocolate.
Alternatives
Of course, you can add a little twist to this recipe to create a range of flavors. For example, try making:
Almond Joy Candy Bar Flavor – Use the same recipe, but add an almond in the center of the coconut balls. Peanut Coconut Balls – Add 1/4 cup of peanut butter to the food processor. Cocoa Coconut Balls – Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the mixture. Pecan Coconut Balls – Add 1/3 cup of pecans to the food processor.
Allergy Swaps
If you have some food allergies, try the options below.
Coconut Oil Free – You can use melted cocoa butter. Avoid other oils that remain liquid at room temperature because they won’t help firm up the balls. Sugar-Free – Use a sugar-free liquid sweetener like Monk fruit syrup. Chocolate Chips – Feel free to use any dairy-free chocolate chips you like, including white chocolate chips, oat milk chocolate chips, or dark chocolate chips.
Here are my answers to your common questions about this Christmas dessert.
