Coconut Bites aka Jme’s version of Almond Joy

I love Almond Joy candy bars. I also love the coconut truffle balls that my co-worker makes and shares with me. I don’t like coconut milk though (this has nothing to do with the recipe, just a thought I wanted to share with you).  Anyway, I came across a few blogs with recipes for homemade Almond Joys and thought I had to try it. Joy the Baker seemed to have the easiest recipe with simple ingredients, so I worked off of her recipe and changed it up a bit-which is my style. It is not because I don’t like following directions, I just like to experiment.

Mix the coconut, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt on low speed. The mixture should be slightly sticky.

Make small bites or balls of the coconut mixture and roll it around in some coconut. For this I poured about 1/4 cup of coconut on the kitchen counter. This amount is not included in the above ingredient list.  However this step is crucial to keeping the bite in the form.

Place the bites onto a cookie sheet (I prefer lining it with foil or wax paper) then place it in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Roast the almonds in the oven. The recipe from Joy the Baker said to set the oven for 350 degrees and bake for 10 minutes. I found my almonds were ready after 5 minutes. Keep an eye on them and don’t let them burn.

Melt the chocolate according to the package’s directions. Place almonds on the coconut bite or place them on the chocolate after.  If you don’t like almonds, don’t include them at all. Whichever way you choose, it will still be yummy.  I used a spoon and poured the chocolate over the bites and covered the sides and top.  Candy Quik sets up very fast, so I highly recommend it. If needed, chill the bites in the fridge or freezer before packaging them or setting them out to eat.

I left a lot of exposed coconut, but it still stays together and is not sticky.  These make great snacks and are a nice holiday candy to share with family and friends.