Chocolate coconut truffles with almonds
These chocolate-dipped coconut truffles taste like a bite sized Almond Joy candy bar. They are an easy, no bake treat that is perfect for Valentine’s Day.
I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.
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Why you should make this recipe
If you need a fast and very easy treat for Valentine’s Day, or any occasion, these chocolate coconut candies are a tasty solution. They are simple to make and if you have kids, they can help roll and dip the treats.
- No bake – These coconut truffles are mixed together in a bowl, scooped and dipped in chocolate and nuts.
- Quick and easy – There is very little hands-on time, and they are ready from start to finish in just over half an hour.
- Make ahead – You can make these treats a couple of days ahead of time and store them in the fridge.
Coconut truffles
Valentine’s Day is for chocolate, that’s not up for debate. Whether it’s a box of candy or a chocolate Bundt cake, we need some of that cocoa goodness. Quick, easy and delicious, these chocolate coconut truffles are perfect for surprising your special Valentine.
Ingredients
These aren’t your normal chocolate truffles made with a ganache. This bite-sized copycat Almond Joy is made even better with an unexpected ingredient – a pinch of salt.
- Coconut – You’ll need to toast some coconut and also leave some untoasted, for different textures and flavors.
- Sweetened condensed milk – You’ll need about half a can for the candy. Save the rest for Vietnamese coffee.
- Substitution: Sweetened condensed coconut milk would also be great here, and it’s dairy-free.
- Dark chocolate – Because the coconut and the condensed milk are both sweet, dark chocolate gives these coconut truffles a nice balance. Milk chocolate or semi sweet chocolate would make them too sweet.
- Chopped almonds – Almonds and coconut work really well together, but if you don’t like them, or you want to try different nuts, see below.
- Substitutions: Swap out almonds for your favorite nut. Peanut, pistachios, and hazelnuts all work wonderfully.
- Salt – A pinch of salt really helps to bring all the flavors together and balance everything. Sweet recipes really benefit from a pinch of salt.
How to make
Here’s a quick summary of how to make chocolate-dipped coconut truffles. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- Combine – In a bowl, mix both toasted and untoasted coconut with a pinch of salt and evaporated milk.
- Scoop – Using a small scoop, portion out truffles and place on baking sheet.
- Shape – Roll into balls, lightly packing them with the palms of your hands while rolling so they stay together.
- Dip into melted dark chocolate and toss in chopped nuts. Then place them back onto a sheet pan to let the chocolate set up.
Coconut truffles FAQ’s
Yes, you can make these coconut truffles a few days ahead of time. Store them in the refrigerator until serving.
They are not dairy-free as written. However, if you swap out sweetened condensed milk for the coconut version, they are.
If stored in an air-tight container, they should last up to a week in the refrigerator.
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Helpful tips for making coconut truffles
When melting the chocolate, you want it to be barely warm to the touch. As chocolate gets warmer, it also becomes more viscous, meaning you’ll get a thinner coating. If you dip the truffles when the chocolate is slightly cooler, you’ll get a thicker coating.
Conversely, as it cools, it will become thicker and you’ll need to warm it up slightly to get it back to a workable consistency. If you find it’s dripping quite a bit, setting a pair of chopsticks, or some wooden skewers over the bowl to let the chocolate drip off might be helpful.
Variations and substitutions
- Nuts – I like to roll them in chopped toasted almonds, but you can use anything that you have. I’ve used peanuts, cashews and pistachios to coat these coconut truffles and all were delicious.
- Dairy-free / vegan – Swap out the regular sweetened, condensed milk for sweetened condensed coconut milk.
- Coconut – I use a combination of sweetened and unsweetened coconut flakes so the candy isn’t overly sweet. If you prefer them very sweet, use all sweetened coconut flakes to make them.
- Coating – You can opt for no nuts, and just dip them in chocolate. Another fun option would be to roll them in red or pink sprinkles for Valentine’s Day.
Helpful tools and equipment
- Parchment paper sheets are MUCH easier to use than tearing pieces off of a roll.
- These coconut candies also make great homemade gifts. Tuck a few truffles into valentine’s treat bags to share with friends, family and neighbors.
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Chocolate Coconut Truffles with Almonds
Ingredients
- 1 cup toasted sweetened coconut // 240ml
- 1 cup shredded coconut sweetened or unsweetened // 240ml
- 7 oz. sweetened condensed milk (half a can) // 207ml
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 cup melted dark chocolate // 240ml
- 1 1/2 cups chopped almonds or peanuts // 360ml
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. Spread sweetened shredded coconut out on a baking sheet in a thin layer and toast in the oven for 5 – 10 minutes, stirring once. When coconut is light brown, remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Combine toasted coconut, shredded untoasted coconut, condensed milk and salt in a medium bowl. Stir to thoroughly combine.
- Using a small cookie scoop (or a teaspoon), scoop out mixture and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Place them in the fridge for 20 – 30 minutes to set up.
- Roll them in your hands to make a nice smooth ball.
- Working quickly, dip them in the melted chocolate and then into the chopped nuts and set on a clean sheet pan. If they start to get too warm, put them back into the fridge for a few minutes.
- Once they are all dipped and rolled in almonds or peanuts, put them in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to help the chocolate set up.
Notes
- Use a combination of sweetened and unsweetened shredded coconut to keep these truffles from being overly sweet.
- To make these treats nut-free, omit almonds. Dip in chocolate, then roll in colored sprinkles or leave them plain.
- Store leftover truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- To make them dairy free, swap out the sweetened condensed milk for sweetened condensed coconut milk.
Nutrition
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Originally published 8/31/11, most recent update 2/8/24.