You won't miss this candy bar favorite any longer. With my healthy version of the classic Almond Joy candies, you can indulge without guilt. This easy recipe is low carb, keto, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
I love Almond Joys. They are one of the candies I can't have in the house or I eat them. Unless it's this version. These are definitely allowed.
With Easter coming I need some special treats in the house so I don't raid the kids' baskets. Even though I don't buy them much candy they always get some from grandparents, friends, school, and daddy.
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Even if I've said I'm done shopping for a holiday daddy has been known to pick them up a few treats to go along with the rest. My favorite is when he pops into the mall and gets me one of my favorite truffles from Godiva. Those are definitely not on my diet but I like to indulge in a Chocolate Lava Cake Truffle every once in a while.
Some of our other homemade candy favorites:
How to Make Almond Joy Candies?
Making these are easy. Just mix together the coconut, sweetener, coconut milk, and coconut oil. Form balls, logs, or eggs (your choice of shape!) and coat with chocolate.
What type of coconut for almond joy candies?
Make sure you are using finely grated coconut for these. Larger flakes will not hold together. If you have to you could just pulse larger flakes in a food processor to chop them more.
What type of chocolate should I use?
You can use any sugar-free or very dark chocolate that you like. I don't might the slight bitterness of 85% dark chocolate and it tends to be cheaper than the specialty sugar-free chocolates.
How to coat the almond joys
I love eating chocolate. I do not love coating things in chocolate. It tends to get everywhere.
I did a pretty good job this morning of not wearing the chocolate. I drizzled chocolate on the candies, gently spread it, let that harden, and then dunked them in more melted chocolate. This helped get a smooth outer shell.
Doesn't the way the light is hitting the chocolate make you want to just lick the screen? I wish I could share one of these with you. They are that good.
After you make these try more homemade keto candies:
Toasted Coconut Toffee Pecan Turtles Candy
Keto Bark aka Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bark
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📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup finely shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 tablespoon canned coconut milk
- Pinch salt
- 3.5 oz 85% dark chocolate or sugar free chocolate
- 24 whole almonds or more if you make smaller bars
Instructions
- Melt coconut oil and coconut milk (if its solid) in the microwave. It takes about 30 seconds. Stir in the sweetener, coconut, vanilla, and salt.
- Shape into 12 bars and press almonds into the tops.
- Melt the chocolate. I do this by breaking the chocolate bar into chunks and microwaving on high for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave 30 more seconds. Stir. Repeat. Once it is 80% melted stop microwaving and just stir until it completely melted.
- Drizzle chocolate on the top and sides of the bars. I used an offset spatula to get the bottom part of the sides. Refrigerate or freeze until the chocolate is hard.
- Flip bars over and coat the bottoms. They look prettier if you can manage to cover all the coconut but they are delicious either way. If you want them to look professional do two coats of chocolate and move them to new wax paper before refrigerating.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published April 28, 2016. Updated and republished March 8, 2018.
Mikayla McDonald says
I'd like to use just Lakanto for the sweetener, but I've had trouble with the erythritol crystallizing in the past. Do you think I'd have to worry about that with these? Otherwise I have some xylitol and liquid stevia on hand to use as well. Thanks!
Taryn says
If you grind the lakanto monkfruit to a powder first it should work.
Marilyn says
With only using 3 tbsp of canned coconut milk, what can we do with the remainder of the coconut milk? I'd hate to open up a whole can of coconut milk to only use 3 tablespoons and then end up throwing the rest of it out. Thanks
Taryn says
I have a lot of recipes that use coconut milk. You can use it in cake, ice cream, coffee, soup. pudding, curry. Here are some ideas: https://joyfilledeats.com/?s="Coconut+milk"
Marilyn says
Thanks Taryn. The link didn't have canned coconut milk in the recipes. However, I entered 'canned coconut milk' in the search bar and brought up some recipes that I will be sure to give a try. Again, thank you so much for all that you do!
Donna says
Try 1/4 tsp of xatham gum to help hold together and I used almond extract instead of vanilla
MARY FLANIGAN says
Thanks for the tip. I made them a second time with xantham gum and they turned out perfect.
Sharon Lacy says
Did you just use raw or toasted almonds? Almond Joys have been one of my favorite candies. I would love to be able to have them again. Can't wait to make these!
Taryn says
I just used raw almonds but you can definitely toast them first and kick up that almond flavor if you want.
Amy says
These are so delicious and easy to make. Made a batch and put them in the freezer. They have just replaced my unhealthy former Love!
Diana says
Do you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut? Thank you!
Taryn says
Unsweetened coconut. If you use the sweetened variety the nutrition facts would be very different.
Mary Manello says
Could I use Heavy Whipping Cream as a substitute for the coconut milk? Thanks so much!
Taryn says
Sure!
Faith says
These little candy bites are gorgeous! They'd be perfect for stocking the fridge with on Halloween so I'm not tempted as I hand out candy to trick-or-treaters! 🙂
Dottie says
What can I use instead of your sweetener? Can I use regular packs of Sweetener? Thanks!
Taryn says
Which packs do you have? You can just sweeten the coconut mixture to taste and then coat it with any sugar free chocolate.
MARY E FLANIGAN says
I didn't have your sweetner but I mixed 2 parts stevis and 1 part swerve (erythritol) total 1/3C. They turned out perfectly sweetened.
Jane says
Tasted great! But the coconut didnt stick together great and they were messy!
Sandy says
These look wonderful !!
I cannot have chocolate, but have been experimenting with carob powder.
By any chance, have you tried these with either carob chips or preferably with carob powder instead of chocolate?
Any ideas as to the mixture needed for the carob powder. Thanks so much !
--- I am a former chocolate lover <3 & truly miss the stuff 🙁
Taryn says
No, I haven't, sorry! I don't see why it wouldn't work to coat them with carob though.
Cathy Tibbles says
Thank you for sharing this! I included it in the round up! 🙂
https://cathonketo.com/easy-keto-recipes-for-easter-baskets/
PS says
These look delicious.
Kathy says
Do you think melted Lilly's chocolate chips would work for the coating?
Meg says
What is the sweetner?
Taryn says
It's a blend of xylitol, erythritol, and stevia. You can find it here: Joyfilledeats.com/sweetener
Anna H. says
Do you use on the thickened part of the canned coconut milk? Or do you shake the can and use it at room temperature?
Taryn says
I shook the can and used it at room temp.
Javene McCabe says
i made these and they did not come out...they did not stick together at all...I looked at another recipe and there was some coconut flour as well. The above does not have that. What did I do wrong? I did add less sweetner because I thought that would make them too sweet. They were still good.
Taryn says
Were they too wet? Reducing the sweetener may have done that. You could add a little coconut flour if you want to make up for the lesser amount of sweetener.
Judy beard says
Can u use sugar free choc chips and how much. For Almound joy recipe
Taryn says
Yes, about 2/3 of a cup.
Kristen says
Do you know how many carb grams are in each candy? Thanks. Can't wait to make these!
Taryn says
I added nutrition facts but the calculator assumed it was milk chocolate. Using dark or sugar free should reduce the carbs by a few grams per candy.
Sofi says
what calculator do you use to figure out nutrition facts?
Taryn says
The built-in nutrition calculator from word press recipe maker. I manually subtract sugar alcohols from the carbs.
Amy H says
What could you use instead of coconut milk?
Taryn says
Heavy cream would probably work.
Carla says
These are delicious
Thanks for the recipe