My parents try to stay away from refined sugars and dairy, which means they are not always a lot of help in the taste testing department. Couple that with my need to tone it down with all the sugar I bake with and you get a few healthy desserts every now and then(see HERE, and HERE).
My Mom, in particular, has a soft spot for Almond Joys. So, I decided to make my own, healthy version of them. These little nibbles are great for those who have dietary restrictions and allergies because they taste just as good(better, in my opinion!) as the real thing!
They are gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, raw, and vegan. So go to town with these babies! They are about as healthy as a homemade candy can get!
*do note that I used shredded coconut in the almond joys pictured, because that is what I had on hand. Shredded will work just fine, but I personally prefer a very finely shredded coconut…I like the texture better.
*If you do not want to use raw cocoa powder, your average everyday baking cocoa will work just fine!
- 1 C. Raw Coconut, finely shredded
- 3 T. Coconut Oil
- 1 T. Raw Honey(use other sweetener for Vegan)
- 1 t. Vanilla
- 2 pinches Sea Salt
- 8-10 raw Almonds
- FOR THE COATING:
- 4 T. Raw Cocoa Powder
- 4 T. Coconut Oil
- 2 T. Raw Honey(use other sweetener for Vegan)
- Place the shredded coconut, coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and sea salt in a small bowl. Carefully mix together with the back of a spoon until combined...will be like a thick paste.
- Scoop out the mixture into mounds with a tablespoon and roll each mound in to an oval.
- Place the oval onto a parchment or non-stick mat lined making sheet.
- Press an almond down into the center of the rolled coconut mixture. Repeat with remaining coconut mixture. You will get 8-10 mounds out of this, depending on the size of the mounds.
- Freeze for 30 minutes.
- Remove and dip each mound in the chocolate coating. Tap off excess coating and place the chocolate coated mound back on the lined baking sheet. The chocolate should set quite quickly.
- Keep refrigerated.
- For the Coating:
- Place the cocoa powder and coconut oil in a small, microwave safe bowl. Place in the microwave and heat JUST until the oil begins to melt slightly. You don't want it to be completely liquid, just runny enough to mix in with the cacao powder.
- Mix the cocoa powder and coconut oil until well combined. Mix in the honey. Mixture should be liquid enough to use as a dipping chocolate, but not so runny that it pours off of a spoon. If it is too thick to use for dipping, place it back in the microwave for a few more seconds. If you accidentally over-do it, put the mixture in the fridge to chill. Stir every few minutes until it firms up to desired consistency.
- Use for coating almond joys.
