Servings: 18 serving(s)
Prep time: 60 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes
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Homemade Coconut Mounds let you feel good about giving into your cravings
Sometimes all you need is a little nibble of something sweet to satisfy a craving and these Coconut Mounds seem to do the trick. They’re really part energy bar, part chocolate bar, so let me give into my sweet tooth without feeling like I have been eating junk.
These Coconut Mounds use natural sweeteners as a white sugar substitute:
Coconut balls usually call for sweetened coconut and lots of icing sugar. This naturally sweetened version reduces the sugar by more than half by using unsweetened coconut and just a bit of molasses and honey to sweeten and bind the coconut. A little coconut oil is essential to holding it all together since it firms up well.
I use 72% chocolate as a coating. It’s slightly bitter so a nice balance for the coconut. If you prefer something sweeter you can go with melted chocolate chips.
It takes less than 10 minutes to mix and shape these coconut mounds and then they sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up. You can get the dipping chocolate set while they’re chilling.
Naturally Sweetened Dark Chocolate Coconut Mounds
Adapted from Pinch of Yum
Makes about 18 Tablespoon-sized mounds
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups desiccated coconut (medium)
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 3 Tbsp. Crosby’s Fancy Molasses
- 1 Tbsp. honey or maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
- 150-200 grams of dark chocolate for dipping (can use chocolate chips)
- Extra coconut for sprinkling
Instructions
- Pulse the coconut in a blender or food processor a few times so it looks a bit like almond flour.
- In a medium bowl whisk the melted coconut oil with the molasses, honey, vanilla and salt.
- Scrape coconut into the bowl with the oil mixture. Stir until well combined.
- To shape the mounds, scoop the mixture into a one-tablespoon measuring spoon and press it firmly into the spoon until the top is flat. Nudge the mound out of the measuring spoon and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, flat side down.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until you have time to do the chocolate dipping.
- Melt the chocolate slowly in a double boiler. Drop each mound into the melted chocolate, flip to coat and remove with a large fork. Place on the cookie sheet flat side down.
- Sprinkle over some coconut and refrigerate until chocolate has hardened.
- Store in the refrigerator.
Nutritional info – Per mound:
- Calories: 144.4
- Fat: 12.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 9.9 g
- Cholesterol: .2 mg
- Sodium: 15.3 mg
- Carbs: 8.7 g
- Sugar: 4.8 g
- Potassium: 166.9 mg
- Calcium: 16.6 g
- Fibre: 2.3 g
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what would be a good substitute for coconut oil?
Hi Lynda, You could try butter in place of coconut oil. I’m just not sure if they’ll firm up as well as they do with the coconut oil.
Yum! Made these today because they sounded good and didn’t require turning on the oven. I ended up with 24 so I had to melt a little extra chocolate but I don’t mind. I think, perhaps, that I didn’t pulse the coconut enough but I don’t know what almond flour looks like. I also found that if I dipped my tablespoon measure in water it helped the mounds slide out while retaining their shape. I will definitely be keeping this recipe handy.
Thank you Bridget,
I will try the recipe with butter. Since they are refrigerated the butter should harden.
Do you have other recipes using coconut oil? I could purchase the coconut oil if I see a need for it with more than one recipe.
I often replace butter or oil in my baking recipes for a healthier alternative. Don’t change the amount of fat called for in the recipe. I also have used it to sauté chicken or grease my pans before baking items.