Almond joy bites

Almond joy bites

Last night while I was hanging out with friends, an almond joy sat on the coffee table and glared at me for hours. All I wanted to do was tear that thing open and shove it into my face, but sadly it contained milk chocolate, so that wasn't an option. I came home and decided I was going to make almond joy bites first thing this morning. And I have to tell you, I really had no intention of making these things bite sized, I promise. But I had a dream last night - no really, I did - about how much better these would be if the ratio of coconut filling to almond was closer. So I made them smaller than the original recipe. Walk - no, run - to your kitchen and make them immideately. You won't be sorry.

ALMOND JOY BITES

3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup brown rice syrup
2 cup vegan chocolate chips
2 tbsp coconut oil
60 raw almonds

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, toss the shredded coconut with the brown rice syrup; mix until combined. If the mixture feels too dry, add additional rice syrup 1 tablespoon at a time. Using a 1 1/2 teaspoon cookie scoop, drop the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Press almonds into tops and chill in freezer for at least 30 minutes.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring about an inch of water to a boil. Set a large glass bowl over the pan (it should not touch the water) and melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips, stirring occasionally. Heat the chocolate until it is 115˚F then remove from heat and stir in the remaining chocolate chips. Whisk vigorously for 5 minutes. Add the coconut oil and continue whisking for 1-2 minutes. You could also temper the chocolate. 

Set out a large wire rack with paper liner underneath. Using a fork, dip the coconut rounds into the chocolate; cover the tops, tap fork to remove excess chocolate then transfer to wire rack. You can let them sit on the counter to harden (which will take more than a few hours), or transfer them to the refrigerator, where it'll take about 45 minutes for them to harden completely.

Yield: 60 almond joy bites

16 comments:

  1. Of COURSE you made them bite-sized! :) hahahahaha. They seriously look PERFECT, Ashlae. Eeeeeeee, I can't get over them--they are so adorable. I want some. Immediately.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The only problem I see with this is that I'm sure I won't be able to stop eating them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. these are super cute and i love how the naked ones are reminiscent of sushi!

    also, by the way, i followed the link to your original post and you had me on the edge of my seat describing that surprise trip you planned for your man. drama! waterworks! lies! so great! i'd totally be your boyfriend.

    ReplyDelete
  4. HA! I just made some Almond Joy's that look almost exactly like these, yesterday. CRAZY.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love how short the ingredient list is on these - they look great! And fairly wholesome too, for a treat. The thought of tempering chocolate is...terrifying, and I figure it's a trade-off - a little chocolate on the fingers, or scary tempering. Easy choice for me.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yum, these looks so good and exactly like the real thing! I'm making Almond Joy cookies as part of my holiday baking adventure so I'm clearly a big fan of this flavor combo :) Love the pics!

    ReplyDelete
  7. is it going to be weird for you if i pin every single one of your blog posts? i don't know what else to do! i want to make everything!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Would you say that brown rice syrup is essential, or could I use agave syrup instead?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Agave nectar isn't as thick as rice syrup, but it shouldn't be a problem. If the coconut mixture isn't holding together, chill it in the refrigerator for 45-60 minutes.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great, thanks for the tip! I'll probably go buy a jar of rice syrup just to be on the safe side. I'm planning on surprising my mom with these for Christmas. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Did you use the shredded coconut one finds in the grocery store, which is usually really most and has added sweetener? I have the really dry shredded stuff from a natural foods coop, which is what leads me to ask. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I used unsweetened shredded - and yes, it is very dry. If it poses a problem for you, just add additional brown rice syrup.

      Delete
  12. These look amazing. I'm definitely going to make this recipe for Valentine's Day! Great blog!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I made these with carob instead. AMAZING.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is great! Made these and they are DELICIOUS :)

    ReplyDelete