Easy Chocolate Coconut Balls

If you’re a fan of those yummy Mounds bars you find in the supermarket, you’re going to flip over this simple recipe. These easy Chocolate Coconut Balls as just as good and simple to make!

Can I Make Store-Bought Candy Bars from Scratch?

Good question, right? I had the coconut. I had the chocolate. I had sweetened condensed milk. So I went in search of a recipe for homemade Mounds Bar recipe.

I also happened to have plenty of almonds on hand. (I happen to prefer Almond Joy to Mounds.) So I decided to merge some ideas and come up with a few of those, as well.

I’ve been on a kick making candy shaped in ball form, so I decided to go that route again. I made Peanut Butter Snowballs, Divinity, and (most recently) No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.

But this time I wanted to use up some of those ingredients sitting in my pantry. Chocolate Coconut Balls just made sense.

I found a couple of different recipes online but was more drawn to the one at the Girl Inspired blog. I did decide to change it a bit. I went with milk chocolate chips for some of my candies and semi-sweet for others.

This is a delicious candy treat–that firm candy shell on the outside, the sweet creamy coconut center. Yum! They’re part bon-bon, part truffle, and part candy bar! They’re great during the holiday season and, due to their truffle-like appearance, would be perfect for Valentine’s Day, too!

Feeling tempted yet? Great! Let’s look at what you’re going to need to make these tasty treats.

Ingredients for Chocolate Coconut Balls

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. These are simple ingredients you might already have on hand. If not, they’re readily available at any grocery store.

• sweetened coconut flakes
• sweetened condensed milk
• powdered sugar
• chocolate chips (your choice)
• vegetable or coconut oil (to keep chocolate from seizing)

How to Make Chocolate Coconut Candy Bars

These are so incredibly easy! You don’t need the stove. You don’t need the oven. Two bowls and a microwave and you’re halfway there!

Start by place a piece of wax paper or parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

Make the Coconut Centers

In a large bowl combine coconut flakes, sweetened condensed milk, and powdered sugar.

Stir well. You’ll get quite the workout with this coconut mixture.

Using a cookie scoop, place mounds (get it?) of coconut onto the wax paper.

I added almonds to half of mine.

Place each mound in your palms and roll until you form a ball. You’ll end up with 1-inch balls (approximately).

Set the tray of coconut balls into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.

Melt the Chocolate

Place chocolate in a medium bowl and add vegetable (or coconut) oil.

Melt in microwave in 30-second increments, stirring every 30 seconds. Mine took a minute and a half to melt.

Stir well to remove all lumps. You want chocolate to be smooth and creamy.

Remove tray of coconut balls from refrigerator.

Place one ball at a time in the melted chocolate and use a large spoon to make sure it’s covered in chocolate.

Lift with a fork. Tap against the side of the bowl to get rid of excess chocolate mixture.

Place chocolate-covered balls onto wax paper. I used a small spoon to press against each ball to nudge it off of the fork.

If you like, you can cover some of your balls in milk chocolate, some in white chocolate. Or (as I did) some in semi-sweet.

Place candies into the refrigerator to firm up for an hour before eating.

Store in an airtight container in refrigerator. They should stay good for a week. You can freeze them in a ziploc bag for up to two months. Thaw naturally.

Note: You can store at room temperature if you like but I prefer mine cold.

What to Expect from These Coconut Chocolate Balls

First, I can’t believe it took me this long to discover the recipe for this easy sweet treat! I’m crazy about Almond Joy so one would think I’d made these before. Nope. Today was the very first time.

I enjoyed these straight from the refrigerator. That decadent chocolate coating was cold and crisp and the inside was “set” but not overly firm. It was, in a word, perfect!

The coconut centers are super sweet, which is one reason I loved the almond version best. The addition of that crunch almond counter-balanced the sweetness of the coconut.

I’m so excited about making these again. I think they’ll be a great addition to my Cookie Exchange Tray at Christmas time! (Candies are great for the holiday season, especially those you can share!)

No matter how or where you serve these delicious coconut truffles, your guests will be thrilled. They’ll also be mesmerized to find a store-bought candy in home-made form.

Variations on this Tasty Recipe

I love them just as they are but I’m already loaded with ideas to change them up. Here are a few of my ideas:

Mint Chocolate Chips in place of regular milk chocolate. (Delicious, especially at Christmas-time!) You could even add a tiny bit of crushed candy cane to the coconut center if you like!

White Chocolate Chips: These are much milder in flavor and will be a perfect replacement for milk chocolate.

Butterscotch chips: I think butterscotch would be very tasty with coconut. Talk about a tasty treat.

Chopped pecans: You can finely chop pecans to add to the centers. Just dump in half a cup or so to the mix when you add the coconut.

Lemon. Hear me out. Sweetened condensed milk with lemon is delicious, very cheesecake-like. Add lemon zest or lemon juice (or even lemon extract) to the sweetened condense milk/coconut mixture then cover in white chocolate instead of milk chocolate. Sprinkle with chopped macadamia nuts for added crunch!

Shape into Christmas trees: Using a Christmas tree cookie cutter, shaper the coconut mixture into a tree shape, then freeze. Make sure they’re solid before dipping in chocolate. Sprinkle with red, green, and white sprinkles.

Vanilla Extract: You can add a teaspoon to the chocolate after melting.

Sea Salt: To really take these tasty treats up a notch, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt while chocolate is still wet.

Questions People are Asking about Chocolate Coconut Balls

Can I use unsweetened coconut flakes in this decadent treat?

Absolutely. The condensed milk will add sweetness and moisture.

Are these considered Coconut Macaroons?

They have similar ingredients but macaroons are baked.

Can I use almond extract in this recipe?

Yes, you can add half a teaspoon to the coconut mixture to this luscious no bake dessert.

Other Candies from Out of the Box Baking

We love our candies! Here are a few fan favorites:

Easy Homemade Turtles Candy: My mama made these every single Christmas. It’s a simple but delicious recipe!

Traditional English Toffee: Yep, it’s just like a Heath Bar! (Talk about making a candy bar from scratch.) You’ll love this crisp, sticky toffee!

Soft Christmas Peppermints: I love peppermints but I’m not a huge fan of the hard crunchy ones. These soft melt-in-your-mouth mints are perfect to satisfy my sweet tooth!

Easy Peanut Brittle: This is my mama’s recipe, too. . .and it’s perfect!

Simple Crockpot Candy: I made this for Christmas and it’s delicious!

Copycat Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: These are as good as the real deal (maybe better)!

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That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoy these chocolate coconut balls. They’re so delicious and they’re guaranteed to wow your friends, family, and other guests no matter the time of year. This is one of those easy recipes you’re going to make again and again!

See this recipe at

Full Plate Thursday 

Weekend Potluck

Busy Monday

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.