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This Almond Joy Recipe is a family favorite! They are so delicious and easy to make! My husband likes these better than the actual candy bar.
Featured with this Recipe
Homemade Almond Joys
If you are a fan of Almond Joy candy bars, you are about to get a real treat! These Homemade Almond Joys are so incredibly addicting! With creamy chocolate, sweet coconut, and crunchy almonds, this is by far my favorite homemade chocolate, and also one of my favorite candy bars. The coconut filling is spot-on with the real thing. You could easily use the same filling to make a mounds bar – just use dark instead of milk chocolate and leave out the almond. Voila!
Ingredients in Almond Joy Chocolates
- light corn syrup (such as Karo)
- kosher salt
- large marshmallows – exactly 10 or the consistency is off
- shredded coconut (not flakes) (it’s better if you chop it more finely in a food processor)
- vanilla extract
- roasted almonds
- Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
Making Almond Joys At Home
Has anyone noticed how much candy bars have gone up in price lately!? I remember being able to get candy bars for a quarter; and it wasn’t that long ago (cue the age jokes)! These are a great alternative to buying them at the store, and you get a lot for your buck. Not to mention this is a delicious and easy no-bake, gluten-free, dairy-free recipe that everyone (including picky kids) will love!
Melting The Chocolate
We suggest melting your chocolate slowly using the “double boiler” method (see in the instructions below). If you are in a hurry and would like to use the microwave, simply put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 20 second intervals (stirring between each interval) until melted.
Dipping Tips and Tricks
- If you are making “bar” shapes, allow the formed bars to cool completely in the refrigerator or freezer before dipping. The chocolate will stick to it better and the bar will keep its shape.
- If the chocolate seems too thin after you have melted it, add a TINY bit of oil (¼ teaspoon at a time) and continue melting. You can use coconut oil, canola oil or vegetable oil.
- Our favorite dipping trick is to use a plastic fork. Break off the middle two prongs in the fork and you have the perfect dipper. Because there is less surface area when using a fork, more chocolate will stay on the bars and the excess chocolate will shake off easier (see picture below)
- Place chocolate on a lined baking sheet or tray to cool.
- Let the chocolate set up at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
When making homemade Almond Joys, I suggest using a good melting chocolate. This can really be anything you have on hand from semi-sweet chocolate to dark chocolate. Milk chocolate doesn’t set as good and we wouldn’t recommend it when making candy bars. Chocolate chips, chocolate melts, or even bar chocolate (such as Hersheys) work great for melting.
Nope – in this recipe, we use corn syrup.
For storage, keep them in an airtight container. They can be left at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
The British version is called “Bounty.” It comes in milk chocolate and dark chocolate varieties, but does not contain almonds. It is similar to a Mounds candy bars.
More Chocolate Candy Recipes
If chocolate candy isn’t the definition of sweet, indulgent deliciousness, I don’t know what is! Satisfy your sweet tooth with these other chocolate candy dishes:
Chocolate Truffles
Homemade Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Hershy Kiss Pretzels
Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods
Turtle Chocolate Candy
Christmas Crack Candy
How to Make a Homemade Almond Joy
Almond Joy Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 10 large marshmallows
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 (12-ounce) bag Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips
- roasted almonds to press in the top (about 12)
Instructions
- Either cover a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper or use a marble slab. Place your prepared tray in the fridge to chill while you prepare Almond Joys.
- In a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat, combine corn syrup, salt, and marshmallows.
- Stir until the marshmallows are melted, then continue to stir for an additional minute. Remove from stove.
- Add coconut and vanilla. Stir well and transfer to a bowl. Chill in the fridge for 40 minutes. The mixture needs to get cool enough that it can be rolled into balls.
- In the meantime, close to when you're ready to make the balls, melt the chocolate chips. You can do this in the microwave or in a double boiler. To use a double boiler, boil water in a pot, then rest a metal bowl over the top. Place the chocolate chips in the metal bowl. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. To melt in the microwave, microwave the chocolate in 10-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
- Pull out the chilled tray and coconut mixture. Roll the coconut mixture into small balls or ovals.
- Press an almond into the top of each coconut mound.
- Dip each one in chocolate, then let cool on the chilled tray.
Notes
- The ingredients have to be precise. If you don’t use exactly 10 large marshmallows, the consistency is off. Also, make sure you’re using shredded coconut, not flakes. The shredded coconut is even better if you chop it more finely in a food processor. And for the chocolate chips, the Ghirardelli brand is worth the extra money.
- To turn these into homemade Mounds, omit the almonds and use dark chocolate chips in place of the semisweet ones.
Just wondering if it would work to dip them in chocolate Candiquik instead of chocolate chips?
I'll make the mounds…family favorites! Thank you, great recipes!
Thanks so much! I'll be trying these soon!
@Suzi- I make the chocolate the way it describes in the post and I use a spoon to roll the coconut pieces around and then spoon them out onto the wax paper. I hope that helps!
These look great! Just wondering, what is the best method for dipping them in the chocolate without making an ugly mess? Thanks!
Slotted spoon works good for me
try using a tooth pick, freezing them ,they hold together better
Thank you for the tip!
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I am whipping up a batch right now. My kids are going to be a smilin'. Thanks for sharing!
my teenage daughter made these, they were scrumptious!
Your blog is seriously amazing!!!! I am going to send your link out to several of my friends! I can't wait to try out your recipes! I was looking up favorite recipes and your blog came up. I went through several and yours by FAR is my favorite!!! Please keep adding!!!!!!
I just made these last night. Love them I like a lot of almond, so I chopped them up and added them to the coconut mixture. Turned out perfect.
We are an entire flaimy trying to be gluten, sugar & soy free for many reasons. We thought we would never be able to have cookies again, then I stumbled on this site. My kids and I just made these this morning. They are amazing!! Next time we will try with Stevia.
@Lindsay- I actually did the same thing last time I made them, it was so good that way! 🙂
This sounds rather delicious and pretty simple too. I'm excited to try making these at home. Thanks for sharing!
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@Ashleigh- Wow THANK YOU for the nice compliment!!!! I am so happy to hear you have liked our recipes! Thanks for spreading the word about us. Come back often!
I heat veg wax and add to my chocolate it make a softer chocolate dip for my candy and I pre freeze my candy Easier to dip and quick dry I make all kinds of candy. I did 12 different ones last year as gifts. I also fo strawberries with differant coatings and nuts
Yum! Thanks a TON 🙂
hello delicious
YUM! I am definitely going to try this! I love your blog!
This is perfect! I've always had an 'issue' with both candy bars because I prefer them without the almond and I don't like dark chocolate! Now I can have it my way! Thanks!
2 cups coconut BEFORE you chop it more finely. Good question! 🙂
This looks great! Thank you. One clarification- the 2 c. of coconut is that before you chop it fine or after, or does it matter?