It's after Christmas... is it too late for chocolate? Pffff, what am I thinking, it's never too late for chocolate! Especially Easy Vegan Coconut Mounds!
Now that I'm starting to look back over my year of recipe posting (I will be posting a list of my most popular recipes of the year soon) I noticed a bit of a trend. You, my friends, LOVE all things chocolate. The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake, Vegan Peanut Butter Cups, Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Vegan Chocolate Pudding Cake have all reached my top 50 most popular recipes of all time. And you know what? I'm so excited about it, because if you guys like chocolate recipes, that means I get to make more chocolate recipes. The ultimate win-win situation!
Mounds, bounty bars, snowballs, coconut scrumptiousness dipped in melty chocolate, whatever you want to call them, these are my Easy Vegan Coconut Mounds, and they are SO insanely yummy.
Coconut + chocolate = lightly sweet, coconutty, chocolatey, glorious bliss bites.
My favourite part is that even though these bars do require a few steps, they are actually super duper easy to make! Just form the bars, dip in chocolate, and done. No baking, no hours of work, just easy peasy chocolating.
They make a great gift too! (If you are willing to be that generous)... it's a serious dilemma...maybe plan on making a double batch to be safe.
How To Make Easy Vegan Coconut Mounds:
Add the shredded coconut, coconut milk, coconut oil, and agave to a food processor. Pulse several times, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed until the coconut mixture is blended but still has texture. You should be able to pinch the filling and it will hold together, but still be a bit crumbly. Try not to eat it all. (Fair warning).
Take two tablespoons of the coconut mixture and form a bar shape, and place it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
You should get about 8 bars.
Or, for smaller coconut balls, take one tablespoon of the coconut mixture and form a ball. This should make about 16 balls. Pop the tray into the freezer to firm up for 10 minutes.
While the coconut is firming up, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler.
If you don't have a double boiler, you can just put a heat proof bowl over top of a pot with an inch or two of water in it. Presto you have made your very own double boiler! (This is the method I use). You could alternatively use a microwave to melt the chocolate being careful not to burn it.
When the coconut bars or balls had become firm, drop them in the melted chocolate and use a spoon and fork to cover the bar. Shake off excess chocolate then place back on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
I had a bit of extra chocolate left over so I drizzled it on top, because: fancy. You could also sprinkle a little more coconut flakes on top.
Pop in the fridge or freezer to set the chocolate. Once set, store bars in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. I like my bars at room temperature best, so I take them out to warm up about 30 minutes before I want to enjoy them.
(click stars to vote)
Easy Vegan Coconut Mounds
Servings: balls (or 8 bars)
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons agave
- 1 ¼ cups vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Add the coconut, coconut milk, coconut oil, and agave, to a food processor. Pulse several times, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed until the coconut mixture is blended but still has texture. You should be able to pinch the filling and it will hold together, but still be a bit crumbly.
- Take two tablespoons of the coconut mixture and form a bar shape, and place it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, you should get about 8 bars. Or for coconut balls, take one tablespoon and form a ball, making about 16 balls. Pop the tray into the freezer to firm up for 10 minutes.
- While the coconut is firming up, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. When the coconut bars or balls have become firm, drop them into the melted chocolate one at a time and use a spoon and fork to cover the bar. Shake off excess chocolate then place back on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with all of the coconut bars. Pop in the fridge or freezer to set the chocolate. Once set, store bars in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. I like my bars at room temperature best, so I take them out to warm up about 30 minutes before I want to enjoy them.
Nutrition
Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
lauren says
So sorry but this recipe as written does not work. The mixture is much too crumbly to stick together. I chilled it first then made little balls as trying to shape it into a cylinder definitely didn't work. As I write I am it chilling again before I dip in chocolate.
Chip says
I would imagine you just need to add a little more of the binder, the coconut oil. I haven’t made these yet, but I’m thinking about trying them today. I haven’t had a bad experience once while making the recipes offered on this website. They have all been outstanding. It’s too bad that this particular one didn’t go well for you.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Chip, thank you so much for your kind words! The issue happened because the coconut mixture was chilled before shaping, which made it harder to work with. Shaping first, then chilling, is definitely the key! 🙂
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Lauren, sorry for the delayed reply—I just saw this comment! Chilling the coconut mixture before shaping is what caused the issue. The mixture should be blended until it holds together when pinched. Then, shape the bars first and freeze them to lock in their shape. Chilling before shaping will cause the mixture to harden and not stick together properly. If you try the recipe again, following it as written should solve the problem. Hope that helps! 🙂
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Suzanne says
This looks so good! What a great way to enjoy a treat while still sticking to a vegan diet!
Gina Caracci says
I have had this recipe in my files for a few years..Finally decided to try it. Bought the agave and coconut oil and milk. I already had the coconut but it was sweetened.
I knew something was off immediately. When I opened the coconut milk, it wasnt mixed right, even after shaking the can, so had to mix that the best I could. As for the oil...Too much oil maybe? I measured it cold and then melted it so maybe melt it first and then measure it? (Never used it before). The mixture was goopy so I just added more coconut. Hard to make the bars but freezing definitely helped.
I melted the chocolate in the microwave and what a disaster I made of coating the bars. Had to keep melting the chocolate and the bars were falling apart.
All of that being said, they were yummy!!
Thanks Sam!
Gina Caracci says
Cannot wait to try this!
Can I use corn syrup in place of the agave?
I read that I can but wondering if it will effect the flavor too much?
You are a genius Sam and I love your happy instructions!
Marilyn says
I don't have a food processor 🙁 Do you think I could mix by hand or try my ninja bullet? Love your recipes, Sam! Been following for a long time and always enjoy your content!