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If you want something sweet and satisfying, my three-ingredient chocolate coconut balls are easy to make, full of flavor, and healthier than store-bought.
They taste so good, you’d never believe they were good for you – that might be my favorite thing about these coconut bliss balls. My second favorite thing? They’re no-bake chocolate coconut balls, so it’s about as low-effort as making a dessert can get.
These coconut balls are a gluten-free sweet treat with a deeply flavored chocolate coating. They make for easy grab-and-go snacks, an excellent treat to gift to friends, or serve as desserts. I’m a big fan of coconut and keeping a batch of these in my fridge has definitely helped keep the chocolate cravings at bay.
If you’re looking to upgrade your candy selection, coconut is a great ingredient to incorporate into your recipes. Not only is it naturally sweet, but it’s also a source of healthy fat, helps to keep your teeth and bones healthy, and can even keep you hydrated.
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Ingredients
- Shredded coconut: I use unsweetened desiccated coconut for these chocolate coconut balls as it’s a lot easier to work with. You can buy these from the store or, if you’re feeling brave, make your own from fresh coconut.
- Condensed Milk: Canned sweetened condensed milk works perfectly. If you’re vegan or don’t want to use condensed milk, you can use a mix of almond milk and sugar, evaporated milk, coconut milk, or even coconut condensed milk to help bind the balls together.
- Dark Chocolate: The best dark chocolate is usually between 65-80% cocoa solids, but you can choose how dark you want based on your taste preference. Use a block or semi-sweet chocolate chips – they both work well. If you’re not a fan of dark chocolate, you can use milk chocolate.
How to make chocolate coconut balls
If you’re making your own homemade shredded coconut for these healthy treats, you’ll need to start there. You can follow my easy guide for making your own desiccated coconut here, covering everything from how to expertly open your coconuts to peeling and then drying the fresh meat to turn it into delicious little flakes.
Make and shape the balls
In a large bowl, mix the condensed milk with the coconut flakes. I tend to use my hands to mix it directly, but you can use a spoon or a small cookie scoop. Then, form balls using about 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture. You can make them as big or as small as you like. However, I recommend that they’re around 2-3 bites in size (about 1-inch balls).
Place the balls on a lined baking sheet and then in the fridge to chill – I recommend between 15-30 minutes or longer. If you’re in a hurry, you can freeze them for 5-10 minutes.
For an even healthier alternative to the chocolate-covered option, you can enjoy the coconut balls on their own. They make for a delicious coconut truffle that is still rich and creamy.
Cover with chocolate
As the coconut mixture is chilling, melt the chocolate in a small bowl. You can either do this in the microwave in 20-30 second bursts until melted (stir in between so the chocolate doesn’t burn) or using a double boiler or the bain marie method.
Dip the chilled balls into the melted chocolate. You can use a spoon, fork, or wooden skewers (so they look more like little cake pops) to help you dip them. Make sure to get the coconut completely covered in chocolate.
Then, leave the balls to dry on a wire rack. Place a piece of parchment paper underneath to catch any of the extra chocolate drippings.
You can leave it as it is or sprinkle it with a little sea salt – this will enhance the chocolate flavor.
Finally, transfer to the fridge and chill again until the chocolate has solidified.
For a more intense chocolate flavor, why not try double-dipping the chocolate coconut balls? You can even experiment with different colors of chocolate to create an exciting outside pattern. Simply allow the first coat of chocolate to set around the coconut before dipping it into melted chocolate for a second coat.
Storage
You can store these coconut chocolate balls at room temperature because the chocolate will have already solidified. Just keep away from warm places otherwise the chocolate may start to melt! They’ll keep for up to five days like this.
In the Fridge: Transfer the chocolate coconut balls to an airtight container once they’ve fully hardened. Store them in the refrigerator. They should keep for up to 2 weeks, but in my house, I’m lucky if they last a few days!
In the Freezer: These tasty treats are easy to make in advance and freeze. Once your coconut balls have set, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze. They’ll keep for up to three months. So this is a great option if you make a big batch and want to make your treats last longer. You may want to let it thaw before enjoying it.
More Coconut Treats
If you try these chocolate balls, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
3-Ingredient Chocolate Coconut Balls
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded coconut unsweetened, I used homemade
- 1 cup condensed milk or coconut condensed milk
- 3.5 oz dark chocolate or chocolate chips, for melting
Instructions
- Pour your desiccated coconut into a bowl and mix with the condensed milk until it forms a thick mixture. I do this with my hands, but you can use a spoon or fork.
- Form balls using 1-2 Tbsps of the mixture. You can make them any size you want, but I recommend making them no more than 2-3 bites each.
- Put the balls on a lined baking sheet and leave in the fridge to solidify for 15-30 minutes. You can also freeze them for 5-10 minutes if you're in a hurry.
- While the coconut is cooling, melt the chocolate. You can microwave it in 20-30 second bursts, stirring between each increment, or use a double boiler/bain marie method.
- Dip the coconut truffles into the chocolate using a spoon, pitchfork, or fork. Make sure they're completely covered in chocolate before transferring onto a wire rack.
- Place a piece of parchment paper underneath to catch any drips. Let harden at room temperature, then transfer into the fridge to cool completely.
Storage
- At room temperature: Put the chocolate coconut balls in an air-tight container and leave them in a dry, cool place. Here, they'll keep for up to 5 days. In the fridge: Transfer to an air-tight container and leave in the fridge. They'll keep for up to 2 weeks in here. In the freezer: Once cooled completely, put them in a freezer-safe container or bags and store. They'll keep for up to three months.
Video
Notes
- You can leave it as it is or sprinkle it with a little sea salt – this will enhance the chocolate flavor.
- For a more intense chocolate flavor, you can double-dip them. You can even experiment with different colors of chocolate to create an exciting outside pattern. Simply allow the first coat of chocolate to set around the coconut before dipping it into melted chocolate for a second coat.
- If you’re using white chocolate, you can experiment with food colorings and dyes (though use very sparingly as they’re strong!) to create a rainbow of colors.
- You can also flavor the coconut mix with dried fruit powders. Be conservative when using these as the flavor can be very condensed. I recommend using just a tablespoon of powder and tasting, then adjusting your measurements. Dark chocolate and coconut pair very well with berries – particularly raspberries – as well as citrus fruits like lemon, lime, and grapefruit.
- You can also add vanilla extract or a little peanut butter to the coconut and condensed milk mix.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looks delicious
Thank you so much, I hope you give it a try!
Hello…When I wet to purchase the coconut condensed milk, I saw that they offered sweetened or unsweetened. Which would be best for this recipe? Thank you.
Hi Sandy,
Sweetened condensed milk works perfectly. Hope you give it a try!
Delicious! Not too sweet. I added an almond to some of them. Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you so much for your comment, Mimi. Adding an almond to the coconut balls sounds delicious – I will have to give it a try too 🙂
I made these for the first time last Christmas. They were awesome! I crushed up some almonds and added them to the coconut mixture. Everyone said they tasted like almond joy
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Adding almonds sounds like a delicious twist. Hope you make them again soon! <3
To sticky to roll into balls,not enough chocolate.horrible mess.me and the kitchen tastes very good.
Hi Harriet! Sorry to hear it was too sticky and messy, and thank you for your comment. Adding some more desiccated coconut should help. I hope you give the recipe another try! <3
I used to make these years and years ago. I somehow lost that recipe. Thrilled to find this.
I tried to get the ingredients for X2 and X3 but it wouldn’t do that. I presume to double and triple the ingredients. It also wouldn’t send it to my email. So I made screenshots of the recipe. Disappointed in those 2 things.
Hi Debbie! I’m glad you found the recipe! To double or triple the ingredients, you can multiply each ingredient by 2 or 3, but the buttons should work with no issues. Could you please try again? <3
Excellent recipe! I couldn’t find coconut sweetened condensed milk, so I used original and added a teaspoon of coconut extract (gotta do what you’ve gotta do!). They turned out delicious. I will be giving most out for gifts tomorrow and am excited to hear the reviews!
Hi Tillie! So happy you enjoyed the recipe and found a way to substitute the sweetened condensed milk. Hope everyone will like them too! <3
Hi. Looking forward to trying this recipe but I bought unsweetened condensed coconut milk. Should I take back and get the sweetened version. I want them to be healthy but also tasty. Thanks!
Hi Joni,
You can use unsweetened condensed coconut milk and add a bit of coconut sugar or your favorite sweetener to taste. Let me know how it goes.