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.
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.
Tillie
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!
Support @ Alphafoodie
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
Joni
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!
Support @ Alphafoodie
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.
Success
Hi samira
I did try ur recipe but i just dried and forgot to chill yet it turned out wonderful
BJ
This recipe looks wonderful as a gift. Do they need to be refrigerated or could you package them in boxes for under the tree?
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi there,
That sounds like a great idea! You can certainly box them up, as long as the room temperature isn’t too warm as the chocolate can melt, also make sure it gets consumed within 2 weeks. Enjoy! 🙂
Faridha
Hello Samira, this recipe sounds delicious. I will try it out and add roasted (in oven) peeled raw Almonds to get the crunchiness of Raffaello. Thank you for sharing this dreamy recipe.
Samira @ Alphafoodie
Thank you so much for your comment! I hope you gave it a try 🙂
Laurel
Could you use coconut cream in stead of condensed?
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Laurel,
I’m not sure if it will have the same end result. The balls won’t maintain their shape as well and won’t really be sweet. The only way it would work is if you freeze it and eat it immediately like an ice cream. If the coconut cream melts, it will be a mess.
Michelle Kreis
I accidentally bought sweetened coconut flakes. Will I be able to use it for this recipe?
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Michelle,
The sweetened coconut flakes can still work for this recipe. Maybe you could use half-half so that the overall mix is not too sweet, seeing the condensed milk is probably sweetened too.
Kelly
Can you use regular condensed milk?
AlphaFoodie Support
Yes, you can 🙂
Laura
Is this keto friendly snack?
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Laura,
Yes, it is a keto-friendly snack.
Ali
I love the sound of this recipe and will try to make it with a tweak… If the condensed coconut milk has maple syrup in then it is definitely not low sugar. I was searching for low fructose treats I could make when I came across this and maple syrup has too high a fructose content for it to work for me. However – thanks for the tip on how to make my own condensed coconut milk, I can do this by substituting glucose syrup for the maple syrup! Perfect 🙂
AlphaFoodie
Thank you for your comment 🙂 I know some people like to use erythritol as a low fructose option – so you could always give that a go too 🙂
Anna
I made my own condensed coconut milk with monkfruit sweetener. FABULOUS!
Thank you!
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Anna,
Thank you for your comment. Indeed, using monk fruit is a great sweetening option as well. It’s great that you adjusted the recipe to your taste 🙂
Dee
I love Joseph’s sugar free maple syrup – get at Whole Foods.
Support @ Alphafoodie
Thanks for the tip, Dee!
Ann
Wow, this recipe is a real find for me! I am always looking for recipes for healthy sweets. And what’s more, ‘Bounty’ is my favorite candy bar. I love everything with coconut flavor and smell! I can’t wait to cook and try this already. Desserts according to your recipes are always excellent. Thank you for your efforts!
Mercy
Totally obsessed with your blog !
AlphaFoodie
Thank you so much! If you give any of my recipes a try then I’d love to know your thoughts and feel free to tag me in your recreations on Instagram @AlphaFoodie 🙂
Frustrated
How in the world does one get these to actually stick together enough to make them into balls?!?
Support @ Alphafoodie
The condensed coconut milk makes the mixture very sticky as it has sugar added to it. Please make sure you are using condensed coconut milk, and not just regular coconut milk.
If this still doesn’t help, you could add a spoonful of your favorite liquid sweetener. I hope you give the recipe another try.
Toni
This did not work, the balls weren’t firm enough :-/
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Toni,
I’m so sorry it didn’t work, perhaps you can play around with the ratio, add slightly more of the condensed coconut milk or slightly less of the shredded coconut, and make sure to put some pressure when rolling it into balls. I hope this helps.