Homemade Almond Joy
I tried on about thirty different pairs of skinny jeans last week. It wasn’t cute. This trend is not ok with me.
I have thighs. They rub together a little.
These candies might be why.
If you feel compelled to make some sort of joke about the word ‘joy’ in the title of this recipe and my name… which is also Joy.
Well… go on. Get it out of your system.
Just don’t make any Joy to the World jokes. I’m so over those.
I really like what’s going on with these little gems. I combined unsweetened coconut with sweetened condensed milk and toasted almonds… and I covered the whole thing in dark chocolate. Seriously good.
But aren’t Almond Joys kind of a Grandpa candy bar? No… that’s Baby Ruth… totally an old dude candy bar.
Homemade Almond Joy
makes about 30 little bars
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
30 almonds
about 20 ounces (a bag and a half) of good quality semi sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, spread raw almonds onto a baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Stir in the unsweetened coconut. The mixture will be thick. Place mixture in the freezer for 3o minutes. It’s easier to work with if it’s a little cold.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the coconut mixture from the freezer. With clean hands shape one tablespoon of coconut into a little log about 2 inches long and 3/4-inch thick. Press the logs together very well so they don’t crack when dipped. Place the log on the lined baking sheet and continue until all of the coconut mixture is gone. Rinse hands occasionally if they get too sticky. Press an almond on top of each coconut log. It might not completely stick. That’s ok. Place the baking sheet in the fridge to chill while you melt the chocolate.
Place a medium pot with two inches of water over a medium flame. Bring the water to a simmer. Place chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and place the bowl over the simmering water. Stir the chocolate as it melts. Turn off the flame once the chocolate has melted but keep the bowl of melted chocolate over the hot water.
Remove the coconut candies from the fridge. Place one coconut almond log on a fork. Use a spoon to scoop a bit of chocolate over the almond. This will help the almond stick to the candy and not fall off during dipping. Lower fork into chocolate and spoon chocolate over candy to coat. Lift fork and gently shake to release some of the chocolate. Scrape the bottom of the fork along the side of the bowl and place on the lined baking sheet. You might need a toothpick to help get the candy off the fork. Repeat until all candy is coated in chocolate. If chocolate gets thick, just turn on the flame and heat slightly.
Let dipped candy harden in the fridge for 45 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. If you need to layer the candy in a container, use waxed paper to separate the layers.
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oh don’t worry–skinny jeans are totally on their way out (or so i read in us weekly). meanwhile, almond joys will never go out of style!
I’m sure you got “Joy is such a “joy” to have in class!” on your elementary school report cards, too!
Right there with ya!
-Joy in MA
Aren’t you a clever clever girl!! I always used to trade my sister for these in Halloween candy. Now I can keep it all to myself. (actually, I’m a little old now for trick or treating … but a girl can dream)
I just made these and I couldn’t even wait for the chocolate to harden before I ate one (maybe two)! Self control = not my strong suit. They were ah-mazing. So was the melty chocolate that I licked off the spoon, fork, and my fingers. Thanks for the recipe!
Love this recipe… If you think you have heard enough “Joy” jokes, let me tell you that having the first name Winnie wasn’t a picnic in school (or even now for that matter)..People forever calling me Winnie the Pooh, or singing the song to me etc. I crack up when adults hear it for the first time and say “like Winnie the Pooh?” like I haven’t heard it before.
I love your site!
neighhh!
Looks totally worth a little thigh rubbin’ to me. ;)
Love that you’ve combined the Almond Joy with Mounds (Mounds is dark chocolate, Almond Joy is milk) – almonds and dark chocolate – the best of both worlds.
oh, you’ve read my mind! thank you!
I made this this week & everyone loved them & wanted the recipe!
Thank you!
From Wales, UK :-) X
This is such a favorite and have been meaning to make a homemade version, can’t wait to make these! I bet it is so much better than the wrapped up stale version!
I would take eating these over the ability to wear skinny jeans any day. So good!
Oh….I’m dead!
Almond Joys are my ULTIMATE favorite candy, next to Peppermint Patties!
One of the reasons I look forward to Halloween is so that I can raid my kids’
candy stash and claim all of the Almond Joys. Now I can make my own!!!
I love you Joy the Baker. :) You’ve made my day.
(and my thighs rub together too…sometimes so much so that I think I’ll start a fire! hahaha)
YUM! These look SO amazing! I wonder though, can you use shredded coconut just as easily as the flaked? or does it need to be flaked for them to turn out correctly?
Thanks for all the smiles and the delicious inpiration!!
you could pulse the shredded coconut in a food processor to make it smaller. that might make everything work!
oh my goodness! now if you would help me with a recipe for the chick O stick my life would be complete.
These were a huge hit with my hubby and co-workers.
Today I’m making Vegan Pumpkin Walnut Bread! YUM!!!!!
Looks yummy–great gift idea! People are so over me giving them your delicious black and white cookies LOL.
Hi Joy,
I’m new to your blog – found it from a link on Heather’s “Heather Eats Almond Butter” blog – so glad I did! I made these today as a Halloween surprise for my husband – he’s addicted to chocolate/coconut concoctions. They are WONDERFUL! They would make great gifts if I was able to make my dipped chocolates look as nice as yours do.
Hubby said to practice, practice, practice and he’ll eat the trials ;)
Thanks!
I saw that you had points listed on other recipes so do you happen to know how many WW points these bars are?
Joy-
My friend Casey showed me your site. Love the way you interact with your food ;0). I just moved to a new state and I am working towards being a full time photographer. I just landed a part time job so I could have some extra cash while I develop.. and to CELEBRATE..all the Joy that is to be had, I am making these! SO DELICIOUS looking. They invite me in! Have a swell day!
Kristin
I’m new your blog and i say that it is an amazing site. Thank you for your recipes.
perfect!! I have a ton of coconut (I told my husband to buy more, totally forgetting I have about 5lbs in the fridge… oops) and I’m kind of sick of batch after batch of coconut macaroons.
And almond joys are totally my favorites- even though my friends made fun of me for handing them out at Halloween last year. But seriously, who doesn’t like almond joys? (I mean, except coconut-haters, of course)
Oh my..those look amazing! :)
I’m not able to find unsweetened coconut in a ‘regular’ grocery store and since I have sweetened shredded coconut in my pantry. Can I use that and omit the powdered sugar?
My FAVORITE candy! I’m afraid to make them because I will eat them all! It’s only 30 right???
I made them today and everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing the recipe! :)
These look so yummy! I bought myself a bag for Halloween (they’re all gone now, btw), and the chocolate was getting old. Loving the fact that I can make ‘em fresh!
Where can I get unsweetened coconut? My grocery store has 3 different kinds of “sweetened” coconut, but, alas, no unsweetened coconut. Any suggestions? Please hurry…I’m dying to make these!!!
Hi Joy,
I can’t wait to make these, but I had a question about the consistancy of the coconut mixture. I was thinking of cheating and throwing the ingredients into an empty, greased ice tray to make the bar shape, is the mixture too sticky to do that, or do I risk having them crumble to pieces when I try to get them out? Thanks!
I made your Almond Joys this weekend and their flavor was perfect! My little candy bars, however, were larger than they should have been – I got carried away when forming them. But they are delicious, nonetheless. I’ve posted about them (and, of course, linked back to your blog). Thank you so much for a great recipe! Love your blog!!
everything on here looks so delish!
twitter:@FASHION_ICE
I just attempted these lovely treats….with not much luck. I am thinking it maybe the chocolate that I used b/c it didn’t spread very well over my coconut/almond bundles. Any suggestions? What kind of chocolate did you use Joy?
some times you feel like a nut..some times you don’t
forget it! I saw a commercial that began with a luscious lady walking sensuously along the beach. One I’d be proud to buy that special moonlit dinner for. Next thing you know, she’s turned into this skinny, shrewish looking over-exerciser that would be telling me to only eat 3 oz. of steak at dinner and not to butter my potatoes! I went with the “before” lady. Anyone knows that the looks get taken over by the ease and comfort of communication on all levels for IT to work long term.
Could these be made with something other than coconut? Im not nuts (no pun intended) about coconut, but they look so good!
YUM! I didn’t sift through the 1,000 comments…but does anyone know if there is a dairy-free substitute to use in place of milk?
Are male, guy persons, of the masculine sex allowed to post comments here?
1. Umm . . . you think having the name “Joy” makes you a target? Imagine having a somewhat uncommon, hermaphroditic name, but the best-known namesake (Dale Evans) happens to be of the opposite gender.
2. I never regretted marrying a baker – Carol, the eldest daughter of Gene Baker, to be exact. She has kept me well supplied with cookies, pies, etc for several decades. And, she can wear skinny jeans but she doesn’t. Her dad could go by “skinny Gene”, too. When my Bread baker (or bred Baker?) produced a daughter as our mid-kid, we named her “Joy”. Joy had a LOT of fun with her name! In fact, she used it as the middle name for her own daughter.
3. That 4-year old granddaughter stayed with us last night when I tried this Almond Joy recipe. She reported to Joy that “Grandpa is making some special treats!”, and pronounced them “Yummy!” based on one sample.
4. Carol-the-(former)-Baker loves Almond Joys, but has gone through breast cancer treatment this past year. Consequently, she decided that Almond Joys are now semi-off limits, and I am on a diet that’s supposed to make me live longer. Or, at least make it SEEM like a very long time. I am trying to convince her that junk food (such as Almond Joys) is actually OK if you make it yourself. One of her cancer diets even says that dark chocolate is OK . . . though she hasn’t liked it as much as I do. So I covered my Almond Joys with 1 bag (12 oz) of Ghirardelli “60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate” chips mixed with 1/2 bag (6 oz) Ghirardelli “Semi-Sweet Chocolate” chips.
5. Carol is still amazed that I’d even try to make one of her favorite candies “from scratch” (and other secret ingredients). She’s still thinking about the notion of making your own junk food.
6. The ONLY unsweetened coconut I could find is a finely shredded, organic, no trans fat, no sulfite or preservative, product. That may support the idea that junk food is OK if you make it yourself. I think I might prefer my Almond Joys with a coarser, flaked coconut.
7. I’d alter the process sequence in this recipe. First, prepare the coconuy mixture. Then toast the almonds and melt the chocolate while the coconut mixture cools in the freezer.
8. I used 1 level tablespoon of coconut mixture for each candy, and put TWO toasted almonds on top of each. I got 27 candies from this recipe.
9. Since condensed milk comes in 14-oz cans, what do you do with the other 1/2 can of condensed milk?
10. Following advice on another website, I melted my chocolate over simmering water, but only heated it to 125 degrees F. Then, I replaced the simmering water with room-temperature water and cooled the chocolate to 80 degrees F – and finally, very gently heated the water to 95 degree F and tried to maintain the chocolate at 90 degrees F while dipping. It took a lot of work, and didn’t produce the glossy chocolate coating that the other web site promised – but DID produce a chocolate coating that seems comparatively hard (like a shell) on the surface, and fractures crisply.
11. Katrina’s idea about the (lightly) greased ice tray may work, but you’ll want to measure it (1 tablespoon) and pack it firmly into each cubicle. Even before chilling, I’d call the coconut mixture more than “thick” – it’s more like “stiff”.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Dear Dale,
This is a really good recipe for fresh homemade Almond Joys but I thought I’d also mention that making your own Almond Joys with unsweetened shredded coconut meat, coconut milk, coconut oil, stevia, toasted almonds and real dark dark chocolate (with just a little sugar) are actually good food…the science will back me up. Really!! Check out the rediscovered health benefits of coconut products! No longer regarded as dangerous, the saturated fats (they’re medium not long chain fats) in coconuts are amazing for the body and nothing to be concerned about after all. AND!!!….there are studies that have shown a little coconut oil daily can help with reducing weight….not gaining it…by giving you more energy from the fat itself. It is the sugar that causes so many problems….but coconut is real food….just ask the Polynesians and all those who regularly consume coconut in all its forms. The internet has lots of research about coconut and its benefits. EAT homemade Almond Joys! Just consider fiddling around with the recipe’s sugar content and check into using stevia drops in some coconut milk (not the low fat version….the full fat coconut milk version) and some coconut oil to hold things together and then cover in dark chocolate. They will be softer of course and perhaps not as beautiful (chill very well before dipping in chocolate) but then kept in the fridge they will taste great! It’s challenging to find alternatives to sugar that can work in recipes as well as avoiding spiking insulin….which, by the way, is one theory about the cause of some cancers in addition to diabetes and aging the body in general.. But for those who don’t mind tinkering in the kitchen, it is possible to discover some amazing new ways to prepare favorite things. Just be aware of agave and other high fructose type sweeteners….they don’t create sugar spikes but they can add on the pounds twice as easily as regular sugar and they tax the liver (Duke Univ study) No longer can coconut be classified as junk food…because without the sugar it can be a high fiber, high energy, low carbohydrate food that truly satisfies and is good for you at the same time!
Made these and the filling worked beautifully, but the technique for dipping in chocolate was a total disaster. Coconut everywhere and the chocolate didn’t melt thin enough to coat. boo :(
I just made these and it was ugly. Very, very ugly.
My chocolate didn’t seem thin enough to coat, certainly not thin enough to dip the coconut into as the recipe suggests. And the coconut mixture was too wet and glopped into the chocolate while I was trying to coat them!
My kitchen is a mess and these turned out hideous. I guess I’ll stick with baking. :(
The too-thick-chocolate-problem sounds like a bit of a mystery. As to the too-wet-coconut-problem, you might have tried adding a bit more coconut and or sugar to make the mixture dryer? I thought this was such a fun and satisfying project! The only thing I changed was that I pressed the mixture into one layer, pressed in the nuts, and then cut even squares (I have nothing against the roundish shapes suggested in the recipe, but I wanted to wrap them individually into parchment paper and figured that that would be easier with squares)
I cannot wait to try this recipe! A couple days ago I saw a commercial for almond joys, but didn’t want to buy any and thought, why don’t I try to make them?! Since I wasn’t sure where to start, I stumbled upon your site while googling for a recipe :)
So…I stumble across this recipe early this afternoon, and didn’t have what I needed–but could not stop thinking about them…it’s now 11:16pm and I’ve managed to acquire everything needed to make these!! So excited, just wanted to say thank you in advance! I loovvee almond joys!!!
So I thought these would “complete me”. I love all of the ingredients, the photos were amazing and I could totally do these, right? Wrong. The only unsweetened flaked coconut I could find were these huge, expensive, organic flakes which just screwed up the whole recipe. It was downhill from there. They tasted okay, but they looked terrible. Back to the drawing board. Waaaaahhhh….
I made these without the chocolate and in a tray – cut into slices. Totally delicious.
As they were so special we waited for our new cake plates to arrive so this would be the first yummy thing we ate off of them!
My unsweetened coconut was thin and wide and wouldn’t stay together very well so the bars ended up to be ugly globs. Now I see the picture of your beautiful fine coconut, so I’ll try the food processor next time. Just because they weren’t pretty to look at doesn’t mean they didn’t taste fabulous.
These look irresistable! And as for names, I am so over hearing Mary had a little lamb and don’t forget Mary, Mary, how does your garden grow! LOL
Can’t wait to try! damn they look so good!
You ROCK!!!
Hi Joy!
I’ve been wanting to make these ever since you posted the recipe back in October. (I think that’s how long ago it was). Anyway, I have not been able to find unsweetened coconut. Can these be made with sweetened coconut (and reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe)? I hope you are reading these comments ‘cuz I really want to make these.
Thanks Joy, you’re the greatest! Can’t wait for your cookbook!!!!
Sandra
These are sooo yummy! Like Dale, I used all organic ingredients–yes, there is an organic sweetened, condensed milk! I only coated the top of them because I didn’t want to be messy and it was plenty good.
Hi Joy,
I made these today as “truffles” because I was feeling lazy…and they worked perfectly! I used regular sweetened flaked coconut and it was no problem. I put liners in mini muffin tins {but also tried the liners just on a cookie sheet and they held up fine}, put a little chocolate in the bottom, slightly flattened a ball of coconut to fit on top, added an almond and then poured chocolate over the top. Mini=cute!
Oh, and if anyone wants a tip for mess-free chocolate coating, try Wilton’s Easy-Pour Candy Funnel. No dipping, no messy fingers, no dripping–easy and quick!
P.S.–Has anyone tried FREEZING these? I made a double batch, so if they can’t be frozen, I guess my husband’s office will be very happy with homemade treats this week! :-)
SO SIMPLE. we don’t have that candy here in the Philippines which sucks because I love EVERYTHING with dark chocolate, almond or coconut in it. I’m sure those three combined would be just..orgasmic. thanks for this recipe! can’t wait to try it out