These healthy chocolate coconut balls give you all the satisfaction of a sweet treat, without making you crave more sugar. With a slightly chewy coconut center surrounded by a thin layer of dark chocolate, they taste like the real-food version of a Mounds bar, and make for a quick, easy, low carb snack. These chocolate coconut balls are also keto-friendly, gluten-free, and vegan - with no baking required to make them!
A quick browse of this blog should leave no question that I love a decadent chocolate dessert, but I love a healthier dessert alternative almost as much. These no-bake chocolate-dipped coconut balls can actually double as healthy dessert or mid-day, low carb snack, and what's not to love about that?
With a lightly-sweet filling made of shredded coconut and coconut butter, enrobed in a silky layer of dark chocolate, they're like a clean-eating candy - a bit like a coconut truffle, but lighter! They'd pair perfectly with a warm coconut latte or a steaming cup of black coffee at any moment when you're craving a sweet treat that's not overly sugary.
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Why you'll love these chocolate coconut balls
Making a recipe "healthier" should never mean sacrificing on flavor - and you certainly won't be in this case! Here's the highlight reel on these coconut "truffles":
- Quick and easy to make - Less than 10 ingredients and 30 minutes of hands-on prep time involved. You'll need a food processor, and that's it! Couldn't be more simple.
- Keto and low-carb - Each coconut ball has 1.8 grams of net carbs.
- Sugar-free - (Essentially!) There's less than 1 gram of sugar per serving.
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Pretty dang good - Much like my almond butter protein balls, these coconut balls make a great "sweet" snack. I told you, we don't compromise on good flavor around here!
The ingredients
- Coconut chips - Make sure they're raw, not toasted or baked. You can also use coconut flakes, which are essentially the same thing but usually a little finer in texture. Shredded coconut should work as well, but you definitely won't need to process the filling mixture as much if you use that. Typically you can find these products in the baking aisle, the "Asian Foods" aisle, or the bulk bins at your grocery store.
- Coconut butter - Also called coconut "manna". It's usually located with the coconut oil, and available at most "health food" grocery stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods.
- Erythritol - A zero-calorie, low-carb sugar alcohol. In my experience, this is one of the best sugar-free alternatives to real sugar for keto recipes, and by "best" I mean it tastes (and behaves) pretty similarly. The one drawback is that sometimes, it can tend to have a cooling sensation on the tongue. Swerve and Whole Earth are two brands I'd recommend to avoid this. Feel free to use regular granulated sugar if you're not concerned about these chocolate coconut balls being keto.
- Full fat, canned coconut milk - Most coconut ball recipes are made with condensed milk, but coconut milk is a perfect healthy substitute here. You'll only need ¼ cup for this recipe; I highly recommend you use the rest to make a batch of vegan chocolate pudding! Coconut milk can also be substituted with heavy cream (best alternative, but not vegan) or water (slightly less ideal, but still workable).
- Coconut extract - Flavorganics makes a good one that does a great job of amplifying the coconut flavor in these bites.
- Sugar-free chocolate. My go-to for keto and low carb recipes is always Lily's Dark Chocolate Baking Bar. You can also use unsweetened dark chocolate and sweeten it yourself with powdered erythritol, or use 60-70% dark chocolate for a non-keto variation that's still fairly healthy.
- Coconut oil - Unrefined oil will contribute to the overall coconut flavor more, but refined coconut oil is fine too.
The instructions:
For the no-bake coconut balls:
Step one - Make the filling: In a food processor fitted with the steel blade attachment, combine coconut chips, coconut butter, erythritol, coconut milk, coconut and vanilla extracts, and salt. Process the mixture until it starts to clump together and has a fine enough consistency to be rolled into balls.
Step two - Roll into balls: Line a small cookie sheet or pan with parchment paper or foil. Scoop the coconut mixture into ⅝ ounce portions (about 1 packed tablespoon each) and roll each portion into a ball between your palms. (Little tip - if they're falling apart as you try to roll them, you probably need to pop the mixture back in the food processor for a few more seconds.) Once you're done, transfer the balls to the freezer until firm (about 10-15 minutes).
For the chocolate coating:
Step one - Make the chocolate coating: In a small(ish) mixing bowl, combine chopped chocolate and coconut oil. Microwave the mixture for 30-second increments, stirring in between, until smooth.
Step two - Dip in chocolate: One by one, dip each coconut ball in the melted chocolate using a fork or toothpick. Make sure they're completely coated, and then gently tap off the excess chocolate before setting the ball back on the parchment/foil. Repeat this with the remaining balls, and then transfer them to the refrigerator to chill until the chocolate has set. Give it 10 minutes or so and they should be ready to eat!
Recipe FAQ
Once the chocolate has set, you can keep these in a zip-top bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. They can be kept at room temperature for short periods of time if needed.
Yes! They should keep well in the freezer for 2-3 months - just make sure the container they're stored in is freezer-safe.
More healthy recipes you'll love!
- Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins {gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free}
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars {gluten-free, refined sugar-free}
- Raspberry chocolate tart {gluten-free, vegan, refined sugar-free}
- Hazelnut Financier Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate Ganache {dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free}
Have you made this recipe?
If so, I'd love to hear your feedback; you can leave a rating and review in the comments section below! It's also so helpful if you help spread the word by sharing this post on your favorite social media channel. If you happen to snap a photo of what you've baked, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me (@brighteyedbaker) so I can give you a shoutout!
Recipe Card
No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Balls
With a slightly chewy coconut center surrounded by a thin layer of dark chocolate, these healthy coconut bites taste like the real-food version of a Mounds bar. They're quick and easy to make - no baking required! These chocolate coconut balls are also keto-friendly, gluten-free, and vegan.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Chill Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 15 balls 1x
- Category: snacks
- Method: food processor
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
No-Bake Coconut Balls
- 4 ½ ounces (2 ¼ cups, packed) raw coconut chips
- 2 ¼ ounces (¼ cup) coconut butter/manna
- 2 ¼ ounces (⅓ cup) granulated erythritol
- 1 ½ ounces (2 tablespoons plus 2 ½ teaspoons) full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon coconut extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Chocolate Coating
- 3 ounces sugar-free chocolate, chopped
- 1 ¼ teaspoons coconut oil
Instructions
No-Bake Coconut Balls
- Make the filling: In a food processor fitted with the steel blade attachment, combine coconut chips, coconut butter, erythritol, coconut milk, coconut and vanilla extracts, and salt. Process mixture until it starts to clump together and has a fine enough consistency to be rolled into balls.
- Roll into balls: Line a small cookie sheet/pan with parchment paper/foil. Scoop coconut mixture into ⅝ ounce portions (about 1 packed tablespoon each) and roll each portion into a ball between your palms. Once done, transfer balls to freezer until firm (about 10-15 minutes).
Chocolate Coating
- Make the chocolate coating: In a small mixing bowl, combine chopped chocolate and coconut oil. Microwave mixture for 30-second increments, stirring in between, until smooth.
- Dip: One by one, dip each ball in melted chocolate using a fork or toothpick. Gently tap off the excess chocolate before setting back onto the parchment/foil. Repeat with remaining balls; transfer to refrigerator to chill until chocolate has set before serving, about 10 minutes.
Notes
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Coconut chips can be substituted with coconut flakes. Shredded coconut should work but will require less time in the food processor.
- Granulated sugar can be used in place of erythritol for a non-keto variation.
- Coconut milk can be substituted with heavy cream or water.
- Rather than using sugar free chocolate, you can also use unsweetened dark chocolate and sweeten it yourself by adding 1 ½ tablespoons of powdered erythritol once melted. Or, use 60-70% dark chocolate for a non-keto variation.
Storing and Freezing:
- Chocolate coconut balls can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks, or in the freezer up to 3 months.
Sandra
Who can eat just one? MMMMM
Sarah Ann McCluskey
Thank you so much for your recipe. Delicious. Send more. We're on keto trying to loose 70 lb before surgery per surgeon orders.
alexandra
I love hearing this! Thanks so much for sharing - I will keep in mind that the keto recipes are a winner!<3
Kimberly @ Foodtalko
Yumm! I have a quite similar recipe to yours. It's very easy and fast to make! Can't wait to try your version. Thanks for sharing.