Easy Homemade Mounds Bars and Almond Joy Bars
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I used to enjoy mounds and almond joy bars years ago, but either they’re making them sweeter and more bland, or my taste buds have changed (or both). Enter this easy recipe set for homemade mounds bars and almond joy bars.
You get the rich, full taste of coconut and chocolate, without the cloying sweetness of commercial candy. Make them with coconut and vanilla extracts for homemade mounds bars, or almond and vanilla extracts (and almonds! 🙂 ) for homemade almond joy bars. There’s plenty of healthy coconut oil, and they’re sweetened only with honey.
Note: Since these bars have so few ingredients, it’s really important to use the best quality ingredients you can to get the best flavor. I prefer Nutiva coconut oil, which to me has a flavor most like fresh coconut, but you can use any brand you like.
I don’t recommend refined coconut oil. It’s flavorless (well, my sister said it tastes like candle wax) and will not bring out the coconut taste you want. The same goes for the other ingredients – fresher coconut flakes, good quality cocoa, real honey, real vanilla extract – good quality ingredients will sing, so-so ingredients will give you so-so bars.
These will keep a long time in a sealed container in the freezer (if they don’t get eaten), and are nice to have on hand for an occasional indulgence.
Homemade Mounds Bars or Almond Joy Bars
Adapted from The Nourishing Gourmet
Ingredients
Coconut layer for homemade mounds bars:
1 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (not the sweetened ones found in most baking sections – check the label)
1/2 cup of unrefined coconut oil, softened/melted
1/4 cup of honey (raw preferred if you have it)
1 teaspoon coconut extract or vanilla extract (or half and half)
Coconut layer for homemade almond joy bars:
1 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (not the sweetened ones found in most baking sections – check the label)
1/2 cup of coconut oil
1/4 cup of honey (raw preferred if you have it)
1 teaspoon almond extract
36 almonds, left whole or chopped (your choice)
Chocolate Layer (use with either coconut layer):
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup of honey
1 cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (homemade extract is great if you have it)
Directions for the Coconut Layer
To make the coconut layer of homemade mounds bars, start by melting the coconut oil and honey over low heat until soft. Don’t overheat. Whisk to combine. Add the extract and coconut flakes. Alternatively, just dump it all in a bowl and mash together with your hands until well blended.
To make the coconut and almond layer of homemade almond joy bars, start by melting the coconut oil and honey over low heat until soft. Don’t overheat. Whisk to combine. Add the almond extract and coconut flakes. Alternatively, just dump it all in a bowl and mash together with your hands until well blended.
To assemble the candy, you can use a standard 12 compartment muffin tin or two miniature muffin tins with 12 compartments. Another option is candy molds. I purchased a Wilton 24 compartment silicon mold with 1.5 x 1.5 inch squares and a plastic Make’n Mold 12 compartment peanut butter cup mold. One recipe filled the silicon mold and the peanut butter cup mold, and left a little extra chocolate that I poured into the mini muffin cups.
Divide the coconut mixture evenly between your compartments. Make sure you get an even mixture of coconut flakes and coconut oil. Press firmly into pan/mold to get a solid candy with no air pockets. If making almond joy bars, place one or more almonds in each compartment.
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Place in a freezer on a flat surface, and freeze until hard (about 30 minutes).
Directions for the chocolate layer of the homemade mounds or almond joy bars
Combine 3/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup honey, 1 cup coconut oil and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract in a small, heavy bottomed pot. Heat gently, and whisk until well blended. Pour into a liquid measuring cup to make it easier to pour into the molds.
Remove your muffin tins or molds from the freezer. Top each candy with a layer of chocolate. For full sized muffin tins, use about two tablespoons per muffin compartment. For mini muffin tins or candy molds, fill molds. Pour any excess chocolate into additional molds, or onto a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet (you can break it apart later to eat like almond bark).
Return tins/molds (and any excess chocolate) to freezer. Freeze until hard (about 30 minutes).
To remove the mounds bars from the full size muffin tins, simply slide a butter knife down one side and pop them out. Alternatively, invert on a clean counter and get the mold a thump. I found that the bars stuck a little in the mini muffin tins, but came out easily from the silicon mold and the peanut butter cup mold. Make sure they’re completely frozen before you remove them from the molds.
Store these in the refrigerator or freezer, as they will melt if left out at warmer temperatures. (Coconut oil becomes liquid at around 75°F.) Sitting out for an hour or two at the party with temps in the low 70s, they were just fine. The coconut oil gives them a velvety texture. Once you try these homemade versions of mounds and almond joy, I bet you’ll never buy the store bars again.
You may also enjoy coconut oil fudge and chocolate chip cookie dough truffles made with almond flour and coconut oil.
Easy Print Recipe
PrintHomemade Mounds Bars or Almond Joy Bars
Make your own homemade mounds bars and almond joy bars with no refined sugar and natural coconut, coconut oil and cocoa powder.
Ingredients
Coconut layer for homemade mounds bars
- 1 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup of unrefined coconut oil, softened/melted
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract or vanilla extract (or half and half)
Coconut layer for homemade almond joy bars
- 1 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup of coconut oil
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 36 almonds, left whole or chopped (your choice)
Chocolate Layer (use with either coconut layer)
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1 cup coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the coconut layer of homemade mounds bars, start by melting the coconut oil and honey over low heat until soft. Don’t overheat. Whisk to combine. Add the extract and coconut flakes. Alternatively, just dump it all in a bowl and mash together with your hands until well blended.
- To make the coconut and almond layer of homemade almond joy bars, start by melting the coconut oil and honey over low heat until soft. Don’t overheat. Whisk to combine. Add the almond extract and coconut flakes. Alternatively, just dump it all in a bowl and mash together with your hands until well blended.
- To assemble the candy, you can use a standard 12 compartment muffin tin or two miniature muffin tins with 12 compartments. Another option is candy molds. I purchased a Wilton 24 compartment silicon mold with 1.5 x 1.5 inch squares and a plastic Make’n Mold 12 compartment peanut butter cup mold. One recipe filled the silicon mold and the peanut butter cup mold, and left a little extra chocolate that I poured into the mini muffin cups.
- Divide the coconut mixture evenly between your compartments. Make sure you get an even mixture of coconut flakes and coconut oil. Press firmly into pan/mold to get a solid candy with no air pockets. If making almond joy bars, place one or more almonds in each compartment.
- Place in a freezer on a flat surface, and freeze until hard (about 30 minutes).
- Directions for the chocolate layer of the homemade mounds or almond joy bars
- Combine 3/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup honey, 1 cup coconut oil and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract in a small, heavy bottomed pot. Heat gently, and whisk until well blended. Pour into a liquid measuring cup to make it easier to pour into the molds.
- Remove your muffin tins or molds from the freezer. Top each candy with a layer of chocolate. For full sized muffin tins, use about two tablespoons per muffin compartment. For mini muffin tins or candy molds, fill molds. Pour any excess chocolate into additional molds, or onto a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet (you can break it apart later to eat like almond bark).
- Return tins/molds (and any excess chocolate) to freezer. Freeze until hard (about 30 minutes).
- To remove the mounds bars from the full size muffin tins, simply slide a butter knife down one side and pop them out. Alternatively, invert on a clean counter and get the mold a thump. I found that the bars stuck a little in the mini muffin tins, but came out easily from the silicon mold and the peanut butter cup mold. Make sure they’re completely frozen before you remove them from the molds.
Notes
- Store these in the refrigerator or freezer, as they will melt if left out at warmer temperatures. (Coconut oil becomes liquid at around 75°F.) Sitting out for an hour or two at the party with temps in the low 70s, they were just fine.
Originally published in 2013, updated in 2017.