Why you’ll love them
Being so easy to make, spoil yourself and your loved ones with these chocolate covered coconut balls. Coconut is mixed with sweetened condensed milk and rolled into balls then simply coated in dark chocolate. With no other sugar added, they are just perfectly sweet and not sickly sweet at all – just right to go back for more.
Even better is these cute coconut truffles are no bake and keep well too – a great sweet treat for serving around the festive season. These taste just like a Bounty bar or Mounds bar (depending on where you live) or maybe like an Almond Joy candy bar without the almonds.
You simply have to try this coconut ice recipe too. A classic and another great gifting recipe.
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Ingredients
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
- Shredded coconut: Use unsweetened shredded coconut here. You can also use fine desiccated coconut for all or part of the mix.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Just one tin of this gorgeous stuff is the perfect sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: A little vanilla extract adds a lovely flavour to the filling.
- Chocolate: I find dark chocolate / semi-sweet chocolate the best option for the coating. It’s bitterness pairs well with the sweet coconut filling. But since these are not super sweet, you can also use milk chocolate or white chocolate. I like a drizzle of milk chocolate over the dark for contrast. I prefer to use bar chocolate as they’re perfect for melting. You can also use semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips or white chocolate chips though sometimes they don’t melt so easily and you end up overheating them – if they’re what you have on hand though, they’ll be fine.
Variations
These chocolate coconut balls are a really great base for adding more flavour too and make such an easy dessert recipe!
If using white chocolate, you can flavour your filling with lemon extract or strawberry extract too. Using dark or milk chocolate, peppermint extract goes beautifully A really cute idea is to add a whole maraschino cherry or glace cherry in the centre of each one. Another great option is to sprinkle just a little sea salt flakes over the top of each one.
How to make coconut balls
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
- Making the no bake coconut balls filling: Simply mix together the coconut, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Make sure to mix it really well, then let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Rolling the coconut balls: Now roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and place them on a plate or baking sheet. Chill them until firm so that you can coat them.
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring constantly or just in the microwave in 30 second increments stirring well between each.
- Coat the coconut truffles: Dip the balls of coconut into the chocolate and use a fork to move it around and scoop it out. Let it sit and drip any excess off for a few seconds, then scrape the fork on the edge of the bowl to remove excess chocolate from underneath. If your chocolate is very fluid, do a second coating on the balls.
- Chill the coconut balls: As you coat each ball, transfer it to a baking tray lined with baking paper then, once they’re all done, chill for an hour or so until set.
At this point you can melt a different colour chocolate and drizzle a little over the top of each of your coconut chocolate balls. This is optional but looks really pretty and you can also stick a coconut flake to the top of each one or sprinkle over some more shredded coconut.
Storage
Keep your choc covered coconut balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator before serving. You can also keep them stored in the freezer (also in an airtight container) for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature for ½ an hour or so.
Did you try this no bake coconut balls recipe?
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Ingredients
- 4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- 395 g can sweetened condensed milk (14oz)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 300 g milk or dark chocolate (see notes for vegan/dairy-free)
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Spatula or wooden spoon
Instructions
- Combine the coconut, condensed milk and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Stir well to combine. Mix with a spoon, then you may need to use your hands to get it really sticking together. Use gloves if you don’t want your hands to get sticky.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes. This helps the coconut to absorb a little of the condensed milk and makes it all a bit stickier but easier to roll into balls.
- Using about 3 teaspoons / 1 tablespoon of coconut mixture (I use a small cookie scoop so they're all even), press it together tightly in your hands, then roll into a ball. If it starts to crumble, youjust need to mix the mixture a bit more. Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper and chill for 30 minutes.
- Place the chocolate into a medium bowl of a small saucepan of simmering water. Keep stirring as it melts until it’s fully melted. Alternatively, you can melt it in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well between each.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl that’s taller rather than wide. This helps the coating process. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Drop one of the coconut balls into the melted chocolate, then use a fork to move it around then scoop it out. A second fork can be really helpful too. Let it sit over the chocolate pot and drip a little, then scrape the bottom of the fork along the edge of the chocolate pot to scrape off any excess.
- Transfer the little truffles to the prepared baking sheet. Chill for 1-2 hours until firm.
- Optional: Melt some milk or white chocolate then just drizzle it over the chilled coconut balls. It should set almost immediately as the balls are cold.
- Keep stored in the fridge in an airtight container until serving or box them up for gifts. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- Vegan / dairy-free: To make these truffles but vegan and dairy free, use coconut condensed milk in place of the regular sweetened condensed milk and make sure to use a vegan chocolate. The regular Lindt 70% is vegan (not the Smooth Blend) and it melts beautifully.
- Nutrition details are approximate only – scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
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2 Comments on “Coconut Balls”
The amount of evaporated milk and vanilla completely overpower the coconut. I will try again and cut way back on both next time.
Wow, I don’t find that at all. Maybe try a different brand of coconut. Are you using sweetened condensed milk? Not evaporated. You’ll need that for them to hold together but can probably leave a little out. There’s another option too if you’re after a really strong coconut flavour; leave out the vanilla altogether and use a can of sweetened condensed coconut milk or add just a touch of coconut extract. Hope that helps.