This past week I wanted a treat, but wanted to make something that didn’t make me feel guilty afterwards. I LOVE coconut candies, so I decided to do some research on homemade Almond Joy bars. I found two recipes from The Clothes Make the Girl and Living Healthy with Chocolate and merged them. Then, I tested them on my “guinea pig” coworkers and they LOVED them!

To make coconut butter:
Put 1.5-2 c. of unsweetened flaked coconut in a blender or food processor with 1 tsp. melted coconut oil, a sprinkle of sea salt and 1/2 tsp. coconut extract. Process for about 10 minutes, scraping down sides occasionally, until smooth. Put this in a jar and smear it on toast or use it in other recipes. 

Knock-off Almond Joys:
5 Tbs. coconut butter (see above)
1 ½ c. flaked unsweetened coconut
¼ c. melted coconut oil
2-3 Tbs. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. coconut extract
¾ c. chopped raw almonds
1 c. chocolate chips, melted (I used these ones with 1 tsp. coconut oil to make it easier to dip, but the trade off is that the chocolate melts on your fingers a bit)

Mix coconut butter, coconut, coconut oil, honey, extracts and nuts in a bowl. Press into a bread pan lined with foil and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Cut into slices of desired sizes and dip into melted chocolate, rolling on all sides. Set to dry on wax paper. I got impatient, so I set the pan of candies outside on my porch rail and they set within 10 minutes or so. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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