I always used my Halloween costume choice as an excuse to exercise my quirkiness.
Don’t get me wrong, I had my fair share of traditional Halloweens dressed as Disney princesses (Ariel, always) and pumpkins; however, when I got a little older, I decided to “go hard” in the Halloween department.
One year, I was Queen Amidala from Star Wars. I got the dress, did my hair and makeup, and acted like the bad-you-know-what queen she is.
Another year I was “Person in PJs” purely to be able to walk from house to house in my pajamas. Candy + PJs = happiness.
My favorite, however, was the year that I went as Ace Ventura, complete with the pink tutu, the button-down shirt, and the crazy hair.
For some reason, I seemed to believe that the level of quirkiness in my costume choice would equate to the number of candies I would get from each house. Because, c’mon. I was all about that candy.
Although I definitely had fun trick-or-treating as a kid, I look at all of these kids dressing up, running from house to house now…and it’s pretty much a night of organized begging if you ask me. If you literally translate “Trick or Treat,” you’re basically saying, “give me candy or be mean to me.” I mean, chocolate is the end-game, so by all means, have at it. Just think about what Halloween truly is.
Do Halloween without the organized begging this year. Instead, do Halloween with these: my Healthy Homemade Almond Joys.
GUYYSSSSSSSS. THESE. You need them. It’s a Halloween-proven FACT.
When I gave one to Mark to taste test, he immediately stepped back, covered his mouth, and yelled, “OH MY GOSH THESE ARE INCREDIBLE.” And then he started laughing. And then I started laughing. And then we ate them all.
Would you believe me that you can make this refined sugar-free treat with just 7 whole food ingredients? This ain’t no trick! This is a treat through and through!
While chocolate is always a good thing, it’s the filling in these little guys that makes they so impressive. That gooey coconutty center is made up of coconut butter, honey/maple syrup, and unsweetened shredded coconut! While coconut butter obviously gives us a pop of coconut flavor in these Homemade Almond Joys, it also provides some structure to the otherwise gooey honey/maple syrup we’re adding for some sweetness! If you keep these in the freezer, like I like to do, the centers are firm and chewy. If you keep them in the fridge, they’re nice and gooey, JUST like the originals!
Why put in all the work of trekking through your neighborhood to get some candy when you can make a much healthier version in the comfort of your own home?! You won’t even be able to taste the difference between the originals and our super decadent homemade version.
When October 31 rolls around, you should absolutely pour yourself some wine, shut off the porch light, and whip up a batch of these delicious gluten free and vegan goodies.
..Dressing up not required, but recommended.
PrintHealthy Homemade Almond Joys
- Yield: 8-9 Homemade Almond Joys
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. coconut butter
- 4 Tbsp. honey or maple syrup
- 4 and ½ Tbsp. unsweetened, shredded coconut
- 8–9 whole almonds
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
Instructions
- Make the coconut-almond squares: Line a plate with parchment paper. Melt coconut butter with honey/maple syrup. Stir to combine.
- Add coconut and mix. The mixture should just be starting to come together. If not, add additional coconut to firm up the mixture, or additional honey/maple syrup to thin it out. Scoop mixture onto parchment paper forming squares mounds. Place in the freezer to set for about 15 minutes, then reshape into squares if desired. Press one almond on top of each square.
- Return plate to the freezer, and freeze your candies completely, about 2 hours.
- Make the chocolate coating*: Melt coconut oil. Mix in cocoa and maple syrup. Set aside until coconut filling has set.
- Assemble the Healthy Homemade Almond Joys: Remove coconut-almond squares from the freezer. Using a fork, dip one coconut-almond square in the chocolate mixture and coat completely. Place back on the parchment paper. Proceed with remaining coconut-almond squares. Place plate in the freezer to set until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Remove Homemade Almond Joys from freezer and coat with a second layer of chocolate. Set in the freezer to set.
- Store Homemade Almond Joys in the freezer or fridge (see post for note).
Notes
*You could also use chocolate chips thinned with a little bit of coconut oil for the chocolate coating.
This recipe was adapted from my Whole Food Coconut Egg recipe!
These look amazing and they we my favorite Halloween treat. Ahhhh Ace Ventura costume. It was brilliant.
Love these ingredients! My mom is a HUGE almond joy fan so I know I’ll be making these for her!
Liz, these are incredible! You will DEFINITELY enjoy them.
Thanks, babe! :*
Thanks, Liz! These are INCREDIBLE! It’s amazing how much they taste like the original! Let me know what your mom thinks! :)
YUM! Girl, these look so dang good. Definitely want to make these for Halloween and keep them allllllllll for myself.
hahaha! I hear you, Lucia! That’s probably what I’ll be doing, too. Shhh…don’t tell my boyfriend ;)