Chocolate Coconut Bites

Homemade chocolate coconut bites. The perfect combination of dark, rich chocolate and creamy coconut.

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching my mind drifts to chocolate....and coconut...

A match made in heaven. The perfect pairing of sweet, creamy coconut and rich dark chocolate. These homemade chocolate coconut bites are simple to make and sure to impress.

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My friend, Jennifer, at Beyond the Butter posted homemade peppermint patties for her first recipe of 2019. When I saw the recipe, I just knew I needed to make them. I've made homemade peppermint patties in the past and knew they could be improved upon. Jennifer did exactly that with her recipe!

After making Jennifer's recipe, all I could think about was swapping the peppermint for coconut. Coconut is creamy and luscious and just begs to be married with chocolate. So, thanks to Jennifer, this chocolate coconut bite recipe was born.

The biggest trick to this recipe is to keep your coconut mixture cold. This means you will have a couple periods of wait time while the mixture chills in the freezer. I like to mix up the dough the evening before and let it chill overnight, but I have tested it with less chill time and have found 2 hours to be the minimum.

MAKING THE COCONUT PATTIES

You will start by beating your butter in your stand mixer or with a handheld mixer. Then you will add powdered sugar, coconut milk powder, shredded coconut, coconut extract and evaporated milk. You'll beat this mixture until well combined. Then you will lay out a sheet of wax paper and generously dust it with powdered sugar. You will place the coconut mixture onto the powdered sugar lined paper and pat it down with your spatula. Then generously dust the top again with powdered sugar and roll the coconut mixture to the thickness of your choice. I prefer about a ¼ inch. Now place the rolled out coconut mixture onto a baking sheet and freeze for a minimum of two hours (and up to several days, covered).

For the first test of this recipe, I used coconut milk powder, which I have purchased from Amazon.com. I didn't want to add extra moisture with extra extract and the coconut milk powder adds excellent flavor and lets the mixture have a nice consistency. My local market carries coconut milk powder in the bulk section and I have found coconut milk powder at Sprouts Farmers Market in the baking section.

I use the coconut milk powder when making coconut Swiss meringue buttercream, but know not everyone keeps this ingredient on hand, so I tested the recipe without it as well. While I prefer the version with the coconut milk powder, both versions taste delicious and I have instructions in the recipe to make it either way.

Once your coconut mixture has had a nice chill in the freezer, it's time to cut out your patties. I used a 1.5 inch biscuit cutter and I have also used a small heart shape cookie cutter. Return the cut patties to the wax paper lined baking sheet and refreeze for a minimum of 30 minutes. This step will help the patties stay cold and maintain their shape when you dip them in the melted chocolate.

Next, you will melt your chopped chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler. Mr. Two Sugar Bugs prefers them dipped in dark chocolate, while I like them best in milk chocolate. They will be fantastic with either, so use what you prefer the best.

Once the chocolate is melted, pull out a few coconut patties at a time and dip them in the melted chocolate. By only working with a few patties at a time, you ensure that they are cold when you dip them. Using a fork or candy making tools, dip each patty into the chocolate until completely covered. Gently tap the fork on the edge of the bowl to allow any excess chocolate to drip off and then place the dipped patty onto a wax lined baking sheet. Continue until all the patties have been dipped. If you are feeling fancy, you can add a chocolate drizzle over the top of the already dipped patties. You can also add sprinkles, finely chopped almonds or a dusting of cocoa powder.

Finally, return the dipped chocolate coconut bites to the freezer to allow the chocolate to firm up. Then enjoy!

This recipe only uses a small amount of evaporated milk and the smallest container I could find is 4 ounces. Once you've finished making your chocolate coconut bites, I recommend using the remainder of your evaporated milk to make Jennifer's peppermint patties.😉

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Chocolate Coconut Bites

Homemade chocolate coconut bites. The perfect combination of dark, rich chocolate and creamy coconut.

Servings 24 coconut bites

Author Tasia ~ twosugarbugs

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar packed
• ¼ cup coconut milk powder*
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 3 tablespoons evaporated milk
• 8 ounces chocolate chopped (dark, semi-sweet or milk)
• 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil

Instructions

• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat butter until softened. Scrape down the bowl and add the powdered sugar, coconut milk powder and shredded coconut. Mix on low to combine.
  
• With the mixer on low, add in the coconut extract and then the evaporated milk. Switch the mixer to medium and beat until well combined. You may need to stop and scrape up and down the bowl at some point to make sure everything is well combined.
• Lay out a sheet of waxed paper on your work surface and generously dust with powdered sugar. Dump your coconut mixture onto the sugared paper and lightly press it down with your spatula. Add a generous layer of powdered sugar to the top of the dough. Then roll out the coconut mixture to the thickness of your liking. I rolled about ¼ inch thick.
• Place the rolled out coconut mixture onto a baking sheet and freeze for a minimum of 2 hours. (I typically mix dough in the evening and freeze overnight. The colder the coconut mixture, the easier it is to work with).
• Remove the dough from the freezer and cut into rounds with a circle cookie or biscuit cutter. (I also used a heart shape cookie cutter, I imagine any shape that isn’t too intricate should work). Return the coconut rounds to the wax paper lined baking sheet and return to the freezer for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Melt the chocolate and coconut oil using a double boiler. Stir until the chocolate and coconut oil are smooth and combined.
• Working quickly, using candy making tools or a fork, dip each round in the melted chocolate. Gently tap the fork on the edge of the bowl to allow any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Then place on a wax lined baking sheet. Repeat until all rounds have been covered.
• Place the coconut bites back into the freezer to allow the chocolate to firm up.

Notes

Chocolate coconut bites are best kept stored in the freezer in an airtight container.

*if you wish to omit the coconut milk powder, you can increase the powdered sugar to 2 ½ cups and increase the coconut extract to 1 ¼ teaspoons. The rest of the recipe remains the same.

*recipe inspired and adapted from Beyond the Butter

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