Some ideas are brilliant right from the get-go.

Others need time to be crafted, coddled, considered.

These homemade and healthy “almond joy” bites were definitely the latter.

I’ve wanted their existence pretty desperately for a pretty long time now. Their namesake is one of my absolute FAVORITE candy bars, but of course not something I allow myself to have very often… Corn syrup as the first ingredient? Uh, no thank you.

But I know my weaknesses and so I know that I’m not very good with self-control. Oh no, not very good at all. And why should I be? Not when I know a healthier option surely exists and guilt-free indulgence is attainable. Heck no, I will not deny myself!

So I tried to make that healthier option. Then I tried again. And again.

Basically, I ended up with a lot of coconut-cacao-honey blobs in various dishes scattered throughout my kitchen. They just wouldn’t take shape (literally)! Then I turned to my trusty ice-cube trays (er, I mean chocolate molds) and it’s history from there. (Note to self: never try to make a knock-off candy bar without a mold again.)

Ingredients:

• Raw almonds
• Coconut oil (check out 10 fun facts about this healthy fat)
• Coconut butter
• Powdered cacao (learn the difference between cocoa and cacao)
• Raw honey (read about the many health benefits of raw honey)
• Unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

NOTE: The below measurements allowed me to make exactly two of these chocolate molds worth of “almond joy” bites, 36 pieces total.

First, add an almond to the bottom of each chocolate mold.

Then, make a batch of homemade and healthy chocolate. I made a 3/4 cup batch using 1/2 cup coconut oil, 2 tablespoons coconut butter, 3 tablespoons powdered cacao, and 1 tablespoon raw honey. In a double boiler (or by placing a tempered glass measuring cup in a small pot of water) on low-medium heat, stir all of the ingredients until melted (should be very thin, almost watery) and consistent.

Next, pour a thin layer of chocolate over each almond (it will seep under the almond) — not too much, but enough so that the entire bottom of the mold is covered. You should aim to use half of your chocolate for this. Then, pop the trays in the freezer for about 8-10 minutes for the chocolate to harden.

While the first layer of chocolate is hardening in the freezer, make the coconut filling. You will want to make the same amount of filling as you made chocolate: I made 3/4 cups using 3/4 cup shredded coconut, 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, and 2 tablespoons of raw honey). Take the molds out of the freezer when the chocolate is hard to the touch, and add the coconut filling. You will use all of the filling and should aim to leave a little gap at the top of the mold (a few millimeters) for the final layer of chocolate.

Lastly, pour the remaining half of the chocolate (it may need a little stir to mix everything together again at this point) on top of the coconut filling in the space that remains in the molds, up to the top of the molds. Carefully place the molds in the freezer to allow the chocolate to melt.

After the chocolate has solidified, pop the “almond joy” bites out of the molds and enjoy!

REMEMBER: Coconut oil has a melting point of 76° so it is best to keep these babies in the fridge.