Dark Chocolate Bounty Bars
If you have ever dug through a tin of chocolates and found only the coconut ones left, you already know the joke.
In the UK, Bounty bars have a reputation as the sweets nobody wants, the ones that sit alone at the bottom of a Celebrations tin while everything else disappears. My partner and I have never understood it.
We are the ones who quietly take them first, and we feel absolutely no guilt about it.
So this recipe is my love letter to that little coconut bar. It is a homemade version made with five main ingredients, and it tastes far better than anything that comes wrapped in plastic.
The filling is soft and full of coconut, the dark chocolate shell snaps when you bite it, and the whole thing comes together without turning on the oven.
If you are looking for a healthier dessert that still feels like a real treat, this is the one I would hand you first.
For my readers in the US and Canada, these are the bars you probably know as Mounds or Almond Joy. Same idea, same coconut center, just without the almond on top and with a darker, less sugary chocolate coating.
The first time I made these, I expected a chewy, slightly dry center like the ones from the store. What I got was softer and more delicate, closer to a fresh coconut filling, and I have made them that way ever since.
I have been making variations of these for years. There are jam, blueberry, caramel and raspberry versions already on the blog, and they all grew out of the same simple coconut base. Somehow, though, I never shared a plain dark chocolate version until now.
It felt like the obvious one to have in the collection, so here it is at last.
Dark chocolate Bounty bars are also harder to find in stores than the milk chocolate ones. That alone is a good reason to make your own. You get to choose the chocolate, control the sweetness, and know exactly what is in every single bite.
A batch also keeps well, which means you are never more than a few minutes away from a cold, chocolate coated coconut bar when the craving hits.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Freezing time | 1 to 2 hours |
| Servings | 12 bars |
| Main ingredients | 5 |
| Diet | Vegan, dairy free, gluten free, nut free |
One more thing worth knowing before we start. The texture here is softer and more moist than the chewy center of a store bought bar, and that is exactly what I want from it. It makes them feel fresher, richer, and much more like something you made with your own hands.
Jump to:
- Dark Chocolate Bounty Bars
- Why I love making these dark chocolate bounty bars:
- Why you need to try these dark chocolate bounty bars:
- What you’ll need to make these dark chocolate bounty bars:
- How to make these dark chocolate bounty bars:
- How to store your dark chocolate bounty bars:
- These dark chocolate bounty bars are:
- Share This Recipe!
- FAQs
- What are dark chocolate Bounty bars made of?
- How do you make vegan Bounty bars?
- How long do homemade Bounty bars last and how should they be stored?
- What is the difference between Mounds and Almond Joy bars?
- Dark Chocolate Bounty Bars
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Last Step:
- Nutrition
- Did you make this recipe?
Why I love making these dark chocolate bounty bars:
Dark chocolate is the whole reason this version works so well for me. It has more depth than milk chocolate, and it cuts through the sweetness of the coconut filling instead of piling more sugar on top of it.
Bite into one and you taste coconut first, then that rich, slightly bitter chocolate finish. It balances beautifully, and it keeps the bars from tasting overly sweet.
I also love making homemade versions of the classic chocolate bars I grew up with. Twix bars, Oreos, Jammie Dodgers and Wagon Wheels have all had a turn in my kitchen at some point. When you make them yourself, you know exactly what goes into them, and you can use ingredients you actually feel good about feeding your family.
There is one small technique that makes a big difference here, and I want you to know about it before you start. Blend the coconut mixture in a food processor rather than stirring everything together in a bowl.
The blended version comes out less chewy and much more moist. It is a tiny extra step, and it changes the whole texture of the finished bar.
Honestly, I make a batch of these whenever I want something sweet in the fridge that I do not have to think twice about eating on a Tuesday afternoon. That is the real reason they are on repeat in my kitchen.
Why you need to try these dark chocolate bounty bars:
This is one of those recipes that works for almost everyone. It is easy enough to make with children, and there are only five main ingredients, so there is not much shopping involved. If you already make sweets at home, there is a good chance you have most of it in the cupboard already.
Because the bars are vegan, dairy free, gluten free and nut free, they suit people with allergies or intolerances too. That is not always easy to find in a dessert. Bring them to a family gathering or a work potluck and there is a good chance everyone at the table can eat them.
If you are making these with children, let them do the shaping. Coconut mixture is forgiving, and slightly wonky bars taste exactly the same as neat ones.
You also have room to make them your own. Milk chocolate works just as well as dark chocolate if that is what you prefer, and the sweetness is easy to adjust to taste. Want them sweeter? Add a little more maple syrup. Prefer them deeper and less sweet? Use a darker chocolate for the coating.
And there is the freshness factor. Homemade bars do not sit in a warehouse or on a shelf for months, and they do not contain the preservatives that commercial chocolate bars rely on. You make them, you chill them, you eat them. That is the whole process, and you can taste the difference in every bite.
What you’ll need to make these dark chocolate bounty bars:
Five ingredients, and one of them is salt. That is genuinely all it takes to make a batch.
- Desiccated coconut. Cheap and easy to find, and usually stocked in the international aisle of larger grocery stores. This is the base of the filling and it gives the bars their coconut flavor.
- Full fat coconut milk. Use a can, not a carton, and refrigerate it overnight. You want to scoop out the solid part that sets at the top, then measure out the liquid part separately. Look for a can with at least 55% coconut extract. Lighter versions do not have enough fat to set properly in the fridge, so you will not be able to scoop them.
- Maple syrup. A liquid sweetener that also adds moisture to the filling. Honey, agave or rice syrup all work just as well if that is what you have on hand.
- Dark chocolate. Go for a good quality bar with at least 70% cocoa solids for the best flavor and the cleanest snap. Milk chocolate is a fine substitute if you prefer a sweeter coating.
- Salt. Just a pinch. It does not make the bars salty, it makes everything else taste more like itself.
Here are the exact amounts so you can measure everything out before you start.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Desiccated coconut | 160 g |
| Full fat coconut milk, solid part only | 100 g |
| Full fat coconut milk, liquid part | 3 tbsp |
| Maple syrup | 4 tbsp |
| Salt | 1/4 tsp |
| Dark chocolate, melted | 150 g |
The coconut milk is the one ingredient worth planning ahead for. Put the can in the fridge the night before and it will be ready when you are.
How to make these dark chocolate bounty bars:
The method is short. Blend, shape, freeze, dip.
- Add all the ingredients apart from the dark chocolate to a food processor and blend until you have a smooth(ish) mixture.
- Shape into 10 to 12 bars using your hands, then arrange them on a baking sheet or chopping board lined with parchment paper.
- Freeze for 1 to 2 hours, then dip in the melted chocolate to coat.
- Arrange back onto the baking sheet, then refrigerate until the chocolate is set.
The mixture will feel soft and a little sticky, which is normal. If it is too soft to shape, pop the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes and try again. The bars do not need to be perfectly even, and I actually like them a bit rustic, because they look homemade in the best way.
A small note on the dipping stage. Let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl before you set each bar down, and work fairly quickly so the cold filling does not soften in your hand. If you want a thicker shell, dip them a second time once the first coat has set.
How to store your dark chocolate bounty bars:
Keep the finished bars in an airtight container in the fridge, where they will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
They also freeze well, so making a double batch is never a bad idea.
These dark chocolate bounty bars are:
- Vegan, dairy free, gluten free and nut free
- Made with only 5 ingredients
- Easy to prepare with no baking required
- Great as a snack or a healthier dessert
Here is the nutrition per bar, taken from the source recipe.
| Nutrient | Per bar |
|---|---|
| Calories | 187 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 13 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Saturated fat | 12 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Sodium | 58 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0.3 mg |
If you make a batch, I would love to hear how they turned out in your kitchen.
Share This Recipe!
If these bars earn a spot in your fridge this week, pass the recipe along to someone who could use a no bake treat in their life.
FAQs
What are dark chocolate Bounty bars made of?
Dark chocolate Bounty bars are made with just five main ingredients: desiccated coconut, full-fat coconut milk (both the solid cream and a few tablespoons of the liquid), maple syrup, salt, and dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids. The coconut mixture is blended in a food processor, shaped into bars, frozen, and then dipped in melted dark chocolate. This homemade version is vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free.
How do you make vegan Bounty bars?
To make vegan Bounty bars, blend 160g desiccated coconut, 100g solid coconut cream from a refrigerated can of full-fat coconut milk, 3 tablespoons of the liquid from that can, 4 tablespoons maple syrup, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth. Shape the mixture into 10 to 12 bars, freeze for 1 to 2 hours, then dip each frozen bar in 150g melted dark chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate sets.
How long do homemade Bounty bars last and how should they be stored?
Homemade Bounty bars stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months for longer storage. For the best texture when serving from frozen, let the bars sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly.
What is the difference between Mounds and Almond Joy bars?
Mounds bars are dark chocolate-covered coconut bars and are the direct equivalent of dark chocolate Bounty bars. Almond Joy bars are the same coconut filling but are topped with an almond and coated in milk chocolate instead of dark. Both were introduced by Peter Paul Halajian in the 1940s and remain popular coconut candy bars in the United States.
Dark Chocolate Bounty Bars
Dark Chocolate Bounty Bars If you have ever dug through a tin of chocolates and found only the coconut ones left, you already know the joke. In the UK, Bounty bars have a reputation as the sweets nobody wants, the ones that sit alone at the bottom of a Celebrations tin while everything else disappears.
- Total Time: 0 min
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
Ingredients
160 g desiccated coconut
100 g full fat coconut milk, the solid part only
3 tbsp full fat coconut milk, the liquid part
4 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt
150 g dark chocolate, melted
Instructions
1-Add all the ingredients apart from the: Add all the ingredients apart from the dark chocolate to a food processor and blend until you have a smooth(ish) mixture.
2-Shape into 10-12 bars using your hands,: Shape into 10-12 bars using your hands, then arrange them on a baking sheet/chopping board lined with parchment paper.
3-Freeze for 1-2 hours, then dip in: Freeze for 1-2 hours, then dip in the melted chocolate to coat.
4-Arrange back onto the baking sheet, then: Arrange back onto the baking sheet, then refrigerate until the chocolate is set.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Method: blend
Nutrition
- Calories: 187 kcal
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 58mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0.3mg
