Homemade Almond Joy Bars Recipe

I. love. candy bars. And I don’t mean in the way that a kid loves his Halloween stash. I mean I love candy bars in the same way other people love art, music, and nature. I mean they speak to me. Literally. In the grocery aisles sometimes. True story. Seriously though. I can enjoy a candy bar in the same way a music lover enjoys a symphony. Does anyone else feel this way? Here’s how it works. You have to unwrap it just right. A straight tear in the wrapper, directly down the center. The first bite has to be about a 1/4 of the way down the candy bar. I don’t know why, it just does. Candy bars with soft centers work best for this experience. I guess it’s because you get a better crack in the chocolate with that first bite if the center is soft caramel or nougat. Then my favorite part… the caramel pull (when applicable, of course). After that first bite, you pull the candy bar away from your teeth and see how far you can make the caramel stretch from your mouth. It’s a balancing act– too little stretch means your candy bar is old and dry. But too much… well, that’s just a mess. Like having gum in your hair. The idea is to make it look like it just stepped out of a magazine ad. For me, that’s half the point of any eating experience: how it looks. Perhaps my instagram stream clued you in? Anyway. I love making a candy bar look just like it does in the commercials. Maybe it sounds silly to you, but I think it’s pure bliss. Even though Almond Joy candy bars don’t have a caramel center, they’re still in my top 3 favorite candy bars at all times, simply because of their texture. Caramel candy bars bring the looks, but Almond Joys definitely bring the fun texture I love to eat. Crunch from the almonds, chewy coconut, and a hard chocolate exterior = candy bar nirvana. And hey! Now you can make Almond Joy nirvana at home! Swing by Food Fanatic to see my recipe for Homemade Almond Joy Candy Bars. See all of my recipes posted on Food Fanatic.

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 cups Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
• 14 ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
• 24-30 almonds Almonds (raw and whole)
• 4 cups Chocolate Candy Melts

Instructions

1. Line an 8"x8" baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Mix together the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and powdered sugar. Press the coconut mixture into the baking dish, and place (uncovered) in the freezer for at least 30 minutes (up to an hour).
3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate melting candy by microwaving for 1 minute or heating over low heat on the stove until smooth. Remove from heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
4. Remove the coconut mixture from the freezer and lift from the baking dish using the parchment paper. Cut the coconut into bars (I cut 9 bars, and mine were quite large).
5. Dip the backs of two almonds in the chocolate (which will act as "glue") and stick the almonds to a coconut bar. Use a fork to dip then entire bar into the chocolate. Move quickly so that the bar doesn't fall apart. Tap on the edge of the bowl to release any extra chocolate. Move the dipped bar to a sheet of wax paper or silicon mat to let cool and harden.
6. Repeat with all of the bars.