Healthy Dark Chocolate Almond Joy Bites
Want a chocolate fix without ruining your healthy eating plan? These no-bake healthy dark chocolate almond joy bites have no refined sugar, take just minutes to make, and taste amazing! Bonus: they are vegan, gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and guilt-free!
I’m always a little wary declaring a chocolate treat to be “healthy.”
I fully recognize this is dangerous territory. A very subjective world prone to polar opposite opinions and passionately held feelings.
Since I don’t bill myself as a healthy recipes blogger, thankfully, I haven’t had to wade into this territory very often (these health”ier” no-bake chocolate cookies are probably the closest I’ve come).
I don’t crave chocolate pudding made from avocados or fudgy brownies made with black beans.
If I’m going to eat a brownie, I’m gonna eat.a.brownie, thankyouverymuch.
But sometimes having a little pick-me-up chocolate treat at around 3:38 p.m. makes all the difference to my mental sanity and happiness when I’ve decided to embark on a personal healthy eating challenge for the month of January.
{My splurge of five or so allowable chocolate chips each day during this month of hardship (er, I mean healthy eating) are being often replaced by one of these healthy dark chocolate almond bites, and I feel really good about that decision.}
What makes these little coconuty, chocolatey bites fall on the healthy side of thing?
First, no refined sugar. The sweetness comes exclusively from soft, pitted dates.
And if that scares you (they aren’t the prettiest food on the planet, I know), fear not!
Not only are dates a fantastic source of natural sweetness (and fiber! and vitamins!), but the sticky texture helps bind the no-bake mixture together.
Admittedly, I’m usually reserving the humble-looking fruit for Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake (best dessert ever), but that is definitely a subject I’m not in the mood to discuss until January is over.
Right alongside the dates, there’s protein-rich almonds, unsweetened cocoa powder, a touch of extra-virgin coconut oil, and unsweetened, shredded coconut.
Give that mixture a whirl and you end up with a nutty, rich, lightly sweet concoction that may not look like much but ends up being the tastiest little snack (healthy eating or not).
The chocolate/almond mixture will look a bit crumbly – you can process it as long or as little as you like, depending on how coarse or fine you want the texture.
The more it mixes in the food processor, the easier it will be to roll into balls.
I test a little bit of the mixture by pressing and rolling it in my hand (and if it’s still a bit crumbly, adding a tablespoon of water or a little extra melted coconut will help bind it together).
Really, in about 20 minutes or less, you can have a nutritious and chocolatey snack staring you in the face.
Whether you choose to eat all 24 of them and probably negate all healthy benefits? Well, that’s up to you.
I am simply the provider of the recipe. I assume no liability or responsibility for what you do henceforth.
These healthy dark chocolate almond joy bites have definitely saved me this month.
And just in case you’re thinking “of course you think they taste good – you aren’t eating any other sweets or blatant carbs!” I’ll have you know that I’ve given a few to my kids and friends the last week or so, and everyone loves them.
In fact my friend, Beth, declared that these babies could quite possibly change the world. Yup, they’re that good.
It was actually another friend of mine (hey, Kristin!) who texted me the recipe several months ago telling me I needed to make them ASAP.
She’s a huge fan of these dark chocolate granola bites on my blog, so she obviously already has good taste.
When I made them, I understood why she was so passionate in her command to make these healthy dark chocolate almond joy bites part of my life.
I’m pretty sure I’ll be making them for the rest of forever (they keep great in the fridge or freezer).
And I’ve already decided that 6 a.m. on February 1st, I’m making a batch of these and then covering them in dark chocolate. Doesn’t that sound amazing??
It seems like the right thing to do to celebrate my {hopefully} successful month of healthy eating.
So fast to make, they are the perfect wholesome treat for anytime, anywhere. I hope you love them!
One Year Ago: Rock Salt Roast BBQ Honey Chicken
Two Years Ago: Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Pork
Three Years Ago: Whole Wheat Make-Ahead Pancake Mix
Four Years Ago: Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
Five Years Ago: Confetti Chicken Bake with Cheddar Biscuit Topping
Healthy Dark Chocolate Almond Joy Bites
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170 g) pitted Medjool or other soft dates, about 1 cup or 10-12 dates
- 1 cup (114 g) unsalted, whole almonds (roasted is fine)
- ½ cup (43 g) shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
- ½ cup (43 g) natural, unsweetened or Dutch-process cocoa powder (I use half of each)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil, no need to melt
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt, optional
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients together in a food processor and process until the ingredients are finely chopped and the mixture is crumbly (the exact amount of mixing depends on how coarse or fine you want the mixture). The mixture should hold together when a small amount is pressed or rolled. If it’s too crumbly, add a tablespoon of water (or melted coconut oil) and process again until it comes together more easily.
- Roll the mixture into tablespoon-size balls (I use a #60 cookie scoop for easy portions). Enjoy immediately or store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: based off a recipe my friend, Kristin, texted me (telling me to make ASAP)
125 Comments on “Healthy Dark Chocolate Almond Joy Bites”
Made these today. I proceeded the almonds first then added each ingredient and pulsed more. Added about a Tbs of water and it was a perfect consistency. Refrigerated for 3 hours. They are great! I thought they were sweet enough without adding anything. Next time I might add some strawberry or raspberry powder to make them even better.
I just made these for the second time. About half my family loves them – I am okay with this because it means more for me. 🙂 I think they are delicious, and so handy to have available on a busy day. They have saved me more than once. I like to add 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips in too. I know that messes up the “health food” factor but it tastes really good and I still count them as healthy-ish. One note: I don’t have a large food processor, so I make them in my BlendTec blender, Wild Side jar. It may not be the easiest way to make them, but it works. Thanks for another winner, Mel!
Just made these after looking at the recipe for a couple of years. I’m not a big coconut fan, but it worked here. I’m on a no bread/pasta/potatoes regimen for a while, and these satisfy my need for something solid. Next time I think I’ll try using steel-cut oats instead of coconut.
Couple of comments: 1) I needed to add a fair amount of stevia to get it up to the sweetness I like. 2) My food processor is small, and after the first couple of whirs, all the stuff was stuck to the sides and not getting processed. Scraping the sides down didn’t help. So, next time, I’m going to run the oats/coconut, almonds, and dates through the food processor separately, then mix in a bowl.
BTW, they get better after being chilled for a couple of hours. For me, that took them from okay to really good.
My husband tried one, after the chilling, and liked them a lot.
I love these balls and make them all the time. I have been freezing them and taking them with us when we go boating or on hikes and they are a big hit when I share!
Oh, Wow! So Yum!!! I made these with some old dates, Dutch cocoa, half vanilla/half almond extract, 1 Tbs. coconut oil, sweetened coconut, unroasted sliced almonds, and a pinch of kosher salt. It needed about 2 Tbs. water and I added about 1/2 to 1 Tbs. honey for the perfect sweetness (I am a semi-sweet kinda girl). It was amazingly yummy. Thanks so much! I have tried so many nasty no-bake bites and needed this proof that they really can taste good. 🙂 Fun to do with the kids, too.
These are fantastic; I will never buy another Cliff bar. I have made several times; this last time my dates were on the older side, so I heated them in the microwave for 20 seconds until warm and soft. This made the mixture easier to roll into balls, and the final texture was softer and moister, almost reminiscent of gooey.
Love love love!! Fast! Healthy! Irresistibly tasty!
Also I made these in my vitamix. I just pulse it and stir it occasionally, but works great. It doesn’t work as well when I double it, however. So when I’m doing a big batch, I just make it twice so that the blending/mixing part isn’t so tricky in the blender.
I was trying to find something similar to the power protein chunks at Winco. These were a perfect fit. I also added sesame seeds. Thanks!
I’ve made these a million times already for my picky 2-year-old! We love them! I recently discovered that substituting hazelnuts for the almonds tastes amazing!
Has anyone tried these with a blender?? (ie blendtec/Vitamix variety)
I’m curious too! I only have a very small food processor that wouldn’t fit all of this so I’m hoping it will work in my blendtec! Did you end up trying it?
I made some today with my blendtec. I had to stir it with a spoon after every couple of pulses but it still worked.
I keep these in my frig. They are absolutely delicious and are my go to when I need something chocolate . Thank you so much for this recipe.
Thanks, Terry – glad you like them!
Hey Mel,
I cant wait to try out this recipe, i am craving a little treat as i type, but I try and eat clean, so this sounds like the perfect thing! One question – can i substitute the coconut oil with regular peanut butter, and if yes, what quantity should i use? Also, im not a huge fan of coconut, so i will probably leave that out and use some walnuts instead.
Thanks!
Sneha
I haven’t tried that, but you could certainly experiment!
I’m obsessed with these. I’m off dairy since I’m nursing and my baby can’t have milk protein and I made these to satisfy my chocolate craving. Bonus that they are fairly healthy too! I’ll definitely be making these a lot!
These are fantastic! We’ve made them 3 times. I feel a little guilty every time I eat one because I’m trying to limit sweets and it tastes so indulgent – I love having a healthy snack that tastes like a treat!
THIS IS A GAMECHANGER!!! Can I give it 10 stars???? I was a little wary of the title but Almond Joy’s are my favorite candy so I gave it a whirl. I now make a triple batch every other week. I’ve been trying to establish better eating habits and these are making it happen! I indulged in a few spoonfuls of chocolate frosting the other afternoon (true confessions) and realized a bite of these lil balls tastes better! Deeper chocolate flavor and more to chew on. My kids are thrilled that I let them eat “brownies” for snack now. Win, win!!
These are every single bit as delicious as you promise!! Super easy, albeit kinda messy to make, but soooooo worth it. Thank you so much for sharing this gem of a recipe!!
I’m curious whether you know the calories for these yummy tidbits? I made the recipe twice and really enjoy one of these a day but was curious about the calories.
I don’t know…sorry, Peggy!
These were delicious, especially when you use pitted dates 🙂 🙂 Thankfully, the pits were located easily and the batch was unharmed. Thanks for all your recipes; your website is my favorite!
Totally exceeded my expectations, love this recipe!!
Wow! These are delicious!
Just made these. They are delicious. Thank you. For those who have asked, each ball is 139 satisfying calories, per the MyFitnessPal app. That was with using 2 TBS of coconut oil and unsweetened, shredded coconut and unsweetened cocoa powder.
Do you remember roughly how many balls you made to come up with this? I’m trying to figure out the weight watchers points. Thanks!
Love these! I’m not big on food guilt (“good” vs “bad”), but I love that these use simple, mainly healthful ingredients and taste delicious. I’ve already made them two or three times and shared with friends. Thanks so much!
That makes me happy, Vicky! Thanks for letting me know!
these are amazing! thank you so so much!
Thanks, Camilla!
Mine are dry and crumbly not sure why. Suggestions on how to make them stick together?
Hi Shannon – try adding a tablespoon or two of melted coconut oil or warm water. That should help them bind together (and if you try them again, reduce the cocoa powder slightly).
Do you think these would freeze well?
Yes, I think so!
My 6 year old ate one of these and said, “You chose a good recipe, Mom!” I guess he knows that I don’t make recipes. Thank you for making and sharing this and so many other great ones. In case anyone cares, I used 1 Tbsp safflower oil instead of the coconut oil. Worked great.
That’s cute!
Just made these and they are delicious! Thank you for sharing!
These are great little “better for you” treats.
I love coconut, but my five year old doesn’t. She just told me that these cookies are “the best”. We’ll see if they can convince her dad.
Once again, you’ve given this family a new favourite. Thanks, Mel!
That’s great feedback from your 5-year old! Love that.
Do you think figs would work in place of dates? I prefer figs and they have less sugar than dates as well. I just don’t know if the texture would be the same?
I honestly have no idea, but it’s worth a try!
I only had figs on hand so that’s what I used and it worked just fine. I did end up adding a tablespoon or two of water to get them stick together as I think the figs are a little drier.
I looked through the comments to see if someone had already asked my question and I didn’t see anything…I apologize if I missed it.
Any suggestions where to buy dates? I’ve never purchased them before!
I have found them on grocery shelves by the raisins, but mostly they are in the produce area in grocery stores.
Winco has them in the bulk section!
Hi LJ – looks like others have helped with sources, but bulk bins are a great place – I also find them at Costco or online on Amazon!
It’s 11 days into the New Year, and despite my resolutions of tolerance and patience, there are a few things I just can’t with. People referring to treats as “healthy” is one of them. That is new-age branding at its best. Just because something has “whole” ingredients doesn’t make it healthy. Pig fat is technically a “whole ingredient.” I pine for the days when “healthy” meant “vegetable.” Not, sweetened coconut enrobed in chocolate and oil.
Rant aside, you could use this platform for so much more good if instead of worrying about whether a treat is “healthy” or not, you advocated more for sustainable ingredients and reducing carbon footprints. Do you know the average american throws away almost 300 pounds of food each year? I think that’s more important than whether some coconut oil chocolate almond balls are healthy or not.
Also, if we really want to do New Year’s right, I think it would be great to talk about eco friendly ingredients. Chocolate has caused major devastation to eco-systems around the globe. As our obese American children toddle around with a melted Hershey’s bar clutched in their chubby, greasy little hands, forests are being cleared to support our chocolate addictions. There are some chocolate manufacturers that have proven sustainable farming methods. Why not talk about those farmers and advocate for using proven-sustainably farmed ingredients? Coconut oil is another disaster. Since coconut oil has been billed as a “miracle cure-all” by internet crazies, swaths of land have been cleared to plant more trees. The beautiful Kukarookoodle bird is at risk because of this. Never again will our children or grandchildren hear it’s magnificent barking shriek at dawn if we don’t correct our actions and care more about our world than our insatiable need for a saturated fat that supposedly heals all wounds, while erstwhile clogging our hearts.
And vanilla? Who can even afford that ever since the price-spike. Whenever I see the price of real vanilla I’m tempted to drink the vodka and skip the beans. Only the bourgeoisie could afford that Madagascan nectar.
And finally, almonds. Please, please research the future of almonds if our honey bee population collapses – which it very well could do. Many almond farmers have to pay low-wage workers to hand-fertilize their almond trees every year. When we are paying people to perform pollination, we need to wake up and smell the honey, honey.
Thanks for hearing me out. You’ve changed my life with your recipes. If I can change the life of one or two bees, or help convince just one person to look at how their chocolate is farmed before indulging, I’ve done more than a person can hope for in a lifetime.
Dude, chill.
It’s not that I don’t feel for the poor bird but I’m hearing a different barking shriek here. You can debate all day about what’s healthful or not but nobody likes to be lectured.
Chill out! In my years of reading Mel’s blog she has never purported herself to be anyone other than a creator and conasoiur of what she along with many others consider great food. Please save your love of environment for the blogs that are as impassioned as you are. Many of us share a concerned stewardship for our planet. However we take a different approach over lecturing a blogger and her followers.
These look delicious! Has anyone figured out the nutritional information?
Great recipe Mel! Thanks for sharing; the world needs more naturally-sweetened treats and less refined sugars and flours. I’d love more of these; maybe “recess p.b. style” or other healthy combinations. Thanks! I bake from your website almost daily-seriously. Love it!
Thanks, Rebecca!
…“at around 3:38 p.m.” Lol.
I think I *have* to make these.
These are amazing, and taste just like an almond joy!
Glad you loved them, Molly!
My husband and I both loved them. Very tasty snack and we don’t have to feel guilty about it. The kids don’t love them, but that’s ok. More for me!
Great philosophy! 🙂
I too am on a “no sweets, no wheat flour” diet for the first quarter of the year. I was desperate to try this recipe, even though I do not like dates! They. were. incredible. WOW! Definitely hit the spot! Thanks, Mel!
I’ve had several people say they were surprised they liked them because they don’t like dates, either! Glad they were just what you needed, Elizabeth!
Made these yesterday – so yummy! I never met an almond joy I didn’t eat and these are a healthy alternative. The only thing I may change is decreasing the amount of cocoa – it was a touch overpowering – maybe it will mellow after a day or two. I was lazy and didn’t get out my big food processor so I made it in batches in my 3 cup – a little messy but worth it! Thanks Mel 🙂
Thanks for the feedback, Patricia!
I shared a couple with my boot camp trainer and he loved them and asked for the recipe – is it ok to share the link with him?
Of course! 🙂
I’m exited to try your recipe. I make these with cashews, and a little agave instead of the oil. Roll in cocoa powder for a “truffle” or coconut. Thanks! Love your stuff!
Yum!
WOW these are sooooo good!!!! I used half walnuts and half almonds. So easy to make and absolutely delicious. Although I expected nothing less from my favorite food blogger. Thanks for another great recipe, Mel!
Thanks so much, Alaina! You are so cute.
What a delicious surprise!
I don’t have a food processor so just chopped the heck out of the dates and almonds and mixed them first with a spoon, then my hands. Definitely messier and probably a bit “chunkier” than using a food processor! Also I didn’t have coconut oil so used just a bit of butter and water to help them stick together. A yummy alternative to the daily square of dark chocolate I’ve been allowing myself on my low carb/sugar plan. Thank you once again, Mel!
I’m glad they worked out – way to go getting in there and making them by hand!
These made the perfect little afternoon snack today! Yum!! Thanks Mel!
Yay! Glad you tried them, Kelsey!
They ARE so yummy aren’t they?! I need to make them again.
Hi Mel,
These sound intriguing. I’m thinking they would be Weight Watchers friendly. Problem is, I detest coconut. I think it’s the texture more than the taste. Do you think the almonds mask the coconut texture?
Sharon
You can definitely tell the coconut is there (in my opinion). You could try leaving it out and sub in more nuts, maybe?
Mel I totally want to make these! But I don’t have a food processor, I have a bosch blender and a magic bullet thingy. Do you think I’d be fine trying it in one of those? I guess I’m just not familiar with how the food processor processes things compared to a blender, so it might seem like a dumb question! Thanks!
I think it’s definitely worth a try, especially if either of those are good at pulsing ingredients??
Mel can these be made in a Blendtec? Love your recipes!
Hi Paula – I’m not sure since I haven’t tried it. If you’ve made other thick mixtures like this before in your Blendtec, it might work!
I was also wondering if I could use my blendtek since I don’t have a food processor. Did you try it, Paula? I’m curious to know how it went…
I made a very similar recipe to this in my blendtec. The main difference were swapping cashews for almonds and using peanut butter in place of coconut oil. I also added 1-2 Tbsp of water and scraped down the sides to aid in the blending process. They turned out great!
I just made these in the blendtec and I would suggest pulsing the almonds by themselves first, or rough-chopping by hand before adding to the blender. I threw everything in the blendtec and it pulsed everything together really well, but there were several almonds that were still whole or almost whole so I had to pick them out and hand chop them since the mix was too thick at that point. I also added 2 tablespoons of water and it was a great consistency. Thanks for another stellar recipe, Mel! Totally hits the sweet spot while we’re not eating “sweets!”
I have a blend tec, I say NOT in regular wild side jar…..that needs liquids in it.
But if you have the smaller Twister jar I think that will work.
I was literally eating one of these that I’d made last week after searching for a tasty “wholesome” treat. Ha! You can use cacao in place of cocoa for an even bigger health boost (and throw in some chia seeds, too). I make these without coconut oil because I don’t care for coconut oil’s aftertaste or consistency if I have warm hands, so it can be done. Maybe I use more dates? I’m not sure. Almost halfway done with January! And then it’s downhill from there, right?? 🙂
Thanks for the input, Kristin!
Reminds me of LaraBar ingredients!:) I’ll have to give it a try! Thanks Mel:)
Yes, very similar! I actually think you could press this mixture into a pan and cut it up just like Rx or lara bars.
Hey Mel,
Just made these and they’re terrific! I didn’t have coconut oil on hand (except the jar I’ve been using for diaper rash cream ha!), so I used vegetable oil. Turned out great and tasted yummy! My toddler is loving them!
Haha, yeah, better not to dip into that jar of coconut oil. 🙂
This looks so yummy, I’m always on the lookout for a healthy treat! Just wondering about a substitution-I am allergic to almonds and was wondering if I could do cashews instead…thoughts? Thank you!
I think cashews would be delicious! I haven’t tried it, but I plan to.
I’ve been doing a clean eating challenge since November. I was getting bored with my allowed treats. These were just what I needed. I subbed cacao powder for cocoa powder. I just ran out of almonds so I also subbed almond meal. One little “cookie” took care of my sweet/chocolate craving. My four year old loved them as well. I can now hang in there for at least another month. Thanks for another great recipe.
Thanks for including your substitutions! I agree, these are making me think I can keep going just a little longer (way to go on starting way back in November!)
Question: I don’t have almonds, but have walnuts. I know you can sub any nut in there, but do you think they would taste as good in your opinion?
My sister in law gave me a similar recipe with walnuts, and if you like walnuts, it should be a fine substitute.
Hey Deanna – as long as you really love the taste of walnuts, the substitution should be just fine! Good luck if you try it!
I just made these today, because I need a little pick-me-up in the afternoons, too. They are delicious!! They honestly do taste a LOT like an almond joy. Thanks so much for sharing this, I think it will help a lot with my health goals for the year, too.
Thanks, Molly!
Just made these and they are delicious!! I didn’t have any vanilla so I substituted almond extract and I think I might prefer that. Definitely going to be in the weekly snack rotation. Thanks for the recipe!
Love the sub of almond extract – probably super delicious with the almonds in the recipe. Great idea!
yes! I’m not doing sugar in January and these are perfect! Had all the ingredients on hand so made them already – so good!
Yay, Emily! Thanks for making them so fast and checking in to let me know!
I love these and make them often for all the reasons you mentioned! I’m excited to try your recipe, as I’ve never added coconut oil to mine. Yum! Thanks!
These look amazing, you had me at Almond Joy. I am going to point my daughter to this post too, because she is vegan, and these are totally vegan! Well done!
I hope she loves them if she tries them!
In my haste to jump on the pitted date bandwagon (specifically for sweetening smoothies and making your sticky toffee pudding cake), I mistakenly purchased a package of DEGLET NOOR dates instead of MEDJOOL dates. I’m concerned they may not be as soft and/or sweet….do you–or any of your readers–know if there’s much of a difference and if these will work as well in your recipes? I hope I’m able to use them for this recipe as it sounds very similar to the yummy (but PRICEY) RxBars.
I used deglet noors (all I had) and the recipe worked great!!
Thanks for chiming in, Hilary – it looks like the deglet noor dates will work, Sandra!
Thank you Hilary…I can’t believe you’ve already made them!
The sweetness won’t change between kinds of dates from what I can tell, but the softness might change depending on how old your dates are. A lot of recipes will recommend soaking dates in some warm water for 15 minutes or so (and then draining them) to soften them up if they seem dry.
Thank for the info Kristin! The package is unopened but I’ve had them for a few months.
Can you use something other than coconut oil?
I’m sure you could experiment with that!
I’ve made this type of recipe often, except have never used coconut oil. It will work great! As Mel mentioned in her recipe, if they seem to have trouble holding together when you’re done processing the mixture, just add a tiny bit of water and mix again.
My husband and daughter both love your granola bites so these are going to be a great addition to the mix. Have you ever thought of working on the calorie count for any of your recipes? I know your recipes are amazing, but it would be nice to know sometimes what these and others are, maybe to help those who may need to try and watch their numbers a bit.
You truly are one of the best when it comes to keeping up with new ideas and tips. Plus your a hoot! Thanks for all your work in helping us poor moms, wives, and ladies of this world!
Hey Linda! I have thought about that a lot, and I know nutrition facts are a very popular addition on websites/blogs right now (I can understand why!), but at least for right now, I’m not planning on including them (for a lot of different reasons). But I appreciate your opinion and insight and will definitely keep it in mind. I know it’s an extra step, but for those that ask, I do recommend googling nutrition facts calculators – there are some excellent resources online (and oftentimes more accurate than the nutrition facts on blog recipes)
Holy moly, these are addictive!!! I couldn’t wait to make these, so I ended up using what I had in the pantry (pecans instead of almonds, no vanilla, and sweetened, shredded coconut). SO GOOD!!!
I LOVE that you made these so fast, Hilary! You might have won the award for that (fastest reader to ever make a recipe once it’s posted). 🙂
I LOVE this blog! You’ve got the perfect mix of yummy recipes, keeping it real and a great sense of humor. You had me laughing the whole post. Can’t wait to try these babies! And good luck for the healthy eating month, you go girl!
Thanks, Jenny. 🙂
YUM!!!!! Love coconut, almonds, and chocolate.