I packed all the chocolate, coconut, and almond flavors of an Almond Joy into a creamy low-carb truffle ball. Sugar-free, 1.1 net carbs each, and they taste like the real thing.
I've been making these truffles for over three years now, and they're the closest thing to a real Almond Joy I've found on keto. The secret is the whipped ganache center. Most truffle recipes use a simple chocolate-cream mixture, but whipping it to stiff peaks gives you that airy, mousse-like center that melts the second it hits your tongue.
When I first tested this recipe, I rolled the centers too soon. They were soft and stuck to everything. Now I freeze them for a full hour before dipping (not 30 minutes, not 45, the full hour). That extra time makes dipping so much cleaner, and the chocolate shell sets faster when it hits the cold center.
The flavor combination here is all Almond Joy: almond extract in the whipped ganache, coconut extract in the outer chocolate shell, and shredded coconut pressed on top while the chocolate is still wet. Each layer hits a different part of the candy bar. I've tried combining all three flavors into one mixture and it just tastes muddled. Keeping them separated means each bite has layers.
At 1 net carb per truffle, these are the kind of keto treat I can have two of without thinking twice. I keep a batch in my freezer at all times. They're firm enough to eat straight from frozen (I prefer them that way) or let them sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes for a softer center.
The sugar-free chocolate chips matter here. I use Lily's or ChocZero. Cheaper brands with maltitol will spike your blood sugar and sometimes have a laxative effect (not ideal when you're snacking on these at a party). The powdered erythritol blends into the whipped cream without any grit. Granular leaves you with a sandy texture in the finished truffle.
One thing I learned after a few batches: don't skip the butter in the dipping chocolate. That tablespoon of butter makes the coating glossy and gives it that satisfying snap when you bite through. Without it, the chocolate sets matte and a little waxy.
These are my go-to when I need a low-carb dessert for gatherings. I've brought them to Christmas dinner, book club, my daughter's volleyball team party. People who aren't keto eat them without knowing. That's how I judge whether a recipe works: would someone choose this even if they weren't watching carbs? With these, the answer is always yes. If you love coconut desserts, my coconut cream pie hits a similar note. For more chocolate treats, try my keto fudge, chocolate trifle, or cookie dough fat bombs.
Each truffle gets dipped in the coconut flavored chocolate, then sprinkled with shredded coconut right away before the shell sets.
No Sugar Free Chips? Use a Baking Bar
Several brands make sugar free chocolate chips. If you can’t get them, use a 100% unsweetened baking chocolate bar instead and add a few tablespoons of sweetener or a few drops of liquid stevia.
How to make these truffles
The whole process comes down to temperature control. I whip the cream mixture until stiff peaks form, and you'll know because it holds its shape when you lift the beater. Scoop the balls quickly because the mixture softens the longer it sits out. Once they're on the tray, straight to the freezer for a full hour. I've tried shorter times and the centers were still too soft for clean dipping.
While they freeze, melt your coating chocolate with butter. When you pull the truffles out, work fast. I dip 3-4 at a time, return them to the tray, and sprinkle the coconut immediately before the chocolate sets. If the coating starts to thicken, 10 seconds in the microwave brings it back. The whole batch takes me only a few minutes of active time, plus the freezer wait. If you like working with melted chocolate, my chocolate brownie protein balls use a similar scooping and coating method.
Add ¼ cup sugar-free chocolate chips to a small microwave safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted.
2
Whip it
Combine heavy whipping cream, melted chocolate, powdered erythritol and almond extract in a medium bowl using an electric mixer. Whip until stiff peaks form.
3
Scoop into balls
Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop 1 inch sized balls of the thick chocolate mixture onto a parchment lined baking tray, spacing about 1/2 to 1 inch apart. Place in the freezer for 1 hour or until hardened.
4
Melt chips and add coconut extract
Melt remaining 1 cup of sugar-free chocolate chips and butter in the microwave at 30 second intervals until melted, stirring in between. Stir in coconut extract.
5
Dip the truffle
Dip each chocolate truffle in the melted chocolate using a toothpick or fork. Return to parchment lined baking tray to set. Immediately sprinkle shredded coconut on top. Store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1 ball
Calories
91
Fat
9.8g
Protein
0.1g
Total carbs
4.1g
Net carbs
1g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different sweetener instead of powdered erythritol?
I've made these with powdered monk fruit and it works the same way. The key is using powdered, not granular. I tried granular erythritol once and you could feel gritty bits in every truffle. If you're using stevia drops, start with half the amount and taste the mixture before whipping. My preference is still powdered erythritol because it dissolves cleanly, but monk fruit is a close second.
How should I store these truffles?
I keep mine in an airtight container in the freezer and they stay good for at least two months. The oldest batch I've pulled out was about 10 weeks and tasted the same as day one. The fridge works too if you'll eat them within a week. I actually prefer them frozen because the center has a firmer texture that reminds me more of the real candy bar. Pull one out and wait 2-3 minutes if you want it softer. If you need more freezer-friendly treats, my white chocolate fudge stores the same way.
Can I put a whole almond in the center of each truffle?
I've done this and it's great. Press a roasted almond into the ganache ball before freezing. It makes the truffle a little bigger, but the crunch when you bite through the chocolate shell and hit the almond is worth it. I use roasted salted almonds because the salt against the sweet chocolate is my favorite part.
Do I need to freeze them between steps?
Yes, and don't rush it. I tested shorter freeze times and anything under 45 minutes left the centers too soft for dipping. They'd slide off the fork or the chocolate coating would pool at the bottom instead of setting evenly. A full hour gives you a firm ball that dips cleanly. If you're in a hurry, I wouldn't go shorter than 45 minutes. I tried 30 minutes once and had to re-freeze half the batch.
Can I use toasted coconut instead of the chocolate coating?
A reader asked me this recently, and the answer is yes. The ganache center firms up on its own in the fridge without needing a chocolate shell. I've rolled them in toasted coconut and they hold together fine. Just make sure they're fully chilled before rolling, because warm truffles get messy fast. You lose the chocolate snap, but the toasted coconut adds a nuttier flavor that's its own thing. If you like keto candy with a simpler presentation, this is a good route.
Can I make these with cream cheese for a cheesecake-style filling?
I've tried replacing half the heavy cream with softened cream cheese, and it changes the texture completely. The center becomes denser, almost like a cheesecake bite instead of a mousse. My family actually preferred that version. Use 3/4 cup heavy cream and 4 oz cream cheese, and you won't need to whip as long since the cream cheese adds body on its own. If you love mini cheesecakes, this hybrid version is right in that same zone.
What can I use instead of heavy whipping cream?
I've made these with full-fat coconut cream for a dairy-free version. The texture is slightly different (a little denser, less airy) but they still taste great. Use canned coconut cream, not coconut milk. I refrigerate the can overnight and scoop only the thick cream that rises to the top. You'll get a subtle coconut flavor in the center that actually works well with the coconut topping.
This truffle is SO good and the coconut flavor is just right! My one note is the sweetener left a cool tingly taste on my tongue, so next time I’m cutting back a little. The chocolate still snapped like it should. Making these again this weekend! 🙂
I wasn’t sure about leaving the cream out for 30 minutes, but wow, it whipped up SO thick! Annie, your recipes got me through my first keto year! First time making candy, does it hurt anything if I overwhip?
Thanks Glen, and congrats on the first keto year. I stop mine right at stiff peaks. Past that it goes grainy and starts heading toward butter, and there’s no whipping it back.
The ganache is what makes this different from most keto truffle recipes. Cream cheese versions are fine but they come out dense straight from the freezer. This one actually melts right. One thing I’d do: press shredded coconut into the shell before it sets, because it disappears once the chocolate hardens.
Steve, the coconut does disappear. I roll the finished ones in toasted coconut but pressing it into the shell while it’s still tacky would give you embedded texture in every bite instead. I’m doing that on the next batch.
Swap the butter in the coating for coconut oil. I ran out on batch three and used it anyway, and now I do it on purpose. The chocolate thins out better and dips cleaner. You also get an extra hit of coconut under the shell. No more thick, draggy coats.
The cleaner dip is reason enough. I’ve used coconut oil in chocolate before but never thought to apply it here, and the extra coconut flavor layering over the extract already in the filling is a nice touch. I’m stealing this for next batch, Tara.
The coconut extract doesn’t get enough credit. Seven batches, and by batch five I started adding a quarter teaspoon to the outer chocolate melt, not just the filling. Shell and filling both carry the coconut and it locks in way more of that Almond Joy thing. Still making these every couple weeks. Next one I’m pressing a toasted almond piece into the coating before it sets.
Adding it to the melt never occurred to me, Tasha. I’ve only ever used it in the filling and now I can’t un-think it. The almond pressed into the coating rather than the center is closer to the actual bar too.
Toasted the shredded coconut in a dry pan before rolling and the difference is kind of freaking ridiculous. The nuttiness cuts through the sweetness and makes them taste way more intentional, like someone actually knew what they were doing.
You can’t un-know this. I keep meaning to write it into the recipe steps but always assume people will skip it, and then someone does it and the gap is obvious. The coconut compresses into something almost chewy against the ganache. Whole different interior texture. Adding it to the notes.
I have basically zero candy-making experience and was a little nervous about the chocolate dipping step, but I followed the instructions and they actually looked like real truffles. The almond extract is what got me. I kept smelling the bowl thinking I must have done something wrong because it smelled too good. Going to try doubling the batch next time since 24 was gone in two days.
That almond extract smell is the tell. When it hits you like that, it’s working. Freeze at least half the double batch or you’ll be right back here in two days.
The almond extract worried me going in (it can turn soapy so fast), but this hits the exact Almond Joy note I was chasing. Every other keto truffle I’ve made tastes like diet candy. These don’t.
Toasted the shredded coconut in a dry pan for about three minutes before mixing it in, and it was almost embarrassingly transformative. The coconut picks up this toasty, nutty edge that cuts right through the chocolate and cream in a way the untoasted version just doesn’t. Never made truffles before, and these came out looking and tasting like something from a candy shop. Double batch this weekend.
I always melt chocolate in a double boiler. Scorched it in the microwave one too many times. Would that work here for both the cream mixture and the coating dip, or is there a reason the recipe specifies microwave?
Both work. Microwave is just faster, fewer dishes. The dipping step is where double boiler actually helps though, more control over temp and less chance of seizing.
Almond Joy was always my gas station candy before I cut sugar, and when the almond extract hit on the first bite I was right back there. Made these with Lily’s chips. Not stopping.
Lily’s dark is what I tested with first too. The almond extract is the thing that makes it click. Coconut extract just keeps it from going too almond-forward.
Making a big batch for a graduation party in two weeks. Can I freeze them after dipping, or does the chocolate shell get weird after thawing? I’ve had ganache-based stuff turn grainy on me before. Better to freeze before dipping and dip day-of?
Freeze after dipping. The chocolate shell doesn’t have the same issue as ganache because it’s a solid coating, not an emulsion. I pull mine straight from the freezer, let them sit in the fridge overnight, and the shell looks exactly the same as day one. Dipping day-of works too, but the frozen-dipped ones actually travel better for something like a party.
Used Lily’s dark chocolate for the coating and pressed extra shredded coconut into the outside before the chocolate set. The coconut toasts slightly against the warm chocolate and it’s freaking unreal. Do not skip that step if you try it.
Pressing the coconut in while the chocolate’s still warm so it toasts is something I’m stealing. I’ve rolled truffles in coconut before but that’s not the same thing at all. Doing this next batch.
Yeah that ratio was the hardest part to nail. The coconut extract is what keeps the almond in check. Tested without it once and it was just straight almond candy.
My 14-year-old grabbed one thinking it was store-bought, then got genuinely annoyed when I said it was keto. Good enough for me. The coconut coating makes them look way more polished than the effort deserves, which I did not expect. I’d probably add a touch more almond extract next time, but they were gone by morning.
A teenager getting genuinely annoyed is a better review than any five-star rating. On the almond extract – 1.5 teaspoons works, I’ve done it. The coconut extract holds its own at that level.
Toasted the shredded coconut before rolling and the difference was real (nuttier, a little crunch in the shell). Spread it thin on a dry pan, medium heat, two minutes, and pull it before it tips from golden to burnt. These are going in the spring dessert rotation.
Toasted coconut on the rolled version is something I do, didn’t think to do it on the dipped ones. That extra crunch against the chocolate shell sounds right.
Almond Joy was one of exactly three things I missed going keto. The almond extract is pitched right in these, not overpowering. 1.1 net carbs that actually tastes like a candy bar memory. I don’t take that for granted.
Almond Joy bars were my Halloween candy every year as a kid, and giving them up for keto was one of those quiet griefs I didn’t really expect. Made these on a snowy Saturday afternoon craving something sweet, and the almond and coconut together in that chocolate shell sent me straight back to sorting through a pillowcase of candy on the living room floor. The texture is softer than a real candy bar but the flavors hit just right. I’ve made them twice since and keep a batch in the freezer.
The sorting through a pillowcase thing is so specific. Mine live in the freezer too and I think they’re better that way – the chocolate shell snaps when they’re cold.
I want to roll these in toasted coconut instead of dipping them in chocolate. Would they hold together on their own or do they need that chocolate shell to keep from falling apart?
They’ll hold. The ganache center firms up in the fridge on its own. I’d still chill them solid before rolling in the coconut though, warm truffles get messy fast.
