Keto Coconut Joys
Published September 17, 2021 • Updated March 1, 2026
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I make these low carb coconut clusters with an almond tucked inside and sugar free chocolate drizzled on top. They taste like an Almond Joy but with only 1.3g net carbs per piece.
Almond Joys were my gas station candy. I grabbed one every single time I filled up, and I never thought twice about it until I started keto in 2012 and actually read the label. That was the end of that.
I spent a while trying to recreate that combination at home, and these coconut clusters are the version that stuck. Buttery coconut flakes, a whole almond pressed into the center, and a thin shell of melted sugar free chocolate on top. The smell when the warm chocolate hits the coconut is the thing that gets me every single batch. It is identical to unwrapping the real thing.
One of my readers, Dani, said it perfectly: “when the melted chocolate hit the coconut I just stopped. That combination is burned into my brain from childhood.” That is exactly what happens. Another reader, Joanna, has made these four times now and says she is still surprised how fast the coconut mixture comes together. The whole process takes about 10 minutes of active work, then you wait for the chocolate to set in the fridge.
The format matters here. I do clusters, not bars. No candy mold, no special equipment. You pinch off coconut mixture, press an almond in, roll it, drizzle chocolate. Done. If you like making keto candy recipes at home, this is one of the fastest in my rotation.
On the carb question (because I get asked this a lot): each piece comes to about 1.3g net carbs. The coconut flakes carry most of that. One cup of unsweetened coconut flakes has roughly 4g net carbs, and that gets split across 12 pieces. The butter and sweetener contribute almost nothing. The chocolate adds a fraction per drizzle. So the math checks out, even though it feels too low for something this sweet.
I keep a batch of these in the fridge at all times during the holidays. They work as a Christmas candy plate addition, a cookie exchange option, or just something to reach for after dinner. If you are looking for more no-bake options, my keto no bake cookies and keto fudge use the same fridge-and-done approach.
Tips for Perfect Coconut Clusters
I have made these enough times to know where things go wrong. The coconut mixture needs to be sticky enough to hold its shape but not so wet that it falls apart. If your mixture feels crumbly, your butter cooled too much before mixing. Melt it fresh and stir it in while it is still warm.
For the chocolate drizzle, I melt my sugar free chips at 30-second intervals and stir between each one. Do not rush this step. Sugar free chocolate seizes faster than regular chocolate if it gets too hot. I keep my intervals short and pull it out the second it is smooth.
Shaping tip: wet your hands slightly before rolling each ball. The coconut sticks less and you get a smoother surface for the chocolate to coat evenly. I aim for about 3/4 inch balls, which gives you the right coconut-to-almond ratio in every bite.
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Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes -
1/2 cup powdered sugar free sweetener
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4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
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12 whole almonds, optional
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1/4 cup sugar free chocolate chips, melted
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Coconut mixture
In a small bowl, combine unsweetened coconut flakes, powdered sweetener and melted butter. Mix until fully combined.
Sometimes you feel like a nut
Pinch off a small amount of coconut mixture and mold around one almond. Roll in your hands to completely cover and in a 3/4 inch ball shape. If not using almonds or nuts, just pinch off coconut mixture and roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining coconut mixture until you make 12 small balls. Place each ball on a parchment lined tray.
Cover with chocolate
Melt chocolate in the microwave in a small bowl at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. Drizzle each coconut ball with melted chocolate. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or until chocolate is set. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or the freezer for 1 month.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these without almonds to mimic a Mounds bar?
I do this all the time. Just skip the almond, pinch off the coconut mixture, and roll it into a ball. You end up with a chocolate-covered coconut candy that tastes like a Mounds bar. I actually prefer the Mounds version some weeks because the coconut flavor is more pronounced without the nut in the center.
Why is the net carb count 1.3g per piece?
I get this question a lot, and I understand the confusion. The coconut flakes carry almost all the carbs. One cup of unsweetened coconut flakes has about 4g net carbs total, and that gets divided across 12 pieces. The powdered sweetener (I use Swerve) is zero net carbs. Butter is zero. The chocolate drizzle adds a tiny fraction per piece. So when I run the math, it comes to roughly 1.3g net carbs each.
Why do mine look greasy or fall apart?
I had this problem my first few batches. The fix is simple: your melted butter was too hot when you mixed it into the coconut. I let my butter cool for about a minute after melting before I stir it in. That keeps the mixture sticky enough to hold shape without being oily. If they are still crumbly, add another half tablespoon of melted butter.
What sugar-free chocolate chips melt best for drizzling?
I have tried several brands and my go-to is Lily's or ChocZero. Both melt smoothly at 30-second microwave intervals. The key thing I have learned is to never overheat them. Sugar free chocolate seizes up faster than regular chocolate, so I pull mine out the second it looks mostly melted and stir until smooth.
Can I use sweetened shredded coconut instead of unsweetened flakes?
I have tested both. Sweetened shredded coconut works, but it makes the mixture noticeably sweeter and adds more carbs per piece. If you go this route, I would cut the powdered sweetener in half and taste the mixture before shaping. I personally prefer the unsweetened flakes because the texture is better and I can control exactly how sweet they are.
How do I get the chocolate to set faster?
I put mine in the freezer for 5-7 minutes instead of the fridge. The chocolate firms up fast and the coconut stays soft underneath. Just do not forget them in there for an hour like I did once, because the coconut gets rock hard and needs a few minutes at room temperature before eating.
How should I store these and can I freeze them?
I keep mine in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They freeze well for up to a month. I lay them in a single layer with parchment between layers so they do not stick. When I want one from the freezer, I let it sit on the counter for about 3 minutes and it is perfect.
do these need to go in the fridge to set up, or can they sit at room temp?
Coconut candy at home usually has a grain problem. The sweetener is too coarse, doesn't distribute, and you end up with something that crunches when it shouldn't. This one doesn't do that, the powdered version dissolves clean into the butter. The almond isn't optional if you want it to land as an Almond Joy. The coconut center without it is just sweet, one note. You need something to bite against. Other versions I've made lean too heavily on the chocolate to do the work. This one doesn't.
I wondered if toasting the almonds first would make a difference. It does. Dry heat pulls out a nuttiness the raw ones just don't have, and it doesn't disappear into the coconut sweetness. Press them in while the cluster is still warm and they seat cleaner too.
I've always gone raw on these. Curious if the toasted flavor even holds once the chocolate sets. The warm-press tip is what I'm stealing, Lorraine.
Made these last weekend, ate three before they were even set in the fridge, so flavor is clearly not the problem. The chocolate though. Started seizing and getting grainy halfway through and I'm pretty sure I just reheated it one too many times trying to keep it loose. Ended up with some clusters with a nice thin coating and others with this thick clumpy mess because I was rushing to get it on before it hardened. Any way to keep sugar free chocolate workable through a whole batch? I once added a tiny bit of coconut oil in another recipe and it helped, wondering if that'd work here or if it affects how it sets.
Coconut oil does help, half a teaspoon per quarter cup of chips, and it won't stop it from setting. Overheating, that's the thing. 30-second intervals. Stir between. Pull before the last chips fully melt. Carryover does the rest.
One thing: use a cookie scoop for these. Pack it, pop it out, press the almond in, and every piece comes out the same size so the chocolate sits right instead of pooling on one side.
The pooling thing is real. My first batch had chocolate sliding off to one side on half the pieces because nothing was the same size. I use a tablespoon to portion them, but you can't pack a tablespoon the same way. The size consistency matters more than it looks, a big piece versus a small one ends up with a totally different chocolate-to-coconut ratio. Switching to the scoop.
Ha, yeah, smaller ones are basically just chocolate with a coconut hint. The scoop really does matter.
How do you explain 1.3g net carbs to people who don't track? You don't. Brought these to a work thing and someone asked which store I got them from. Four stars only because the coconut mixture is stickier to mold than it lets on.
Store-bought question is the best compliment. The stickiness is real. I chill the mixture about 10 minutes before I start shaping and it's way easier.
Toasted the coconut flakes in a dry pan for three minutes before mixing in the butter and sweetener, and it changed the whole thing. The coconut picks up a deeper, toasted sweetness that plays off the chocolate coating, something the untoasted version just doesn't have. Took maybe five minutes extra. Can't imagine skipping it now. Watch the pan though, they go from golden to burnt shockingly fast.
That burn warning is real. I've lost a batch going 30 seconds too long. The toasted coconut against the chocolate is a different candy entirely.
the almond joy my dad would bring home on fridays. this.
That's what I was going for. Same almond tucked in, same chocolate coating. Just 1.3g net carbs.
Made these for a pool day on Saturday because I really did not want to turn on the oven in this heat. My daughter, who normally picks the chocolate off anything and eats around the rest, kept coming back for the whole piece every time, which honestly caught my attention more than anything else. I was nervous about the coconut mixture holding together (first time working with coconut flakes this way), but once they chilled they were sturdy enough to grab straight from the freezer. I used Lily's chips for the chocolate drizzle and they set up surprisingly well even sitting outside. The 1.3g net carbs per piece means I could have a few without overthinking it, which as someone still pretty new to keto is kind of wild. Going to try a double batch next weekend and see if I can actually save any for later in the week.
If the kid who picks the chocolate off came back for the whole piece every time, that tells you everything. Double batch won't save you, fair warning.
Probably on batch six or seven at this point. Switched to Lily's dark chocolate instead of whatever chips I had lying around, and the coating holds way better out of the fridge. That almond in the center still gets me every time.
Lily's for the coating. Sets cleaner and doesn't get that weird bloom.
These are really good, but I wish someone had mentioned that the coconut mixture needs to cool down a little before you try to shape it around the almonds. Mine kept sliding apart and I ended up with lumpy clusters instead of anything resembling a ball. Tasted fine once the chocolate set over everything, but wanted to save the next person the frustration.
Batch four over here and I still get that little excitement when the chocolate sets on them, there's something about that snap. I use Lily's chips and they drizzle on perfectly every single time.
That snap with the soft coconut underneath is the whole thing. Batch four and it still gets you.
Wasn't sure it would hold shape without a binder, but it does. Mine looked just like the photo, and honestly tastes more like an actual Almond Joy than I expected for 1.3 net carbs.
The butter sets up firm once it chills, no egg needed. And that Almond Joy thing is exactly what I was going for.
First time making these, honestly surprised how well the coconut holds around the almond once you nail the pinching. Used Lily's chips for the drizzle and they set up great. Think these would keep in the fridge a week, or does the texture get weird?
Lily's melts clean, good call. Five days is the sweet spot for texture. At a week the coconut gets a little dense, so I freeze anything past day 5.
Batch six and I finally figured out why I keep coming back (the coconut flakes get this faint toasty quality from the butter even without an oven, and that's what I'm chasing every time). Been pressing the almonds in deeper so they're fully encased and every bite has a crunch center. Small thing, big difference. Lily's for the chocolate drizzle. At 1.3g net carbs I just make them weekly and stop overthinking it.
That butter/coconut thing is real and I never could have described it before you did. Pressing almonds in fully, trying that next batch.