I’ve been including coconut in a lot of my sweet treats recently. But weird fact about me – I love the taste of coconut, but the texture? Hate it. I can handle a little coconut covering on an otherwise delicious treat, but something like a Bounty is an absolute no-go. However, it’s always felt a little bit of a shame to me that I can’t enjoy what I always imagined as a dream combo (chocolate and coconut), if not for that damn dreaded texture. These chocolate coconut slices are my solution to said problem.

Like 99% of my recipes, these no-bake chocolate coconut slices are very quick and easy to make and are based on whole foods, so they’re much higher in fibre and lower in sugar than standard Bounty bars. I’m a massive fan of mixed textures – the buckwheat groats help give these bars some “bite”, which contrasts with the soft coconut filling. I like to enjoy these with a cup of tea in the evening or as a treat to get me through Zoom meetings!

I do include desiccated coconut in this recipe, but the coconut cream adds moisture and creaminess, and avoids the Sahara desert dryness I get when I attempt my annual “do I like it yet?” Bounty re-test (spoiler: the answer is always no).

This recipe makes quite a large batch (~30 slices), but trust me, you’ll be glad to have a good supply for the week. I keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. Feel free to half the ingredients to make a smaller batch. They keep for about 5 days at room temperature, but I feel like they keep better stored in the fridge.

If you like these, why not try out some of my other sweet recipes, such as my Chocolate Bubble Balls, Fudgy Chocolate & Peanut Butter Slices or Spiced Orange & Poppy Seed Muffins?

Chocolate Coconut Slices

Recipe by Katie Wilson at Salt & HoneyCourse: Sweet Treats, SnacksDifficulty: Easy

Servings

30

bites

Prep time

25

minutes

I’ve always wanted to like Bounty bars – but alas, I do not. I know I’m not alone there, so if you are like me and like the taste of coconut but could do without the texture, you need to try these. These chocolate coconut slices are made with all whole ingredients, taste amazing, and satisfy your sweet tooth.

Ingredients

• 175g pitted medjool dates (~7-8 dates) soaked in 60ml hot water for 10 minutes

• 150g buckwheat groats

• 1tbsp coconut oil (or butter if preferred)

• 150g desiccated coconut

• 3.5tbsp (~60ml) liquid sweetener (maple syrup, honey, yacon, rice malt syrup etc)

• 4.5tbsp (~80ml) coconut cream for the filling + 1tbsp for the chocolate layer*

• 80g high-quality, dark chocolate, melted

• 1tbsp milk of choice

Directions

• Prepare a high-sided tray or baking tin by lining with greaseproof paper.
• In a food processor, combine the dates, date water, buckwheat groats and coconut oil to form a sticky paste. Don’t worry if some of the buckwheat remains intact.
• Decant this mixture into the tray and firmly press down with the back of a spoon, or even with your hands (make sure they’re clean!).
• Rinse your food processor before adding in the desiccated coconut, sweetener, and 4.5tbsp of coconut cream. Blitz until smooth. Then, spread evenly on top of the base layer.
• For the top layer, melt your chocolate over a double-boiler or in the microwave, being careful not to let it burn. Stir through the final tbsp of coconut cream and milk. It will form a slightly thick, ganache-like consistency. Pour over the coconut layer and smooth with a spatula to ensure an even covering.
• Allow to set in the fridge for an hour or so, or in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. To cut into bites, I recommend using a sharp knife than has been run under hot water – this helps avoid cracks in the chocolate (but of course – this isn’t the end of the world).

Additional Notes

• * coconut cream is usually bought canned, or in a Tatra Pak carton. Make sure you buy coconut CREAM (not coconut milk) – it should be fairly thick in consistency.