Coconutty and flavorful, these Healthy Coconut Bites will surely delight you. These little joys look beautiful on the Holiday table. They are completely guilt-free, loaded with HEALTHY stuff and made without refined sugar.
I'm really a big fan of coconut. A BIG fan! But until a year ago I didn't know that eating a coconut is actually really healthy for my body. To be perfectly honest, until a year ago I didn't know much about that tropical splendor.
For example, I didn't know that you can make coconut milk out of coconut flour at home. Or that there is a coconut oil you can cook with, or that you can replace all-purpose white flour with coconut flour in making cakes or bread.
Now that I know all these wonderful things about coconut and how its consumption contributes to my health, coconut is my favorite superfood beside chocolate, and a must have in my kitchen.
And since I'm a huge fan of energy balls - Turmeric Energy Balls and Carrot Cake Balls are my favorite, making these Healthy Coconut Bites was just natural thing to do when I rediscovered coconut.
For making these Healthy Coconut Bites you will need only 4 ingredients - shredded unsweetened coconut, coconut oil, honey and vanilla extract.
Also, you will need a food processor with the extension for grinding or an ordinary coffee grinder. While grinding coconut flakes in the electric grinder some of oils from coconut releases and you'll get a wet, dense mixture - something like the coconut butter.
Transfer the mixture into a bowl and just add other ingredients. Stir until you get thick paste-like dough. Coconut will absorb liquids from oil and syrup will combine the whole thing into a compact mass.
I formed little bite-size coconut balls with my hands, and I used a teaspoon for dosing. When you put a piece of the mixture in your hand, coconut oil will slowly melt so you can shape your ball nicely. Once you made a ball, roll it in a shredded coconut immediately.
The main ingredient in these coconut balls is a superfood - coconut oil. Coconut oil is very healthy and if you still haven't incorporated it into your daily diet, DO IT! It helps in lowering bad cholesterol, improves the absorption of vitamins and minerals, has a positive effect on a blood sugar, and preserves the health of our heart. Also it strengthens the immune system and improves digestion and helps with weight loss.
Coconut oil also contains medium chain fatty acids which is easily digested in the human organism and almost immediately converted into energy. So these sweet coconut bites are actually like a small healthy energy bomblets.
Put Healthy Coconut Bites in a container and refrigerate. Have them as a treat, snack or serve as a dessert on your holiday table. These energy bites are also good as a post workout snack.
Enjoy!
Healthy Coconut Bites
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut and more for dusting
- 2 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pulse the shredded coconut in a grinder for a few seconds until flakes releases some of oils and texture becomes wet and dense. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and add other ingredients. Stir with a spoon until you get a thick paste.
- Leave the mixture for few minutes at room temperature, and then transfer it to the refrigerator for 20 minutes until mixture become firm and harden.
- Dose mixture with a teaspoon and form small bite-size balls with your hand. Immediately roll a ball in shredded coconut and place on a wax paper.
- Place finished coconut bites in a refrigerator to cool completely. Keep in cool place until serving.
Nutrition
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Xoxo, Natalie
Made these for my husband today and they turned out perfect. I'm not sure why people are not getting (at least) 24 bite size balls from this, unless they are confusing a tablespoon with a teaspoon. I used a teaspoon for dosing as directed and I ended up with 25 bites of deliciousness. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Very tasty and just what I was after!
Recipe doesn’t seem like it makes enough batter? The batter I just made certainly isn’t going to make 24 balls. It probably won’t even make 12. Sad because now these balls are going to have a huge amount of calories so I’ll only be able to enjoy one at a time. That’s too bad. Please update the recipe!
Hi Casey, thank you for your feedback. It depends on how big you make the balls. I usually make them very small, a bite-size, for the reason they are high in calories. And while these calories are completely ok and healthy, for someone following a restricted-calorie diet, size may play a big role. I would suggest you make them as big, or as small as you like.
DELICIOUS! But, I doubled the recipe, because I knew these would be amazing, and I only made 18 coconut bites. That means that the normal recipe would only make 9 bites. I was hoping for 48 bites, so they would last me long. I did do the teaspoon sized balls, and followed the recipe to a T, and doubled it. Using 4 cups of coconut instead of 2, and 4 tablespoons of honey, and 6 tablespoons of coconut oil, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, and could only make 18 balls. I was hoping this would last me two weeks, but it might only last me one. I am disappointed in the math that was not done well. Although, they did turn out amazing, just wish I could have had way more.
Hi! Can you use desiccated coconut instead of coconut flakes? And maybe not blitz so much as a result? Thinking if that’s too dry I might add a tiny bit of vanilla extract or peanut butter to moisten... am I crazy? ?
You can add some peanut butter but I would recommend using coconut butter or almond butter. Peanut butter is too intense in flavor. You can def use desiccated coconut. The moister the better ;)
Can you use butter to substitute for coconut oil??
Coconut butter - yes. Dairy butter - unfortunately no. It wouldn't taste good ;)
I was looking at the Healthy Coconut bites recipe....how much coconut flour is used? You mention it in the instructions, but not as an ingredient.
I would like to try making them after I get that information.
Thank you for sharing other recipes.
Hi Nelly. I'm glad you like this recipe and you wanted to give it a try. For this recipe I used unsweetened shredded coconut flakes (not store-bought coconut flour). Coconut flakes are moist and full of oils, while store-bought coconut flour is very dry. With grinding coconut flakes in electric grinder for few minutes, some of that oil released under the heat. You'll get a dense wet mixture in which you later add other ingredients. Enjoy!
Would it too difficult to add chocolate or cocoa?
I really love coconut and chocolate but I HATE dates and all the recipes I've found have dates.
Thanks
Sometimes, instead of rolling these coconut balls into shredded coconut, I dip them in melted chocolate. It's delicious combo! :) You can try do that! If recipe calls for dates, you can always substitute them with other dried fruits - like dried apricots, dried plums, dried cranberries even dried cherries. Hope that helps.
Hi Natalie, I was wondering about using coconut flour and shredded coconut in this recipe. And would it matter and if so what ratios would you recommend. Thanks so glad I found your page ?
I used only shredded coconut. Never tried mixing coconut flour with shredded coconut in this recipe. I've heard some people tried using coconut flour and needed to add more coconut oil because coconut flour is dry and absorbs the moisture. That's only information I have. I'm sorry I can be more helpful.
Hi, Natalie! I've tried this recipe, but I was hoping you could help me with what to do to avoid the balls getting a bit too dry. Maybe an additional tbsp of honey/ syrup? Thank you! :)
If you add additional honey or syrup I'm afraid that the balls will get too sweet. Maybe you should try adding a teaspoon of pure water just to dilute coconut oil which hardens the ball after cooling. Let me know how it turns out :)
Just the perfect Christmas gift--especially for a food blogger! :) I love that you made a healthy version of Raffaello balls. Such a delicious and tasty idea! Also, I'm just drooling over that chocolate banana cake. That drizzle looks incredible, Natalie! Pinning, of course! xo
Thank you, Demeter :* Yes, that was perfect Xmas gift. This yeah I wished new Kitcheaid mixer <3 We will see if I was naughty or nice ;)