Raw Almond Butter Chocolate Coconut Cookies

Did you happen to catch the attempted play on words?

Raw (miniature) Chocolate Almond Mounds of Joy

“Almond Joy’s got nuts – Mounds Don’t!”

Growing up I didn’t eat a lot of candy candy.  My consumption of sweets was in the category of “fancy.”  After all, I’m a fancy lady.
Gourmet chocolate truffles, European gianduja, marzipan, biscotti, hand-painted chocolate slicks of decadence, Walker’s shortbread… I had it all.  We had it all.
Yet, I still distinctly remember, and know very well, the smell of Snicker’s on dear Dad’s breath, and my personal favorite, Peanut M&M breath.  Call me crazy – I love it.

Raw Almond Joy Cookie
Not a huge fan of candy in general, I could definitely go crazy with Peanut or Almond M&Ms, but I was drawn to the Almond Joy.  This was, of course, extremely occasional; even to the point of being a rare indulgence (expansion outside the box, rather – indulgence is definitely NOT the correct term for convenience store candy over a dollop of Droste’s).
The Almond Joy is packaged in a long, skinny wrapper, but is split in two little “mounds” of almond-scented coconut treat, covered in chocolate, and topped with just one or two more almond nuts.  Very clever.

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Given this magnetism I carried, and still possess, towards nuts (you are what you eat, right?), it’s no wonder my favorite Girl Scout cookie was the overly delectable, seductive, and downright evil Samoa.

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I may have a propensity for nuts, which will NEVER end.  But, my true, and somewhat clandestine, weakness is for the most sublimely, heavenly matched flavor combination on earth: chocolate and peanut butter – together. 

So, with a little healthier take on the childhood memories candied into my brain – we have:

Mini Chocolate-Almond Mounds of Joy

1 c. toasted hazelnuts
1 c. raw almonds
1 1/2 c. pitted dates, roughly chopped
2/3 c. raw almond butter
5 Tbs. raw cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. unsweetened, shredded coconut
Additional shredded coconut for garnish** (Optional)

Combine all the ingredients, except for the coconut, in the food processor.  Whir until smooth.  This will take a few minutes and may require scraping down the sides of the bowl one or more times.

Line a mini muffin tin with plastic wrap.  Spoon dollops of the sweet mixture into the lined tin cups and form into “mounds.”  Freeze until well formed.  Remove mounds from plastic and tin and flip for presentation.  Sprinkle with shredded coconut.
Yum!!

Raw Almond Joy Cookies


11 thoughts on “Raw Mini Chocolate Almond Mounds of Joy”

  1. I made these last night and they taste delicious! I do have a question about the recipe though, it says to not add the 1/4 c coconut flakes because its used to garnish the recipe…however the ingredient list says to have extra coconut flakes for garnish. I went ahead and added the 1/4 into the mix and then used additional coconut to decorate. Was this right?

    Also, my end result batter seemed dry in comparison to your picture. They were able to be pressed into a mini muffin tin and formed, but they tend to crumble quickly when handled/eaten. Is there something I can do to make the recipe more sticky? Should I have pre-soaked the dates before using them? Could I just add water to the batter when processing?

    Thanks again. Great recipe 🙂

    1. Rachel,

      Leaving the 1/4 c. coconut out of the mix, and then garnishing with it will certainly make your “mounds” more moist. Coconut absorbs so much moisture – and depending upon the climate, the added flakes will dry out the mounds in no time. My suggestion would be to add a touch more almond butter and less of the flakes – until you garnish. If you like a more coconutty flavor and texture, though, feel free to soak the dates. Let me know how it goes!

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