3-Ingredient Easy Homemade Mounds (Or Bounty) Bars
Calling all coconut lovers: make your own homemade, better version of Mounds or Bounty bars with this simple 3-ingredient recipe!
I am a sucker for coconut chocolate bars of all kinds! Mounds bars and Almond Joys used to be my favorite candy bars, until a jaunt to Europe in the 12th grade introduced me to the joy of Bounty bars, which are like a better, thicker, more delicious version. Unfortunately, Bounty bars are somewhat difficult to get in the States, which is why I started making my own homemade Mounds bars.
This recipe is super easy — you can have homemade Bounty bars pretty quickly, and enjoy them all week. Heck, make a double batch — it’s super easy!
What’s in homemade Mounds bars?
Who knew you could make your own Mounds bars with simple ingredients from the grocery store? You do, now!
- Shredded Coconut: You can use either sweetened shredded coconut or unsweetened coconut flakes for the sweet coconut filling.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: This holds the coconut filling together and ads sweetness to the coconut mixture.
- Chocolate Chips: You’re going to use this to cover your homemade candy bars. Use whatever chocolate you’d like — for classic Mounds bars you can use dark chocolate chips, but I actually prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe. Feel free to use milk chocolate or even white chocolate!
Making 3-Ingredient Mounds Bars
Step 1 | Make Coconut Cream
In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded coconut and sweetened condensed milk. Use a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients together until they form a mixture that can be rolled and handled. If it’s too sticky, add more coconut until you get the right consistency.
For those who want a creamy coconut filling, you can process this in a food processor to create that deliciously creamy filling.
Step 2 | Form Bars and Chill
With damp hands (yes, you read that right), form the coconut mixture into little coconut bars. You can get about 8 normally sized bars out of this recipe, but feel free to make these in any shape or size you’d like. Mini Mounds bars, anyone?
Tip: Having slightly wet hands keeps the coconut filling from sticking when you handle it!
Once you’ve formed your bars, place them on wax paper and put them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This will help them hold their shape when you coat them with chocolate.
Step 3 | Chocolate Coating
Once your bars are chilled, pour the chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl. Microwave the bowl in 30 second bursts, stirring in between each, until the chocolate is completely melted.
Dip the coconut bars into the melted chocolate and put them on parchment paper or wax paper to harden.
Tip: To get the bars to harden quicker, place them in the fridge!
Step 4 | Enjoy!
When your bars are hardened they’re ready to eat. You can also add to them with a dusting of powdered sugar, a chocolate drizzle, or a sprinkle of flaky salt!
Variations
With a few changes, you can play around with your new favorite treats:
- Almond Joy Candy Bars: Use milk chocolate chips to coat your bars, and add an almond or two to the top of each coconut bar!
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bars: Coat your bars in white chocolate and add chopped macadamia nuts to the coconut mixture for this Hawaiian take.
- No Bake 8×8 Pan Mounds Bars: Press the coconut mixture into the bottom of a 8×8 square pan. Spread the melted chocolate over the top and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator and cut into squares.
More Deliciously Easy Desserts
FAQs
Store your Mounds bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks. You can also freeze them for longer storage.
Yes, you can melt chocolate bars instead of using chocolate chips. Just make sure to melt the chocolate slowly and carefully to avoid burning it.
After shaping the coconut mixture into bars, chill them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up before dipping them in melted chocolate
Ingredients
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 12 oz chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the coconut and sweetened condensed milk. Stir until combined. The mixture should be sticky, but able to be rolled and shaped. If it's too sticky, add more coconut until the desired consistency is reached.
- Shape the coconut mixture into 8 bars. Place the bars on a sheet of parchment or wax paper, then place them in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- After the bars have chilled, pour the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave them in 30 second bursts, stirring in between until the chips are completely melted.
- Dip the chilled bars into the melted chocolate to coat them. Place them on wax paper to harden. To speed up the hardening process, place them in the fridge.
- Once the chocolate coating has hardened, the bars are ready to eat!
