Why We Like It
If you love an Almond Joy candy bar or coconut macaroons, but are looking for a healthy replacement, well this is it! We love them “half naked” and drizzled with chocolate, but we also think they’re equally good without the chocolate or “naked!”
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Cook First:
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/4 tsp salt
Add to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until warm, about one minute.
Add Next:
- 1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
- 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour (or whole wheat white flour)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom (OPTIONAL)
Add to the saucepan and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture just begins to sizzle and is slightly dry, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
Using a teaspoon and your fingers, form the mixture into 24 small mounds and place on a greased baking sheet.
Add Almonds and Bake:
- 24 almonds (whole)
Place one almond on top of each cookie and lightly press down.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown with crisp edges.
Remove cookies from the baking sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Stop here for “naked” Almond Joy Cookie Bites, OR proceed to the next step to make them “half-naked” by drizzling with chocolate stripes.
Add Chocolate (OPTIONAL):
- 4 oz (about 1/3 cup) dark chocolate chips (60% or higher cacao)
Add to a glass bowl and microwave 30 seconds. Stir. Continue to microwave 10 seconds at a time, stirring each time until the chocolate is melted.
Line cooled cookies in rows, all touching each other (on a cookie sheet, for easy “spill-over” clean up). Using a spoon, drizzle over cookies using a back and forth fashion making “stripes.”
Serve and Enjoy!
Nutrition Information for one cookie bite (with optional chocolate drizzle)
- Calories: 95
- Fat: 6.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Cholesterol: 16 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 10 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Total Sugars: 7 g
- Added Sugars: 6 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 25 mg
