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Better-Than-Mounds Chocolate Coconut Cups – Low Carb and Gluten-Free

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Low carb chocolate coconut cups are a ridiculously easy to make, no bake recipe. These sugar-free treats give Mounds Bars a run for their money and they are good for you! 

titled photo: Better Than Mounds Chocolate Coconut Cups - shown: Low Carb Chocolate Coconut Cups arranged on a white dessert platter

This may sound a little crazy but easy is actually very difficult for me. Not in my day-to-day life, where I prefer the easy way of doing things as much as possible. But in my kitchen life, I have a tendency to gravitate towards the more difficult, with multiple steps and many moving parts.

I think I was always this way when it came to desserts and baking, because I love a challenge and who doesn’t want a 3 layer coconut cake with chocolate mousse-filling? It’s the Cheesecake Factory-syndrome, where we begin to believe that all desserts should be towering creations of epic proportions. I am a sucker for these kinds of desserts and now my only option is to make them from scratch in a low carb, sugar-free format. So sometimes I forget that simple can be just as good or even better than the more complicated.

a stack of Low Carb Chocolate Coconut Cups on a piece of burlap

Simple Sugar-Free Treats

This keto coconut candy cups recipe is a case in point. The sugar-free treats didn’t turn out at all the way I intended but by god, they are delicious! So good, in fact, that I’ve already made them twice this week. I had originally planned for them to be truffles, rolled into balls and dipped in chocolate. See? Multiple steps. But my filling did not cooperate. It was too soft when warm but it firmed up too quickly in the fridge to be rolled. So I remelted it and spooned it into little mini-muffin cups, froze it for a little bit and then simply topped it with the chocolate coating. I get all the great flavour of chocolate and coconut together, with minimal fuss or muss.

keto fat bombs - Homemade Mounds Candy

In the low carb world, these little keto, sugar-free treats might also be known as “fat bombs”. Yes, it’s a detestable name but they do serve the excellent and delicious purpose of filling you up with good healthy fats so you don’t find yourself gobbling down the carbs in a moment of weakness.

And having just come home from a Disney vacation where I probably ate a few more carbs than normal, it was nice to have these little treats to satisfy my cravings. I will say, I find them addictive in and of themselves. The mix of coconut butter and coconut oil is so good, I found I hardly needed to sweeten the filling much. And my husband, who has a soft spot for Mounds, loves them too. With both of us munching on them, it’s no wonder I had to make them twice already.

Low carb chocolate coconut cups are ridiculously easy to whip up. You can even simply melt some sugar-free chocolate for the topping, instead of making it from scratch. I used Lily’s on my second go-round and it barely changed the carb or other nutritional counts (I think the calories went up by 1 per candy).

sugar-free no bake Chocolate Coconut Cups arranged on a piece of burlap

I am linking this sugar-free treats recipe up to my dear friend, Roxana’s, monthly Chocolate Party. For April, the “secret ingredient” was coconut. Um, I think I nailed it! Check out the fun recipes over at Roxana’s Chocolate Party!

How to Make Low Carb Chocolate Coconut Cups

4.86 from 14 votes
Print
Better-Than-Mounds Chocolate Coconut Candies
Prep Time
20 mins
Chill Time
40 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 
Sweet no-bake coconut cups with a layer of dark chocolate. These low carb, sugar-free treats give Mounds a run for their money!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 20 mini cups
Calories: 240 kcal
Ingredients
Coconut Candies:
Chocolate Topping:
Instructions
  1. For the candies, line a mini-muffin pan with 20 mini paper liners (I recommend parchment ones for true non-stick).
  2. Combine coconut butter and coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until melted and smooth and then stir in shredded coconut and sweetener until combined.
  3. Divide mixture among prepared mini muffin cups and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
  4. For the chocolate coating, combine cocoa butter and unsweetened chocolate together in bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Stir until melted.
  5. Stir in sifted powdered sweetener, then stir in cocoa powder, until smooth.
  6. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
  7. Spoon chocolate topping over chilled coconut candies and let set, about 15 minutes.
  8. OR if using pre-packaged chocolate, simply melt and spoon over the cold coconut filling.
  9. Candies can be stored on your counter top for up to a week.
Recipe Notes

Serves 10. Each serving has 5 g of carbs and 4 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 1 g.

240 Calories; 25g Fat (89.1% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 6mg Sodium.

Nutrition Facts
Better-Than-Mounds Chocolate Coconut Candies
Amount Per Serving (2 cups)
Calories 240 Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Fat 25g38%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Fiber 4g16%
Protein 2g4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

Reader Interactions

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Comments

  3. I’m assuming the half cup of ‘Kelapo’ is their coconut oil? These look amazing! Will definitely have to make these this week.

    Reply

  4. Wow! I had to make this recipe as soon as I saw it since I had all the ingredients. So good! My chocolate seized up on me so I kept asking coconut oil until it was the right consistency. I used my silicone ice cube tray to make them and it worked perfectly. This is the first fat bomb I’ve made. Thanks for the amazing recipe… it really is like the candy bar.

    Reply

    • Glad you liked them! Out of curiosity, what kind of chocolate did you use for the coating? I find Baker’s has a tendency to seize.

      Reply

        • I struggle with Baker’s too. I can’t get Ghirardelli at all my local grocery stores so sometimes I get Baker’s and it seizes way more. Glad you knew what to do…not everyone does!

          Reply

    • What part was oily, the filling? I wonder if it was the brand of coconut oil? In which case, I would suggest going with more coconut butter and less coconut oil.

      Reply

      • The coconut part was oily. I did use Carrington Farms Coconut oil from Costco. Should I use 1 cup of coconut butter?
        Thanks
        Shelley

        Reply

        • I’ve never tried their coconut oil so I can’t really say it’s the issue but it might be. But all coconut butter would be kind of hard and not as tasty. I’d go 75/25, so 3/4 cup coconut butter and 1/4 cup coconut oil. And if you have a little xanthan gum, whisk it in at the end, as it can help emulsify oils like that.

          Reply

          • Shelley,

            Could it be your coconut butter had settled out?

            I never used coconut butter before and almost didn’t catch that the fluffy 1/2 cup I scooped from the jar sat atop a solidified mass of hardened butter that had settled. I warmed the jar in hot water, scooped it all into a bowl and mixed it back together before using.

            It should feel like peanut butter. And taste really good too 😉
            –Marv (delicious treat – thanks Carolyn!)

          • Oh good call. There is some coconut oil type stuff that sits at the top of the jar of coconut butter and is not the same hard consistency at all. So it would add MORE coconut oil to the mix.

          • Thanks you so much I have never used any of these products before so that was a wonderful comment, I will try that as well.
            Shelley

  11. I think you’re not the only one who sometimes forgets how the simple things turns out so good. I find myself as well brainstorming recipes that take like forever to make with a ceiling high pile of dirty dishes.
    These coconut chocolate cups are so adorable. Almond Joy is one of my favorite candy and your low card version of the dark chocolate bars looks much better!
    Thanks for sharing and participating in this month chocolate party

    Reply

  12. I made these last night. They are fantastic and addictive. I found Lily’s sugar-free chocolate chips at Whole Foods last night and decided the universe was sending me a message to make them. Thank you so much for the recipe.

    Reply

    • I love all the comments but mine are not coming out well at all had to throw out 2 different batches maybe its the brand of coconut butter and coconut oil that I am using
      Shelley

      Reply

      • Are they still oily? Did you try using a little xanthan gum to emulsify them? I really don’t know what the issue is, because I’ve made them 3 times now (yes, I really do like them that much). The third time, I didn’t even measure the ingredients, I just tossed it together in the pan and it still came out great.. But please don’t throw them out. At the very least, keep them and use the in place of coconut oil in baking. In my experience, almost everything can be saved and used in some way.

        Reply

        • I am definetly going to try again. They are still a little oily went to the 75/25 you told me about. Now when I am cooking this do I let it get to an almost boil phase? After I mixed everything together I spooned them into the muffin tins. Thanks for your help
          Shelley

          Reply

          • No, don’t boil it at all.Just melt and stir, it should be just to the point of being completely melted. What brand of coconut butter are you using? I don’t have a lot of experience with coconut butter, but I am using Artisana Organic.

          • Thanks I have tried again and used nuts not quite right yet. I am not going to give up with all the raves this receipe is getting.
            Happy Easter to all
            Shelley

          • Hi! I know this is late, but please make sure you’re using a coconut oil that’s solid when refrigerated. There are a lot of refined coconut oils that don’t solidify properly, like the real deal. Make sure your oil isn’t cut or refined.

  13. I made these yesterday and they were delish! I toasted the coconut first, ’cause I like it that way. The coconut settled toward the bottom, which reminds me of a crust, so today I’ll make a batch with chopped macadamia nuts on the bottom. Carolyn, you are a lifesaver for the low carbers who enjoy dessert. For years I struggled to adapt regular recipes with low carb ingredients. Without your blog I’d have to become you, and well… You do that best.

    Reply

    • That sounds great! Speaking of macadamia nuts, you can also replace any cao butter or coconut with nut butter. I toasted macadamias in pan, then used a hand-held emulsifier tool (forgot name) to turn it into butter! Great in recipes!

      Reply

  15. I made these yesterday using Lily’s Dark Chocolate with Coconut (yes – I love coconut that much) and they were/are delicious. I think I will try them with Lily’s Milk Chocolate and add almonds to make a version of an Almond Joy. Do you have any suggestions for a good candy mold? I think I want to try to coat them completely in chocolate in hopes that I will not need to refrigerate them. What do you think?

    Reply

    • Actually Kim, I tried doing that exact thing on my third go and it didn’t work very well. I guess the coconut part is too melty and lets of some oils, so that the chocolate coating didn’t stick at all.

      Reply

      • That is good to know! Thank you for your quick reply. I need to make another batch, already!!! If I didn’t follow a ketogenic diet, I’d be in big trouble!!!

        Reply

          • Shelley –

            Are you familiar with Fat Bombs? If you are new to them, they are all on the oilier side than what you might be used to. Just a thought.

          • Kim might be right, perhaps you are unused to the feeling of eating full fat like this? They are “fat bombs” which means they will be oily, especially if you let them sit out and it’s warmish out. I am really not sure what to say.

  16. These are gorgeous! And I’m cracking up over your “fat bomb” reference, but I know exactly what you mean. 😉 My body thrives on a sugar free and high (heathy) fats diet… not that I eat like that all the time, but I should. Anyways, beautiful recipe!
    Megan

    Reply

  18. Just made ’em. LOVE ’em. Very simple to put together. I used plain paper liners and had ZERO problem with sticking. Delicious. I made my own coconut butter with my Vitamix and about a cup of unsweetened shredded coconut. Thanks for the recipe, I’m getting ready to do a few days of a Fat Fast.

    Reply

    • Coconut butter is made from coconuts. Cocoa butter is made from the cocoa beans, the same one chocolate is made from. Big difference in taste and consistency.

      Reply

  21. These are delicious!!! My grocer didn’t have coconut butter so I used their combo Almond/Coconut butter. I melted low carb, low sugar dark chocolate and added a wee bit of pumpkin spice for the topping. Amazing!! Thanks SO much for sharing the recipe.

    Reply

  22. I’ve never posted here before but I just had to tell you how good these are. I’ve tried a couple of different fat bombs but these are far superior in every way. I like that they are able to stay at room temperature without falling apart…Actually I keep them in the fridge and eat them cold…but they could travel theoretically. 😉
    Absolutely delicious! The only think I did differently was use a 1/2 cup of coconut cream instead of the coconut butter (the kind of cream that’s sold in a brick, not the one in the can.) I also used 90% dark instead of unsweetened chocolate just because that’s what I had. These are AWESOME. Thank you!!

    Reply

    • I’ve used the coconut cream too, the one from Let’s Do Organic. It works well. And they do last well at room temp, provided it’s not really hot out! I’ve taken them with me on trips.

      Reply

      • I use Let’s do Organic creamed coconut (coconut is the only ingredient). Is that the same thing as Let’s do Organic coconut cream? I think the one I have is the same as coconut butter or coconut manna.

        Reply

  23. The coconut base came out perfectly, but the chocolate not so much! I tried to melt the chocolate in a small saucepan (lilly’s sugar free dark chocolate) and it got very clumpy and I couldn’t spread it over the chilled coconut base. They look terrible! What did I do wrong?

    Reply

    • Sounds like your chocolate seized. That can happen for a lot of reasons. Next time I suggest two things to guard against it…first, do it double-boiler style, with a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Secondly, put just a 1/2 tbsp of butter to help “liquify” the chocolate as it melts. Maybe even a full tbsp.

      Reply

  24. I have never posted before, but I just had to say what a wonderful recipe this is! I used Coconut Cream Concentrate in place of the Coco Butter and these turned out fantastic! I also used a skull candy mold for Halloween, so now my hubby and I can have treats just like the kids without the guilt! Thank you so much for your time and effort in all you do!

    Reply

  25. These look AMAZING, and after the Christmas Holiday, I need to get off sugar again. 😀
    Anyway, I want to try these, but am wondering if anyone has played around with the sweetener. I have powdered swerve, but I makes me sick. Will using something else like splendia or truvia likely change the consistency too much?
    Thanks!

    Reply

  26. Carolyn, I appreciate your hard work so much. You make it possible to enjoy delicious foods and not feel like you are on a diet or deprived from anything! I’ve been making your recipes for a few years now and they are always terrific but I made these last night and I’m in low carb heaven! I plan to make them as a gift for a low carb friends birthday along with those delicious looking thumbprint cookies! Thank you so much!

    Reply

  27. I just made these, but substituted 25 drops stevia for the Swerve. They turned out amazing, and are absolutely delicious. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

  28. Hi Carolyn,
    THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS AWESOME RECIPE!!! I’ve made it twice and today took some into work – the ladies loved it and wanted the recipe. Have you written a low carb cookbook? If not, you should! This recipe is so amazing I’m going to check out your other recipes. You helped me realize that low carb does not mean missing-out on all my favorite foods. THANK YOU!

    Reply

  29. I really should’ve read all the comments first! My chocolate-Baker’s-siezed, so I thinned it out with some coconut oil. ALSO, I didn’t read the recipe very well and though it called for coconut butter for the chocolate-no cocoa butter for my trial batch. Oops! They still tasted fabulous. Thank you so much for the great recipe!!!

    Reply

  30. I made these and they are wonderful! I got several more than the recipe states using my candy mold, but still, half of one is enough to cure my candy craving. I usually eat a toasted, salted almond with it and I think next time I’ll put almonds on the coconut layer before adding the chocolate on top–kind of like an Almond Joy with dark chocolate! Hubby loves them, too and he is a die-hard full-on sugar Linderballs eater.

    Reply

  31. These are PHENOMENAL! I made a trial run of these tonight in preparation for baby #2 coming in a few weeks (gotta have those good fats for all the feelings!) and they were a huge WIN. I only had granular Swerve but it worked just fine, I just used a little less. SO GOOD!

    Reply

  33. Absolutely amazing. Even better than the Russel Stover sugar free coconut sweets that I normally buy. Much cheaper. And I know what is in them. I added chopped macadamia nuts as suggested by another reviewer. My husband loves ’em. But he eats two at a time.

    Reply

  34. I didn’t see an answer to this so I’ll ask. Can the thick part in the top of a can of coconut milk be used for coconut butter? I use Native Forest full fat coconut milk.

    Also.. they can sit on the counter and not melt? We have a/c, but try not to keep it set to refrigerator temps. lol

    Thanks!

    Reply

  35. Can I sub regular butter for coconut butter? Also have some coconut flavoring I could use to make up for the loss of coconut flavor?

    Reply

    • No. Coconut butter and dairy butter do not have the same consistency and these would not firm up properly.

      Reply

  36. Forgive me if I’m breaking an unspoken (or spoken and not known) rule, but would it be a problem to put some food grade paraffin in the chocolate or base to keep it from melting so badly?

    Reply

  37. I was having a lot of trouble getting my fat macros higher, so this recipe was perfect. Made a few days ago and turned out wonderful. I didn’t want to put the effot into making the chocolate topping, so found small low-carb sugar free 72% dark chocolate squares and placed them into the liners and poured the coconut mix on top. AMAZING. It really is like Mounds but better!

    I don’t like my food too sweet so I did only use 1 tbsp of the sweetener and it suited my tastes. MMMMN. This is a lifetime keeper. Thank you so so much.

    Reply

  38. I just made these but I substituted all natural almond butter (coconut butter shortages!) and cut back on the sweetener to compensate. They are delicious beyond words. Thanks for the recipe it’s fantastic; I was looking for inspiration and I found it!

    Reply

  39. These were awesome! Followed recipe exactly…except I didn’t have any unsweetened chocolate so I used special dark cocoa and coconuts oil in place of it. Oh Y.u.m..thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

  40. These look amazing, and of course I want to make them tonight! Only problem is that I have no baking chocolate, only unsweetened cocoa powder. Do you think these could work with just the powder? Should I just add more cocoa butter to compensate for the lack of chocolate?

    Reply

    • Yes, there is actually a formula for subbing cocoa for unsweetened chocolate and i think it uses butter or oil. Google it and I bet you will find out!

      Reply

  42. I droppped a whole almond in each of these before putting them in the freezer. It sunk into the coconut mixture. Then after they were frozen I melted the chocolate and put it on top for a low carb almond joy.

    Reply

  43. Hi there

    I love your blog post, CHOCOLATE COCONUT CUPS, and we would love to feature it on our website, GreenThickies.com. Would it be OK for me to use one of your photos within my post? I will of course link back to your post.

    Thanks so much

    Myra
    GreenThickies.com

    Reply

  44. I just made these last night. They are perfect! Yum!! I was also happy that they looked just like your photos! Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe.

    Reply

  45. Since starting a ketogenic diet a little over a month ago, I have been eyeballing (and drooling over) this recipe. Waiting until I was able to find all of the ingredients and had the time to prepare them, I finally had a chance to make them yesterday. I used a silicone mini-muffin pan and forgot to put a tray under it before pouring in the coconut layer into the moulds. Unfortunately it was a little messy and the “white layer” spilled out of several moulds into others and was a lot thicker in some than in others. Then, my chocolate layer was super thick and I only had enough to cover half of the white layer pieces, so my finished product was no where near perfect looking. HOWEVER, in the end, THEY TASTE AMAZING. Even my kids want to help me eat them and they are satisfying to my chocolate cravings in a way that nothing else has touched since starting to eat Keto. Thank you for the amazing recipe, next time I’m sure I will not have as many mishaps! 🙂

    Reply

  48. Well, rock my world……diabetic and miss mounds bar………I use Enjoy Life chocolate chips, they do have some sugar….but no dairy, no soy and nut free. I’m allergic to dairy and can’t have soy due to the diabetes cause it makes my sugar bs up. I just started Keto today. So many friend said to try it. Having a hard time finding recipes without dairy. My doctor just told me my protein is up also, so I have to cut out alot of meat. I am very frustrated……..

    Reply

  56. 5 stars
    I just made these and can I say YUM!!!! I tweeked them a bit and wanted to share what I did. I used toasted coconut instead of raw. I added 1.5T of coconut butter to the chocolate and a pinch of salt. AND sprinkled some toasted sliced almonds on the top of each one. These are just amazing and thank you so so much for sharing. Yes I’m slow to the party by a few years but hey! I’m here LOL

    Reply

  57. Wow – these are good! I modified them to use honey & stevia for sweetener. I placed a hazelnut in the center of the filling before adding the chocolate top. I will keep them in the refrigerator since they probably won’t stay solid at room temp with the honey.

    Reply

  60. 5 stars
    As my tastes have changed over the years, I have a growing appreciation for all things coconut. And the chocolate on top… superb!

    Reply

  62. 5 stars
    They looked soooo good, I had to try and make chocolate coconut cups. I used your suggestion and used 1/2 cup Kelapo coconut oil. Thx for sharing!
    .

    Reply

  63. 5 stars
    You got one thing right – these are definitely better than mounds. They look quite lovely too, and I am glad the recipe is not too demanding. What a great way to prepare a low carb delicacy. Thank you, great work. Keep them coming.

    Reply

  65. Carolyn I have all your cookbooks and love the recipes. I made the Chocolate Coconut Cups but think I have too much coconut butter as they are really solid and a strong coconut flavor. I found it hard to measure the butter as it was several hard pieces I chopped up, then melted to give 1/2 cup but felt that was too much. Do you have a weight on the butter instead of the 1/2 cup as that might be a better measurement for me?

    Reply

    • They are supposed to be very solid and supposed to have a strong coconut flavor. The best way to measure coconut butter is to warm it gently and then scoop into a measuring cup.

      Reply

    • Just so you know, there are many ways of doing keto and calculating carbs. Net carbs is actually total minus fiber. That said, I no longer count carbs that way at all and only do total carbs for myself.

      Reply

  67. Can the Coconut base be chilled and scooped out as a ball and then dipped in chocolate to make a round, ball shape ?

    Reply

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