This homemade chocolate and coconut candy tastes just like a Mounds candy bar and you would never know, but it’s made with POTATOES!
I have a special place in my heart for potatoes. I live in Idaho, my husband works for a potato company and I drive past potato fields almost every day! I mean it when I say I loooove potatoes!
One of my favorite time-saving kitchen tips is using instant mashed potatoes in recipes. I always keep a few packets of instant potatoes in the pantry! With three kids, a house to remodel and a growing business, I’m all about anything that simplifies my life and instant potatoes are so convenient.
The holidays are coming more quickly than I care to admit, and that means it’s time to start planning out what delicious goodies I’ll be making for neighbor gifts, cookie trays and all of those holiday parties.
You are going to die when you see how easy it is to whip up a batch of this amazing coconut candy and you’ll be even more amazed when you taste it. Mmm…. all the gooey coconut goodness topped with chocolate. Delicious!
To make these homemade copycat Mounds bars, you will need:
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup instant potatoes
- hot water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2-3+ cups powdered sugar
- 2 2/3 cups flaked coconut
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Directions
Mix potato flakes with just enough hot water to make the potatoes stick together. They will be more dry than you would normally make them. I used a little less than half a cup of water.
Add vanilla and salt and stir until combined. Add just enough powdered sugar to make the mixture thick. It should be just a little softer than play dough. Stir in the coconut flakes. The mixture will be thick, so you can just kind of knead the coconut in with your freshly-washed hands.
Line an 8×8 pan with waxed paper, then press the coconut/potato mixture into the pan.
Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth, then pour the chocolate over the coconut layer.
Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until candy is firm. Cut into squares to serve.
Isn’t it crazy that you can make candy out of potatoes? The things you learn living in Idaho. Ha!
Another variation is to add almonds to make these like Almond Joy bars. Just place the almonds on top of the coconut layer before you pour the melted chocolate on top! The choice is up to you. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.
I’ll definitely be making these treats to add to my Christmas cookie tray. By the time I’m done baking a billion cookies, I’ll be so grateful for this easy no-bake recipe!
Secret Ingredient No-Bake Mounds Bars
Equipment
- 1 8×8 cake pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Instant Potatoes
- hot water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2-3+ cups powdered sugar
- 2 2/3 cups flaked coconut
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Mix potato flakes with just enough hot water to make the potatoes stick together. They will be more dry than you would normally make them. I used a little less than half a cup of water.
- Add vanilla and salt and stir until combined. Add just enough powdered sugar to make the mixture thick. It should be just a little softer than play dough.
- Stir in the coconut flakes. The mixture will be thick, so you can just kind of knead the coconut in with your freshly-washed hands.
- Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper, then press the coconut/potato mixture into the pan.
- Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring often until smooth. Pour the chocolate over the coconut layer.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or until candy is firm. Cut into squares to serve. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
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