If your sweet tooth is begging for a chocolatey vegan treat right this second, these 4-Ingredient Dark Chocolate Toasted Coconut Cups are about to be your new go-to. They’re no-bake, make-ahead, freezer-friendly, naturally gluten free, AND they come together with just 10 minutes of prep (plus a quick 15 minute chill). Think creamy dark chocolate, toasty coconut, and that perfect crunchy, sweet & salty bite you get from those fancy gourmet vegan chocolate shops… except you made them in your kitchen in pajama pants....just me?
These little bites are perfect for a quick party dessert, a fun lunchbox surprise, a late-night chocolate emergency, or anyone who needs a delicious win without dirtying every dish in the house. Let’s make magic with just four simple ingredients! It's the ultimate treat for satisfying every craving in one bite! So addicting they'll be fighting over who gets the last one!
If you love crunchy chocolatey treats, you’ve got to try my Crunchy Cocoa Candied Cashews — they’re sweet, crispy, and just as dangerously snackable. Want chocolate for breakfast while keeping it totally healthy? These High Protein Chocolate Waffles will win over your entire family! Need cookies for a crowd? Don't miss these Fudgy Brownie Marshmallow Cookies, chewy, fudgy, and addictingly delicious!
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💗 Why you'll love Dark Chocolate Coconut Cups
- Just 4 ingredients — Dark chocolate chips, unsweetened coconut, chopped almonds, and salt… that’s it! Nothing fussy, nothing fancy, just pure yum.
- Ready in under 30 minutes — Stir, scoop, freeze, done. Perfect for last-minute cravings, surprise guests, or late-night “I deserve this” moments.
- Diet-friendly goodness — Vegan, naturally sweetened, gluten-free, dairy-free, and loved by kids, partners, and secret chocolate hoarders alike.
🍽 Equipment
- Small mixing bowl
- Small sauce pan for melting chocolate
- Pan or baking tray for toasting coconut
- I used my favorite little mini food processor, but this recipe can be made without if needed! (See my Tips)
- Spoon or spatula
- Mini muffin cup silicone mold (See my Tips if you don't have one)
- Cookie scoop, a mini muffin cup holds approximately 2 Tablespoons of filling so a #30 cookie scoop works great here. Alternatively you could just use a spoon and fill to the top.
🍫 Ingredients & Helpful Substitutions
For the full list and measurements, see the recipe card below. Here are the main ingredients and easy swaps.
- Vegan Dark Chocolate Chips: Use any dairy-free chocolate you love — chips, chunks, or a chopped chocolate bar all melt beautifully. Semi-sweet or dark both work! If you're avoiding refined sugar, choose a naturally sweetened chocolate.
- Raw Almonds: Whole, slivered, or sliced — anything goes. Want to swap? Try chopped walnuts or pecans, or hemp hearts (aka hemp seeds) for a nut-free option.
- Unsweetened Shredded or Flaked Coconut: Either form works as long as it’s unsweetened. I toasted my coconut in a pan, however, this can also be accomplished by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly spreading the coconut onto the sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about ten minutes or until golden and fragrant (stirring half way through). If you dislike coconut (hi, coconut-haters!), use puffed rice cereal for a fun crispy twist.
- Sea Salt: Just a ½ teaspoon brings all the chocolatey goodness to life. Swap with flaky salt for a fancy finish or skip entirely if you are avoiding salt.
🔪 Instructions
Gather everything.
Measure out your ingredients so you’re ready to roll — this recipe moves fast!
Toast the coconut.
Add shredded or flaked coconut to a skillet over medium heat. Stir every 30 seconds for about 5 minutes, until golden, fragrant, and making your kitchen smell like a tropical vacation.
Prep the almonds.
Pulse whole almonds in a food processor until roughly chopped. (If using slivered almonds, skip this step — lucky you!)
Melt the chocolate.
Place the dark chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and glossy — about 2 minutes. Don’t walk away… chocolate burns fast.
Mix it all together.
In a small bowl, combine the melted chocolate, toasted coconut, chopped almonds, and a pinch of sea salt. Stir until everything is coated in chocolatey goodness.
Mixture should look like this and be easy to stir.
Fill your molds.
Scoop the mixture into a silicone mini muffin mold, filling each cup to the top using a cookie scoop. You should get around 12 cups. (A cookie scoop works like magic here.)
Freeze + enjoy!
Place the silicone mold on a baking sheet so it stays flat, then freeze for 15 minutes. Pop out the cups and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week — but let’s be honest… they’ll be gone tomorrow.
💭 Tips for success
No food processor? No problem! You can either chop the nuts by hand on a cutting board with a knife or use the same amount of pre-chopped nuts or slivered almonds instead.
The chocolate chips melted nicely in my small saucepan, but you could also do this in the microwave if you prefer. Just add the chips to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time, until chocolate is smooth.
A silicone mini muffin mold works the best for this recipe, but if all you have is a regular mini muffin pan simply use mini muffin liners for easy removal. Alternatively, you can also line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop approximately 2 Tablespoon scoops to make clusters instead of cups, the same deliciousness will be experienced!
🧊 Storage & Meal Prep Tips
Refrigeration: Store these in the refrigerator in a container for up to 1 week.
Freezing: Store in an air tight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Serving: These really firm up after being in the refrigerator overnight, by taking them out and letting them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes they will be perfect for biting into!
❓ FAQ's
Yes! Feel free to replace the nuts with an equal amount of additional coconut. Or these other tasty add in options: raisins, hemp hearts, crushed pretzels (gluten free if needed), dried cherries, puffed rice cereal, or even mini vegan marshmallows for a s'mores twist!
Easy solution! Simply use a couple of spoons, or your cookie scoop to scoop, and drop about 2 Tablespoons of the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Then pop it into the freezer for 15 minutes (or refrigerator for 30 minutes) to set up.
If you have a regular mini muffin pan that is not silicone just make sure to use paper mini muffin cups so they easily come out.
Yes indeed! For double boiler just ensure no moisture gets into your chocolate. For the microwave just add the chips to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time, until chocolate is smooth.
Definitely! You can either use pre-chopped nuts, or give whole nuts a rough chop with a sharp knife on a cutting board. They don't have to look perfect, just smaller pieces for a nice balanced crunch. You can also omit the nuts altogether if you prefer (See FAQ above, "What if I can't have nuts?" for other delicious ideas).
These don't last long around our house, but times when I do decide to hide a few I do so in an airtight container, in the fridge (hidden of course behind some green vegetable where they are safe 😜). These can also be made well in advance for future snacking or a holiday gathering and can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 1-2 months.
👩🏻🍳 Want to see some behind-the-scenes fun (and maybe a little kitchen chaos)? Keep scrollin’ — it’s all happening below the recipe card!
Print
Dark Chocolate Toasted Coconut Cups (Vegan)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 Pieces 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
4-ingredient Dark Chocolate Toasted Coconut Cups in less than 30 minutes, delivering the perfect little after dinner treat the whole family will love!
Ingredients
1 ¼ Cup chocolate chips such as Enjoy Life brand (8 ounces or 220 grams)
½ cup raw almonds (whole or slivered)
½ cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
-
Toast the coconut
Add shredded coconut to a skillet over medium heat. Stir every 20–30 seconds until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. -
Chop the almonds
Pulse whole almonds in a food processor until coarsely chopped. (Skip this step if using slivered almonds. See notes for subs and Nut-Free options) -
Melt the chocolate
Add chocolate chips to a small saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. -
Mix everything together
In a small mixing bowl, combine the melted chocolate, toasted coconut, chopped almonds, and salt. Stir until fully coated and evenly mixed. -
Fill the molds
Spoon the mixture into a silicone mini muffin mold (or use a cookie scoop). You should get about 12 cups. -
Freeze to set
Place the mold on a small tray (to keep it flat), then freeze for 15 minutes, or until firm. -
Serve + store
Pop out the cups and enjoy! Store in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
Notes
Firmness Tip: These cups really firm up after spending the night in the fridge. For perfect soft-bite texture, let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before eating.
No Food Processor? No Problem!: Chop the nuts by hand on a cutting board with a sharp knife, or skip the chopping altogether and use pre-chopped nuts or slivered almonds instead.
Best Molds to use: A silicone mini muffin mold works best for easy removal.
No silicone? Use mini muffin liners in a standard pan — or drop 1-tablespoon scoops onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to make delicious little clusters instead.
Nut Swap Magic: Swap the almonds for the same amount of your favorite nuts.
Toasting the Coconut: I toasted my coconut in a pan, but you can also toast it in the oven.
Just spread it on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and fragrant.
Melting the Chocolate: The chocolate melts beautifully in a small saucepan over low heat, but you can microwave it too. Simply microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth and glossy.
Nut-Free Option: To make these nut free, replace the almonds with an equal amount of extra shredded coconut — or try fun mix-ins like raisins, puffed rice cereal, crushed pretzels (GF if needed), dried cherries, or even mini vegan marshmallows for a s’mores twist.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Freeze Time: 15 Minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: Confection/Candy
⭐Did you enjoy these Dark Chocolate Toasted Coconut Cups?
If you give this Coconut Cups a try please leave a comment and rating below! Justin and I read every one! Your feedback helps more people find my recipes and keeps the delicious messy chaos going in the Fresh Fun Flavor kitchen. Plus, we just love hearing from you!
👩🏻🍳 Creating the Shot: A Behind-the-Scenes Look
When you recruit your teen for ‘just one quick photo’ and suddenly he’s the director of photography!
Me, pretending to be professional while actually wondering how many of these I can eat before Justin notices. When I make treats Justin counts them to make sure he's getting his fair share 😂.
What really happened
I was all set this morning to create my recipe post for Vegan Spinach Balls. Ingredients were purchased and today was indeed Spinach Ball day, hooray!! Then Justin came in the kitchen asking for a quick treat. I excitedly declared my plan for today was Spinach Balls and the end result of that conversation was dark coconut chocolate cups, and well, at least the spinach is safe for now in the freezer 😂. So, he was my dedicated helper (and taste tester) today and I soon realized we should have doubled the batch. These are seriously yummy!
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided for Dark Chocolate Toasted Coconut Cups is an estimate calculated using Nutrifox, an online tool. Please note that this information is for general guidance only and should not replace advice from a qualified professional. Additionally, this page may include affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase through those links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Fresh Fun Flavor!
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