Easy Homemade Bounty Bars aka Mounds (step-by-step recipe)

GF
November 30, 2012 178 Comments
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These Homemade Bounty Bars are SUPER easy to make and only require 3 ingredients! Follow my simple step-by-step instructions and make this popular candy bar at home!

three Homemade Bounty Bars on a white napkin

It’s Friday today! And you know what it means, right? It’s the end of the week so you can INDULGE! And I have the perfect recipe for that. Chocolate + sweetened condensed milk + shredded coconut. That’s right, 3 ingredients are all you need to make delicious yet super simple Homemade Bounty Bars aka. Mounds.

Want Homemade Bounty Bars? Use milk chocolate. Want Homemade Mounds ? Use dark chocolate instead. Making candy bars from scratch is as simple as that!

a homemade bounty bar broken into 2 halves revealing the moist coconut filling

I don’t know about you, but I love making goodies like these Bounty Bars from scratch. It usually tastes way better and you know exactly what goes in it. Win win.

Take homemade pesto, or homemade peanut butter for instance. Guys, I will never ever buy those from the store again now that I’ve tried to make them from scratch!

Anyway, all I’m saying is these Homemade Bounty Bars aka. Mounds are good, very good! I wish I could send some of my homemade candy bars to my mom, because Bounty Bars are her favorite candies 🙂

three homemade bounty bars arranged on a white napkin with shredded coconut in the background

 

If you tried these Homemade Bounty Bars, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

homemade bounty bar broken into half revealing the moist coconut filling
4.75 from 4 votes
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Easy Homemade Bounty aka Mounds

These Homemade Bounty bars are SUPER easy to make and only require 3 ingredients! Follow my step-by-step instructions and make this popular candy bar at home! 

Course Snack, Treat
Cuisine American
Keyword bounty, candy bar, chocolate, easy, shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk
Prep Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 12 bars
Calories 440 kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 15 oz semisweet chocolate

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix coconut and sweetened condensed milk to make a thick and sticky paste.

  3. Using your hands, form some rectangles with the paste. Press firmly to make sure the rectangles will keep their shape. After 3 or 4 rectangles, wash your hands and do not dry them completely. That way, the paste won't stick to your hands.

  4. Arrange the coconut bars on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put in the freezer for about 20 minutes. This will make the candy easier to dip into chocolate. Don't skip this part or it'll be a mess!

  5. In the meantime, cut the chocolate into pieces and put 2/3 of it in a microwave safe bowl.

  6. Microwave the chocolate on medium power for 30 seconds, stir, then repeat in 15 seconds intervals, until the chocolate has melted completely. 

    If you prefer to melt chocolate on the stove top, place a heatproof bowl over a small saucepan filled with simmering water. On low heat, stir chocolate until melted, ensuring the chocolate does not make contact with water and steam whilst melting.

  7. Add 1/3 remaining chocolate and keep stirring until it is fully melted.

  8.  This process is called tempering chocolate. It will allow the chocolate to have a glossy texture and to set correctly with a nice snap when you break it.

  9. It's time for dipping now! Remove rectangles from the freezer. If you want to take your time, you can work with one rectangle at a time and leave the others in the freezer. Using two forks, dip one rectangle halfway into melted chocolate.

  10. And roll it to cover all sides.

  11. Using one fork, remove the rectangle from the melted chocolate. With the other fork, remove excess chocolate and arrange your homemade bounty on a lined baking sheet.

  12. Allow a few hours for the chocolate cover to set (time will vary according to where you live, how warm is your house etc.) and ENJOY your homemade bounty bars!

  13. For a Paleo + Vegan version of these bars, CLICK HERE!

Recipe Notes

They will last up to 5 days in a air-tight container, away from the sun. After that, they'll start to dry. You can also keep them in the fridge but they'll dry much faster and harden a bit, I don't recommend it.

Nutrition Facts
Easy Homemade Bounty aka Mounds
Amount Per Serving (1 bar)
Calories 440 Calories from Fat 270
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g 46%
Saturated Fat 22g 110%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 44mg 2%
Potassium 421mg 12%
Total Carbohydrates 37g 12%
Dietary Fiber 6g 24%
Sugars 28g
Protein 5g 10%
Vitamin A 1.7%
Vitamin C 1.2%
Calcium 10%
Iron 17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

UPDATE: I posted a PALEO + VEGAN version of these Bounty bars! CLICK HERE to see it!

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posted in
Desserts Gluten free Recipes Snacks Under 300 cal
178 Comments

    2. I WAS THINKING OF POURING HALF OF THE CHOCOLATE INTO A DISH. THEN PUTTING THE FILLING ON TOP. THEN POURING THE REST OF CHOCOLATE ON TOP OF COCONUT. FREEZE. THEN CUT INTO SQUARES.

      Reply

      1. That sounds like a very cool idea! They might be a bit difficult to cut depending on how thick the chocolate layer ends up. I recommend running your knife under hot water to make cutting easier. Enjoy.

        Reply

  3. Add some almonds ontop, wala almond joy! mmm, have to make these for part of our christmas treats to send home with our family that comes over 🙂 my niece and nephew will definately love these!

    Reply

  5. Lovely!
    Though to be honest I thought they were quite sweet even with 85% dark chocolate. Next time I’ll probably do them with 50/50 sweetened / unsweetened condensed milk. And since they only keep 5 days (no way anyone could leave these 5 days) I would probably also do them with fresh grated coconut.

    Metric:
    400 gram chocolate (I used 300 gram and had plenty extra)
    300 gram coconut
    400 gram (sweetened) condensed milk

    Reply

    1. You could also try using less sweetened condensed milk. The idea is just to use enough of it to make the coconut stick together. And I bet it would be delicious with fresh coconut too!

      Reply

  7. wow amazing recipes on ur blog. i want to ask u if i can use just condensed milk or the sweetened one on the bounty bars. they look amazing. simple and easy to follow. my uncle loves bounty and i wanted to make it for him. he’s going to have a surprise. thanks

    Reply

      1. ops just saw I was supposed to use unsweetened condensed milk, I use sweetened- they are in the freezer now. Will they be too sweet?

        Reply

      2. Hi there, I’m a big fan of your bounty receipe, can you please tell me how to make small chocolate cubes filled with lots of nuts,I tried a lot how to make it but all my hardware went waste, please suggest me some simple and easy recipe for that as soon as possible..:) thank you

        Reply

        2. I think you can do same as in this recipe, but with nuts instead of coconut. Chocolate boxes are not filled with something, but something is deeped in chocolate, when it get cooled it’s in the shape of boxes
          If I got you correctly

          Reply

  8. hi its me again i want to ask u another question : can i use normal chocolate or do i have to use the cooking chocolate? pls answer
    thank u

    Reply

  9. thank u soooo much for ur reply’s. i made them and gave it to my uncle and he was going away somewhere near london and he literally took the whole lot with him. unbelievable. had amazing fun with my bro to make the bounties. i am definitely going to have another try. “FABULOUS”

    thank you so much again

    Reply

  13. Hey there,
    Im excited to make these for my mom but a quick question before I take on the endeavor… It looks as if the coconut mixture is a little wet after mixing with the condensed milk. Will that dry up enough in the freezing process?

    Reply

    1. Hi Amy! The coconut mixture is indeed a bit wet, it’s normal. You need to follow the quantity precisely to make sure it’s not too dry or too wet so the bounties don’t fall appart when you dip them in the chocolate. Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂 hope your mom is going to love them!

      Reply

  14. hi marie,
    its josika again as it’s fathers day tomorrow i thought that i could make these bounty bars for everyone at my church and there all 45 in total if u don’t mind can u please send me the quantity of the ingredients i should put in the mixture please get to me asap thank u very much
    josika xoxo

    Reply

    1. Hey Josika, to make that for 55 people you just need to multiply the quantity by 5… That makes 4.5 lb chocolate, 15 cups shredded coconut and 5 cups sweetened condensed milk.
      Next time you need me to answer quickly contact me via Facebook.

      Reply

      1. thank u 4 ur reply. thanks very much. i don’t have facebook btw (no-one in my family do) sorry if i kept bugging u 4 ur reply thanks a lot though. i made the bounty bars today, it was fun making it and everyone at church loved it, it got empty completely so i am very happy thank a lot again 4 ur reply

        josika x

        Reply

  19. I just made these and want to join in the chorus of praise.

    I made some adjustments as I’m allergic to dairy, and thought I’d share:

    instead of sweetened condensed milk, I used the thick, creamy top layer of a tin of coconut milk, some coconut fat and some powdered sugar. No exact measurements, I just mixed them up until I liked the thickness and flavour. Then added the grated coconut and used semi-sweet, non-dairy chocolate to coat.

    And let me just say, they turned out amazingly. I’m definitely going to keep making these and also will be sharing this recipe with all my friends!
    Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much for sharing this! I’ve -almost- given up on dairy (my body doesn’t react well to it) so I’ll be trying this dairy free version for sure. Is coconut oil/butter the same as the coconut fat you mention?

      Reply

  20. If you are on a vegan diet, then the coconut milk or coconut cream would be great.
    For the chocolate part, I will use carob chunks en melt them with a little coconut milk.
    I use the melted carob on biscuits and it firms up nicely – dark in colour. Intend making these bars today still. Thanks a lot – it really looks fantastic and I am a bounty fan.

    Reply

  21. Made them for my birthday, to serve as a treat at work. I could have made a thousand of them and still there would be no leftovers! Thank you so much for the recipe, it made my (birth)day!

    Reply

    1. Aww that’s awesome!! I’m so glad you had a yummy birthday thanks to these Bounty. Next time, ask your coworkers to make them for you on your special day 😉 Happy belated birthday!!

      Reply

    1. Hi Tammy! I’ve never tried so I’m not sure. I would only freeze the coconut/condensed milk bars and cover them with chocolate when you’re ready to eat them.

      Reply

      1. My Mom used to make something like these. Instead of a roll shape she’d shape into strawberry shapes,
        freeze for 20 mins. or so then roll them in strawberry jello POWDER SUGAR. Then add a little green icing for the stem.
        These look very festive at Christmas and are so good.

        Reply

          1. Has anyone tried freezing them? I want to save them for Xmas but don’t want them to be dry either! Let me know if it was chocolate covered or not. Thank you

          2. I’ve never tried freezing them so I can’t be a 100% sure but I think it would work well. I would freeze without the chocolate cover to be on the safe side.

  23. If you added a bit of vanilla extract and a bit of rum or cognac it would taste just like bounties from the store.

    Reply

    1. I’m sure it would be delicious indeed! But honestly, I think that they already taste like the ones from the store 😉

      Reply

  24. Just made these today and they are delicious. The mix was much too wet though despite adding more coconut so I’ll add even more next time or cut back on the condensed milk. They really do taste just like store bought Bountys, thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  25. I just made these using a silicone easter egg mold.I didn’t have to freeze the coconut mixture. Coated the mold with chocolate. Let that set up then pressed the coconut in and covered it with more chocolate.

    Reply

  26. I made these a few days ago and they are great I’ve kept mine in a container in the freezer with the chocolate on them and there fine I also used desiccated coconut in stead of shredded and it works just as well

    Reply

      1. Awesome! Thanks. Just made it with the regular (yum yum yum!) am going to serve them at my son’s first birthday. But will use the lite version next time. Thanks!

        Reply

    1. I’ve never heard of chocolate sweetened condensed milk but if it’s similar to regular condensed milk I think you could yes!

      Reply

  30. i used fresh shredded coconut and didn’t think to strain off the excess liquid through a cheesecloth….now my candies won’t set up. i even added a bookoo of powdered sugar. they taste great but must be eaten with a spoon. any suggestions for firming them up?

    Reply

    1. I’ve never tried with fresh coconut so I’m not sure but I would suggest leaving them in the freezer so they can set a bit more

      Reply

  31. 1. Can we substitute melted chocolate with any other thing? If yes how to use?
    2. Can Coco powder be used in this recipe? Please reply..

    Reply

    1. Hi there! I’ve always used shredded coconut for these but I think it would work with desiccated coconut yes 🙂

      Reply

  33. Do you think it would work with sweetened coconut? That is all I have right now. Maybe I can just cut down on the sugar? Thanks for a great recipe.

    Reply

    1. I just saw that there is no added sugar. So maybe I just need to go buy unsweetened coconut. Sorry about that!

      Reply

  34. I just made the bounties following your instructions and they came out great. I’d never have thought that they’d be that close to the original. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  38. Almond Joys are my hubbies favorite treats so I was very happy to stumble upon your recipe on Pinterest. Well, they are amazing!! Hubby can’t get enough of them. I used unsweetened coconut, fat free, sweetened condensed milk and Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips for the coating.
    To get an Almond Joy vs. a Mounds bar, I simply made my coconut ovals and dipped the bottoms and up the sides only into the melted chocolate. I allowed that to set up then flipped them over and placed them on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet lined with foil. Then I placed a toasted almond on each coconut bar and carefully spooned melted chocolate onto the top of the bars. So pretty and incredibly delicious!!
    Thanks so much for such a great recipe!!

    Reply

    1. I’m really happy to read that Suzette! And it’s great to know you can easily turn them into Almond Joys 🙂 Thanks for your comment.

      Reply

  39. Hi!

    I am literally in the process of makin these but have no room in my freezer.. I know I realised half-way through moulding the coconut ._.
    Can I stick them in the fridge?

    Reply

    1. I don’t think they will hold their shape if you just keep them in the fridge… but worst case scenario you’ll end up with a very delicious mess 🙂

      Reply

  41. I love how ingenious Americans are…this is an example of how Mars decision to not offer their Bounty bars here in the US has come back around to bite them…Thanks for the recipe…

    Reply

  42. I have to say that these turned out to be a huge mess for me. I followed directions to the letter but covering them in the chocolate was a disaster. They began to fall apart and the chocolate was way too thick. If I try them again I think I will use some kind of molds and freeze longer than 20 minutes. Will also add some coconut oil to the chocolate (which is what I do when covering strawberries) to thin it out a bit.

    Reply

    1. Sorry to hear that Susan! I’ve made them for years this way and it works like a charm so I hope you’ll try them again 🙂

      Reply

  43. So, to keep these Mounds Bars longer, can I freeze them? or is that not recommended? Thought I would add this recipe to my Christmas baking list.

    Reply

  46. i made these and they were delish however after i dipped the first few the chocolet started to get to thick and was hard to dip . any sugestions.

    Reply

    1. You can use semi-sweet or dark depending on your preference. And I like to use cooking chocolate, not chocolate chips. I find it easier to melt.

      Reply

  48. What do I do now ? The mixture is too wet and it won’t stick together to make bars. What can I put in it now to make it into a paste ?

    Reply

  49. In my region it’s not possible to buy condensed milk in any form. So, I mixed the shredded coconuts with some coconut butter and fresh cream (not whipped) and added just a bit of powder sugar. Then put them in the freezer and continued like in your recipe. They were fantastic, less sweet and less fat, just as we like it.

    Reply

  53. I make these every Christmas and they go like wild. I also make peanut butter cups. The only difference is I make them with dark chocolate because that is what mounds are made with, almond joys are made with milk chocolate.

    Reply

  54. Could you tell me how many ml is 15 oz milk? I am from Transylvania and we don’t use these units. And the other 2 ingredients in gram?

    Reply

    1. Hi Eszter, you don’t need milk for this recipe. I think what you’re referring to is milk chocolate (as opposed to dark chocolate) and you’ll need 425 grams of it.

      Reply

  55. i made the bounty bars as ur recipee sed, mixture fell to pieces when i added the choc to the bars, i did pyt in freezer 1st for longed than u sugested is there someting i need to do O the choc goes on easer

    Reply

  57. Can I just puts the press coconut mixture into a greases pan and coat with chocolate and then slice into bars? Trying to make it simply for the baking, creative challenged.

    Reply

    1. Hey Stacy! So I would put a layer of chocolate first, let it set, then press in the coconut mixture and then another layer of chocolate to make sure it doesn’t crumble when cut into slices. I would also line the pan with parchment paper to easily remove the bars. Hope this helps!

      Reply

      1. That’s how we always made them when I was growing up. Pan lined with wax paper or parchment, a layer of chocolate, hardened in the freezer, a layer of the coconut/SCM mixture, another layer of chocolate. Cool to harden chocolate (we always had to wait overnight). Always came out great, made many more, more easily.

        Reply

  60. These were easy to make, held together well when dipping in chocolate. Too sweet for me tho. I’d try again – maybe using less condensed milk? Someone mentioned using part unsweetened condensed milk but I didn’t see any at the store. Is there such a thing?

    Reply

  61. Hi, can’t wait to make these. Can I ask a ridiculous question? When you set them down after dipping in chocolate​, does the chocolate not come off the side you set down? Does it not stick to the paper?

    Reply

    1. Not a ridiculous question at all – but no, don’t worry, it doesn’t come off the sides and doesn’t stick to the paper 🙂

      Reply

  64. I made some last Christmas and then put them in the freezer to keep. Lasted 3 months, nice to have a special treat in February!

    Reply

  65. I made these and added almonds. I also made them bite size by cutting them in half after they were froze. These are my favorite and I make them every Christmas and they are gone quickly.

    Reply

  66. I saw a link to your website on Facebook and loved the recipies I saw! I wanted to save them to Pinterest but there was no link. So I “stalked” you on Pinterest and there you were! I am definitely going to make these.Mounds is one of my ever loved candies! Thank you for such great recipies!

    Reply

    1. I’m sorry to hear you had to hunt me to find the website but I’m glad you did and are loving the recipes. Thanks Terry 🙂

      Reply

  67. Hello, I just wanna ask if what kind of coconut do I used…fresh one or like dessicated coconut..thank you.it looks yummy and I wanna try this for my kiddos.

    Reply

  68. I make this recipe regularly, I make bars for whenever, egg shape for Easter, hearts for Valentine’s day…..so on and so on. You love Bounty Bars so why not make it homemade for every occasion. This is THE recipe!????

    Reply

  69. Making chocolate bars at home is so much fun and bounty bars are my favourites! I’d definitely go for the dark chocolate variety!

    Reply

  70. Hi! Just made these and they were yummy allright but ran into a little problem. When i coated them with chocolate the condensed milk started leaking kn many of them. Any ideas how i can prevent this next time-there sure will be many mpre times hahhaha

    Reply

  73. Ijust made these with sweetened coconut 🙁 I didn’t know it was supposed to be un sweetened I bet they will be so sweet I have to trash them…live and learn 🙁

    Reply

  75. I tried them and oh my!!!! Delicious!!! A little messy but that’s just me. My technique isn’t perfect but definately a keeper and will make more!

    Reply

  76. I wonder if you could press the coconut mixture into a pan and chill until firm, then flip the mixture out and cut into even bars before dipping? Do you think the mixture would hold? K, thanks.

    Reply

    1. I can see this working yes, but I haven’t tried so I can’t be certain. Make sure to line your pan with parchment paper though, for easy flipping. Let us know how it turns out!

      Reply

  77. These are a BIG hit at home and at work. Easy recipe and loads of fun to make and eat. Have to make an extra batch just to get one bite. Lol. Thanks for the great recipe. Oh I use sweet coconut. Guess that’s why everyone loves them.

    Reply

  78. Guys! I tried to make these and something went horribly wrong. The mixture wasn’t very sticky at first and very wet. Then after freezing them and trying to coat them in chocolate, they fell apart. I’m still going to try to eat them but I’m so sad! What happened??

    Reply

  81. Made these last weekend, they turned out great. Tasted like Mounds. I am going to make Almond Joys next. Wish my mom was here to taste them.

    Reply
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