Easy Chocolate Coconut Haystacks Recipe (Paleo, Keto, Vegan)
By Hannah Healy
Updated June 14, 2023
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I’m always on the lookout for healthy low-sugar or sugar-free dessert recipes. This haystacks cookie recipe is almost like a little candy and is naturally low in sugar, but you can also make it totally sugar free if you want!
As someone who has to avoid sugar almost altogether, the holidays or birthday parties can sometimes be tough when there are so many tempting sweets around, but no healthy sugar-free options.
Artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin or sucralose tend to do more harm than good, so I avoid those as well. One of the few natural sweeteners I use that doesn’t spike blood sugar and cause more cravings is stevia. The sugar-free version of this recipe uses stevia sweetened chocolate. It’s a perfect easy crowd-pleasing treat to bring to a party of holiday gathering!
Why I love this recipe:
- The combination of the creamy chocolate and the textured shredded coconut make for a delicious, crunchy, rich and chocolatey treat!
- I love that this chocolate coconut haystacks recipe is so easy to make, it’s no-bake and only has two simple ingredients!
- It’s a pretty easy dessert to please those with different special diets since it’s sugar free, keto, paleo and vegan.
Easy Chocolate Coconut Haystacks Recipe Tips:
- For the chocolate chips, I use this brand of sugar free stevia-sweetened chocolate chips that are keto-friendly. If you don’t mind the sugar, you can also use regular chocolate chips instead. Be careful not to over heat the chocolate chips after they are already melted–this can cause them to burn which will bring an acrid flavor to the recipe.
- For the shredded coconut, be sure to get unsweetened shredded coconut. It should be the finely shredded kind and not the thick coconut flakes.
- When you go to place the mixture onto the cookie sheet it will be loose and will not stick together. Don’t worry, it’s supposed to be like that, but it will stick together and harden in the fridge. Just do your best to place clumps of the mixture on the sheet (watch the video below the recipe to see how I did it).
- Be sure to store these haystacks in refrigerator or freezer. They generally will be ok out in room temperature for a bit, but they can be a bit melty if they are out in the heat for too long.
- Since this recipe only has 2 simple ingredients there’s really no room for substitutions apart from different types of chocolate chips. Any other substitutions would really just make this an entirely different recipe!
How to Make This Easy Chocolate Coconut Haystacks Recipe (Paleo, Vegan, Sugar Free):
Start by melting the chocolate chips over a double boiler on medium-high heat.
Stir until fully melted and smooth, then turn off the heat.
Put shredded coconut in a bowl, then add the melted chocolate.
Stir until ingredients are fully combined.
Place spoonfuls of the mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper until all of the mixture has been used up. When wet, the mixture will not hold together, it will feel loose, but it will harden in the refrigerator.
Refrigerate until solid– about 1-2 hours.
Easy Chocolate Coconut Haystack Recipe (Paleo, Keto, Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded coconut
- 1 1/3 cups stevia chocolate chips or regular chocolate chips
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler until smooth, then turn off the heat. Be careful not to over heat the chocolate chips.
- Put the shredded coconut in a bowl and add the melted chocolate and mix.
- Form into stacks on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. When wet, the mixture will not hold together, it will feel loose, but it will harden in the refrigerator.
- Refrigerate for about 1-2 hours or until hardened.
Video
Notes
- For the chocolate chips, I use this brand of sugar free stevia-sweetened chocolate chips that are keto-friendly. If you don't mind the sugar, you can also use regular chocolate chips instead. Be careful not to over heat the chocolate chips after they are already melted--this can cause them to burn which will bring an acrid flavor to the recipe.
- For the shredded coconut, be sure to get unsweetened shredded coconut. It should be the finely shredded kind and not the thick coconut flakes.
- When you go to place the mixture onto the cookie sheet it will be loose and will not stick together. Don't worry, it's supposed to be like that, but it will stick together and harden in the fridge. Just do your best to place clumps of the mixture on the sheet (watch the video below the recipe to see how I did it).
- Be sure to store these haystacks in the refrigerator or freezer. They generally will be ok out in room temperature for a bit, but they can be a bit melty if they are out in the heat for too long.
- Since this recipe only has 2 simple ingredients there's really no room for substitutions apart from different types of chocolate chips. Any other substitutions would really just make this an entirely different recipe!
- Nutrition facts below are for haystacks made with sugar free Lily's stevia chocolate chips. There are 2.4 grams of sugar alcohols per serving. There are 0.2 net carbs per serving.Â
Nutrition
This Easy Chocolate Coconut Haystacks Recipe was originally posted in December of 2017 but has been republished in January of 2019 to include new and improved recipe tips, photos and a recipe video.
