Bon Bons With Coconut
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Featuring chocolate, pecans, and coconut, these homemade bon bons are an irresistible bite-sized treat or gift to make for family and friends these holidays.
I’m so excited to share my Grandmama’s coffee can bon bons with coconut recipe with you today. This recipe is in my first cookbook, along with the story of why they are so special to me. My Grandmama used to make these bon bons every Christmas and save her coffee cans all year long in which to store them. In the lead-up to Christmas, she would spend the better part of a day mixing, rolling, and dipping these precious little confections. Now you can do the same with your family these holidays.
I love these bon bons for multiple reasons, but all you need to know is that they’re easy to make and taste absolutely delicious! This treat is a triple threat, as its ingredients include chocolate, pecans, and coconut. A flavor combination made in heaven if you ask me. Just try and stop at one, because once you take a bite of these indulgent morsels, I just know you’ll want another… and another!
Recipe Ingredients
- Chopped pecans
- Butter
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Chocolate almond bark
- Sweetened flaked coconut
- Confectioner’s sugar
Melt the margarine/butter and then dump everything except the chocolate bark (which is not melted at this point) into a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
This is a double recipe you’re seeing here. I don’t recommend doing this in this size bowl.
Form all of your dough into balls one way or another.
What Can I Use To Scoop These Out?
Now, Grandmama and Lela (my great grandmother) rolled these all out by hand into perfect little one-inch balls. However, I am just using a cookie dough scoop for mine.
Once you have your little bon bon balls made, cover them and refrigerate for at least an hour.
After they are good and cold, melt your chocolate bark in the microwave by breaking the large pieces up in a bowl and microwaving for 45-second to 1-minute intervals, stirring in between each, until melted and creamy.
Should I Use A Double Boiler?
You can also melt this in a double broiler. I’m gun shy about suggesting folks do a lot of things in the microwave because microwave ovens vary so incredibly much so we really rely on our own judgment when it comes to using them.
Dip your bon bons in the melted chocolate.
How To Dip Into The Chocolate
There are a hundred different ways to do this and you go with whatever works best for you. For me, I just put a bon bon on a fork, dip it in, then lift it out and tap the fork on the bowl lightly to remove excess before placing my chocolate-dipped bon bon on some waxed paper to harden.
You can also use toothpicks as well if you like.
So see, Grandmama made these perfect little coffee can bon bons. But when I make them, I think we need to rename them. Christy’s Great Big Gobby Bon Bons! If Grandmama was here, she would laugh, and then pop a whole one in her mouth.
If you are making for a holiday like Christmas then store these in the fridge until you are ready to gift (or eat) them.
Storage
Store your bon bons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also store them in the for up to three months and simply thaw them in the fridge before consuming them. Some people actually prefer to enjoy them from frozen, so do what works for you.
Recipe Notes
- While you can simply snack on or gift your chocolate bon bons, you can also use the treats to decorate cupcakes or a chocolate cake to take it to another level of decadence. Alternatively, enjoy them with a nice big scoop of .
- Instead of pecans, use chopped walnuts. Or if you have a nut allergy, omit them altogether and opt for a filling using chopped dried cherries.
- Another option is to swap the chopped nuts for a cup of creamy peanut butter.
- You can also substitute the chocolate almond bark for chocolate chips, , or rich if you prefer.
- If making your coconut bon bons as snacks for the kids, you can roll them in sprinkles for a fun treat! As a bonus, why not roll them in green and red for the holidays?
Recipe FAQs
Where does the term bon bon originate?
Bon bon comes from the French word bon, which means good. They date back to 19th-century France and eventually made their way to America. Bon bons are a varied dessert and can be fruity, creamy, and nutty. They are not exclusively made with chocolate, like a truffle.
Here are more of my favorite indulgent chocolate recipes:
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Pecan and Chocolate Pie Recipe
Chocolate Pound Cake with Fudge Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 pounds confectioner's sugar
- 1+2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 ounces
- 1/2 cup margarine or butter melted
- 1 package chocolate almond bark for coating
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except the almond bark together, either with your hands or an electric mixer.2 pounds confectioner's sugar, 1+2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut, 2 cups chopped pecans, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 cup margarine or butter
- Form bon bon dough into balls either with hands (for smaller ones) or cookie dough scoop (for great big gobby ones). Place on a cookie sheet and cover. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Melt chocolate bark by heating in the microwave at 45-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth and creamy. Dip bon bons into chocolate and place on wax paper to harden.1 package chocolate almond bark
- Store in refrigerator until ready to eat or gift.
Makes about 4 dozen, 1-inch bon bons
Nutrition
Hi Christy! I was just thinking about these little bites of heaven the other day and wondering how my Mamaw made them. She has been gone for almost 10 years now. This has really brightened my day to learn how to make these now. Like you I’m a southern girl and learned to cook from my grandma and mom. I love all your recipes and the stories that go with them. It reminds me of my grandma and being able to ask her how to make something. So since you know how to make these do you have a recipe for peanut butter balls or bon bons whatever you want to call them? Mamaw always called them coconut or peanut butter balls.
Ohhhh…these make me swoon. So, so good. I am fortunate to still have my grandmother around. She’s 95 years old and still walks three miles a day! Puts me to shame haha. I still make peanut butter fudge with her for every holiday she wants to do. I am going to be devastated when the day comes I don’t have her by my side in the kitchen
My Memaw, who has been gone since 1991, made these and back then dipped them in chocolate chips melted with Gulf Wax. I have her handwritten recipe and “intend” to make them every year, but don’t. Thanks for the idea of using the almond bark, as it is very difficult to find Gulf Wax anymore!!!
I hope you enjoy them Charlene!!
I made these the other day and they are so good. Thank you for the recipe Christy and Merry Christmasto you and your family.
Christy, I just wanted to thank you for this recipe. I must say it was a big hit in the Reed family this year. I have an idea it will be the number one request for next year.
Hi Christy, Im making these as gifts, do I tell the recipient to keep them in frig or are they okay to be left out?
am going to try these.I still buy coffee in cans but mine are too big for using
this way! my Grammy died in 1966 so its been a long time but I do have recipes from her. I have several scoops including a small one for making cocktail size meat balls, and I also have a double ended melon baller with two sizes of small scoops. so look around you might find a smaller scoop to use. Thrift stores and yard sales.estate sales are all great places to find stff for baking
Hello, Christy. I was one of the winners of the indoor grill from the 12 days of Christtmas “give-away”. Just wondering if you know when these are expected to arrive (I’m concerned that someone will take the package from my front door after it is delivered…Houston news has reported several instances of people watching for deliveries and notices on doors so they can steal the packages…isn’t that mean?).
That is terrible! I wish I could give you an exact date but all I can really tell you is that it is coming directly from Hamilton Beach and will arrive soon. It should be there in the next few days.