Coconut Almond Clusters
Merry Christmas Eve! I can’t believe the day that so many people look forward to all year long (myself included) is finally here. A few weeks back I talked about how it didn’t really feel like Christmas yet. Well, it STILL doesn’t feel like Christmas to me! If it doesn’t feel like Christmas today, I’m not sure it ever will. Better luck next year I guess!
This is my third Christmas with Mike in our tiny apartment. We put up our Christmas decorations as usual. The Christmas shrub is up and we have about a million gifts for each other underneath it. All wrapped up, it kind of looks like we maybe overdid it this year. And that’s not even taking into account the mixing bowl set AND air fryer he made me open weeks ago (#spoiled). Anyway, I usually make some sort of special breakfast on Christmas Eve for the two of us that honestly we just reheat and eat the leftovers for breakfast on Christmas Day. Well this year we’re not doing that. This year we’re having steaks for Christmas Eve lunch because I took them out of the freezer a few days ago and don’t want them to go bad. They’re in the sous vide as I type this! They’ll be good I’m sure, just not what we’re used to on Christmas Eve. That’s it! It’s all the steak’s fault! That’s why it doesn’t feel like Christmas this year! Dang beef.
Allow me to switch gears to dessert. Chocolate boxes are omnipresent during the month of December, especially if you work in an office like I do. This year we got SO much food sent to us by our vendors; far more than I ever remember receiving in previous years. Probably because 2019 was a very strong year for aerospace and defense, the industry in which I work. Anyway, we got a fair share of those omnipresent chocolate boxes so every day there was one sitting out on the break room table, tempting anyone who dared walk by.
I’ll be honest, my chocolate box treat of choice is always the caramels. I always just beeline it straight for those little milk chocolate squares and hope that I get the butter caramels instead of the gross fruit and nut variety. Sorry, but I am who I am. When I’m in the office trying to be sneaky about my chocolate consumption, I don’t have time to look at the little chocolate box map telling me which ones are the butter caramels and which ones are the dreaded fruit and nuts. I may be rethinking my affinity for the chocolate box caramels as all of the caramels I had this year left much to be desired, even the butter ones. Usually any type of cluster is a close second. But this recipe is here to change that. These Coconut Almond Clusters knock it out of the park when put up against any store bought chocolate box.
Have you noticed that charcuterie boards are all the freaking rage this year? Maybe just because this is my first year food blogging. But it seems like every food blogger under the sun is talking about how they’re making their own charcuterie board, or telling you how to build one. I’ll spare you there, however I WILL just quickly add that these here Coconut Almond Clusters would make a great addition to a charcuterie board if you’re building one for your guests this holiday season. A little bit sweet, a ton of flavor, AND this recipe is vegan as written to please all as well. Of course, if you’re not building a charcuterie board this year, these Coconut Almond Clusters are a great standalone item for a dessert or would make a great gift as well. They come together so quickly and will please many!
Merry Christmas, if you celebrate!
Coconut Almond Clusters
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Add in the coconut flakes and sliced almonds and stir to combine. Spread the mixture out thinly on the parchment paper lined sheet pan and bake at 400° F for 4-5 minutes until fragrant and starting to brown.
- Line a small muffin tin or a small sheet pan with 14 mini parchment paper liners. Divide the coconut almond mixture evenly among the liners using a small spoon.
- Add the chocolate chips to a medium bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals, removing to stir, until melted. Use a spoon to add the melted chocolate on top of the coconut almond mixture. My cups were only about halfway filled which made for a nice bite-sized treat. Use the spoon to gently stir the mixture inside the cup to help the chocolate reach the bottom. Top each cup with one sliced almond, if desired. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Remove 10 minutes before serving and enjoy!
