You're 4 Ingredients Away From An Almond Joy Candy Bar Copycat

The Hershey Company touts that its famous coconut-infused candy bar, Almond Joy, offers "the taste of vacation," and we have to agree. Sticky, chewy shredded coconut dotted with exactly two roasted almonds, enveloped in a rich layer of milk or dark chocolate — honestly, what's not to love? Almonds, coconuts, and cocoa all come from warm, tropical climates, so combining them is not only delicious but a surefire way to evoke the feeling of relaxing beachside.

Almond Joys are also an excellent choice if you're starting to experiment with making your own homemade candy, as these sweets don't require a candy thermometer. In fact, the only specialized skill you need is the ability to melt baking chocolate, and you can use the microwave or make a double-boiler by choosing the right bowl. Aside from the chocolate, you'll need shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and roasted almonds, which can usually be found in the grocery store's baking aisle.

Using these four ingredients, it's very easy to make copycat Almond Joys that taste almost exactly like the real deal. The sweetened condensed milk brings the sugar and makes the shredded coconut sticky enough to press into a parchment-lined sheet pan. After dotting the coconut with almonds, a stint in the freezer makes the blocks easier to cut. You can also form individual little logs or truffles, but cutting a slab into rectangles is faster. Fully coat each rectangle in melted chocolate, and refrigerate them to set.

The greatest advantage to making homemade Almond Joys is your ability to customize them. For instance, simply omitting the almonds turns them into Almond Joys' nut-free cousin, Mounds, which is perfect for those allergic to almonds or who simply prefer dark chocolate and coconut. There are also a few swaps for the sweetened condensed milk, including sweetened condensed coconut milk for the plant-based crowd, or a blend of evaporated milk and maple syrup or sucralose for those eschewing refined sugar.

It's also fairly easy to customize flavors to your liking. For instance, you might try swapping almonds for other nuts to create "Macadamia Treasures," "Pecan Delights," or "Cashew Charms" (making up names is part of the fun). You can also add minced candied fruit or flavored extracts to the coconut mixture. For example, candied pineapple or ginger with orange or vanilla extracts adds a punch of tropical flavor. It's also fairly easy to make delicious caramel cream from sweetened condensed milk, which would give your Almond Joys a dark, decadent flavor.

Additionally, you might even customize the type of chocolate you decide to use, swapping out the traditional milk chocolate for dark, white, or fruit-infused chocolate — think white chocolate-coated Almond Joys striped with dark mini chips mixed into the coconut. Swap out the chocolate chips for peanut butter to infuse your custom candy with the goodness of Reese's cups. The joy is in the journey when it comes to making homemade almond bars.