Coconut Haystacks

You'll only need three ingredients to make this tasty treat. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

• Dark chocolate: I like Lindt 90%, but you can use your favorite dark chocolate. Or use semisweet chocolate if you find very dark chocolate too bitter. Another option is to use 90% chocolate and add sugar-free sweetener.
• Coconut oil: You can also use avocado oil, melted ghee, or melted butter.
• Shredded coconut: I use unsweetened coconut in this recipe.

There are a few ways you can vary the basic recipe. Remember that these variations will affect the nutritional info.

• Use different types of chocolate. Extra dark, bittersweet, semisweet - whatever you like.
• Use ghee, avocado oil, or butter instead of coconut oil.
• Add a few drops of flavor extract to the chocolate mixture. Good options include vanilla extract, coconut extract, and almond extract. I especially like adding coconut extract.
• Make them smaller. Sometimes, I double the recipe, make the haystacks smaller, and get 24 smaller haystacks. The small haystacks in the photo below were made with Lindt 78%, so they are lighter in color than the ones made with 90% cacao chocolate.

This is a surprisingly easy recipe. The detailed instructions are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of the steps:

Melt the chocolate. Start by melting the chocolate in the microwave. Do so in three 30-second sessions, stirring after each microwave session.

Add the coconut oil. Stir the coconut oil into the melted chocolate.

Mix in the coconut. Stir the shredded coconut into the mixture until it's completely coated. You'll want to ensure all coconut shreds are coated in chocolate.

Drop into wax paper. Use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop to drop mounds of the mixture onto a wax-paper-lined tray or baking sheet. Gently flatten them with a small rubber spatula. You don't have to flatten them - it's up to you.

Alternatively, spoon the mounds into muffin paper liners without flattening them:

Refrigerate. Place the haystacks in the fridge until they are set, for about 30 minutes. You can also set them at room temperature, but that will take longer - at least an hour.

You can keep the leftovers on the counter in an airtight container for up to three days. Or keep them in the fridge for up to a week.

Remove them from the fridge at least 30 minutes before enjoying them. Room temperature is always best when enjoying chocolate.