Mounds Bars were one of my favorite candies during Halloween and my Aunt Maria still to this day brings an enormous chocolate covered coconut egg for Easter.  I can hardly eat more than a bite of either these days as they just taste way too sweet for me. But these little strawberry coconut “mounds bars” are just perfect.  They’re festive, delicious, barely sweet, and even kids will go crazy for them.  They’re the perfect treat to make for both Easter and Passover.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Not too sweet, which is how I prefer my desserts;
• Bite-size pieces – great for portion control LOL;
• Can be made in advance;
• Easy to adapt for different types of chocolate or freeze-dried fruit.

Strawberry Mounds Bars Ingredients

• Freeze-dried strawberries: these are different from dried fruit. Freeze dried strawberries are crisp like chips and will turn into a lovely pink dust when pulverized. 
• Coconut flakes: look for unsweetened coconut flakes. It doesn’t matter if it’s finely shredded or in larger pieces since it will become finely chopped in the food processor. 
• Maple syrup: sugar is sugar but maple syrup is less processed and it personally doesn’t spike me the way white sugar does.
• Coconut butter: This contains the whole coconut. It may also be labeled on the package as coconut manna. 
• Vanilla extract: pure extract with no added flavors or corn syrup solids adds a richness and natural sweetness.
• Chocolate chips: I try to use chocolate chips or bars that have a higher percentage of cacao, which means there’s less sugar.  Usually I buy dark or bittersweet, but if you prefer semisweet or milk chocolate, you do you.
• Coconut oil: I use unrefined coconut oil. It does have a coconut flavor compared to a refined coconut oil. Coconut oil helps thin out the chocolate so it can coat the bars easily and then the oil hardens in the fridge for a nice “shell.”

How to Make Strawberry Mounds Bars

1. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. No need to grease it. This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan later on. 
2. Place a heaping 1/4 cup of freeze dried strawberries in the food processor and process until pulverized. Add coconut flakes, maple syrup, coconut butter, vanilla, and salt. Process until mixture comes together. It will be slightly sticky. 
3. Transfer mixture to the prepared loaf pan. Press mixture firmly into a single layer. I like to press it with my hands or you can use the bottom of a measuring cup. If you have excess parchment paper overhanging on the sides, you can fold the paper in. Place pan in the freezer for 30 minutes. 
4. In a double boiler or heatproof bowl set atop of a pot of simmering water, melt chocolate and coconut oil until completely smooth. 
5. Remove mixture from the loaf pan 

Tips for Making Strawberry Mounds Bars

• Allow the excess chocolate to drip off when coating with chocolate. 
• Don’t leave freeze-dried strawberries out for too long as they will lose their crispness. 
• I like to use a fork when coating the bars with chocolate to allow the excess to drip off. 
• Line the plate or sheet pan you use to place the bars so they don’t stick to the surface. 

Substitutions for Strawberry Mounds Bars

• Maple syrup: agave or honey
• Coconut butter: I’m really not sure but you might be able to swap in sweetened condensed coconut milk in place of the coconut butter AND maple syrup. It will probably be sweeter than my recipe though. Another possibility (although I haven’t tried it) is raw cashew butter.
• Chocolate chips: you could drizzle with chocolate instead of coating with chocolate for a lighter version.

If you give this recipe a try, snap a pic and tag @pamelasalzman so I can see your beautiful creations. I also really appreciate readers taking the time to leave a rating and review! Lastly, subscribe for free to my site for the latest recipes and updates.

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