Coconut Crunch Chocolate Squares

I’m not a huge dessert girl, but sometimes I just get a big chocolate craving. Something melty and rich, and balanced with other flavors and textures. These Coconut Crunch Chocolate Squares were so decadent and delicious! The peanuts made them crunchy, the coconut flakes made them feel tropical, the flaky salt broke up the sweetness, and the espresso powder gave an unexpected mocha taste. There was so much going on here! The best part? It’s a no bake dessert recipe! Just melt the chocolate, spread it in a pan, chill, and slice. These turned out awesome!

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Where does the flavor inspo come from for these chocolate squares?

These coconut crunch chocolate squares gave me Crunch Bar meets Meltaway vibes! The melty chocolate with that crunchy center was super nostalgic for me! Totally reminded me of my childhood.

The OG “Crunch Bar” was created back in 1938 by Nestlé confectioners at the Fulton Factory in New York. Their recipe didn’t include nuts though, that iconic crunch actually came from crisped rice that was added into melted milk chocolate, then hardened and chilled into bar shaped molds! Pretty cool, huh?

Did you know?

Candy bars really started to pop off during the Great Depression! These were considered an affordable comfort at this time, often costing as little as a nickel or a dime. And despite economic hardship during wartime, innovation continued as manufacturers were heavily focused on volume rather than margins.

Around the same time that Crunch Bars were created – Snickers, PayDay, KitKat, Rolo, Heath Bar, Smarties, and many other classics hit the market too! Marketers leaned hard into affordable joy and emotional comfort as life became more difficult and sugar became harder to get. This era really set the stage for the mass-market candy bars we see today. Layered, satisfying, and intended to feel like a bite-size escape. I think that’s really sweet!

What ingredients do I need to make these?

For the chocolate:

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Coconut Oil

For the coconut crunch chocolate squares:

Roasted Peanuts
Graham Crackers
Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
Espresso Powder
Flaky Salt

What equipment do I need?

• Double Boiler Pan or Saucepan with a Heat-Safe Bowl
• Rubber Spatula
• Cutting Board
• Chef Knife
• Parchment Paper
• 8×8 Baking Pan
• Bread Knife
• Measuring Cups and Spoons

How do I make them?

To prep the ingredients:

To get started on this recipe, first chop up the roasted peanuts. Next, crush the graham crackers into crumbs, not dust.

Pro Tip: Adding the crackers to a gallon sized Ziplock and bashing them with a rolling pin works really well for this!

To melt the chocolate:

Fill the bottom of a double boiler pan up with about an inch of water. If you don’t have a double boiler pan, you can simply use a saucepan with a heat safe bowl on top. As long as it’s snug, it’ll work the same way!

Add the chocolate chips and the coconut oil to the top insert of the double boiler pan. Then melt the chocolate over medium heat, stirring often, until smooth.

Pro Tip: If you want, you can skip this step all together and just microwave the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a bowl, stopping to stir every 30 seconds so the mixture doesn’t burn.

To make the coconut crunch chocolate squares:

Next, using the rubber spatula, stir the espresso powder into the melted chocolate.

Once dissolved, stir in the crushed graham crackers, chopped peanuts, and the unsweetened coconut flakes until combined.

Remove from heat.

Next, line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper, then pour the chocolate mixture inside, spreading it into the pan until it’s about a half inch or so thick.

Gently press down with the rubber spatula, while still using a bit of pressure. Then sprinkle on the flaky salt.

Pro Tip: If you want these to turn out like a bar, gently press down but with a bit pressure as I did here. If you want these to become like a bark consistency, just give it a very light press.

Refrigerate for an hour or so, until hardened and set. Give it a good poke to check. If your finger gives when you press down or the chocolate starts to slightly melt – it’s not ready yet.

Lift the chocolate out of the pan using the sides of the parchment paper.

Cut into bars or squares using a serrated knife. A bread knife works really well for this!

You’ll want to use a sawing motion, and if you find that the chocolate starts to shatter, it may be just a little too hard. If this is the case, just wait several minutes to bring the chocolate closer to room temperature, then attempt to cut it again.

Pro Tip: If you want them to be perfect evenly sized squares or bars, consider slicing the rough edges off, measuring, and then slicing!

To serve:

Serve coconut crunch chocolate squares immediately. Enjoy!

Store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place such as a cabinet or pantry. If you are unable to keep them under 70 F, consider storing them in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Tips:

• I kept some of these chocolate squares in the refrigerator and some at room temperature to test the texture and flavor difference. I gotta say – keeping them in the refrigerator is where it’s at! To me, this gave the most Meltaway type of vibe. At room temperature, they lean more Crunch Bar-ish!
• These will keep for 5-7 days at room temp, 2-3 weeks in the fridge, and 3 months in the freezer!
• If you’re feelin’ fancy, consider adding these to a mold of your choice and make them into legit looking candy bars!

Looking for more no bake dessert recipes?

• Lemon Lime No Bake Cheesecake
• Grape Salad with Candied Walnuts
• Strawberry Mousse

Craving chocolate too? Try these!

• Chocolate Banana Muffins
• Coconut Marshmallow Cookies
• White Chocolate Covered Pretzels