My brilliant friend Katie brought these coconut chocolate bars to a party a couple months ago and they disappeared in seconds, thanks to urgent whisperings traveling from room to room and ear to ear about the incredible bars someone had just put down on the kitchen counter.

When she revealed that they were made with only 4 ingredients, require no refined sugar, and are relatively healthy (if you subscribe to the line of thought that coconut and dark chocolate are ‘sort of’ good for you – in moderation – which I do), I was instantly sold.

Of course, whether these are actually “healthy” or not could probably be debated extensively, but they’re so irresistibly pop-in-your-mouth worthy that I refuse to dwell on the topic.

I know they’re not very “farm-to-table” so I apologize for the diversion from my usual fare, but when you see a roomful of people clear a plate of treats that fast, it feels like you need to make it your duty to share that recipe with the world. And Katie gave me her blessing. Actually, she couldn’t remember the exact ratios, but I played around with the 4 ingredients and it wasn’t hard to replicate the marvellous thing of genius she had created. In fact, the ratios are variable, you can use more or less of any one of these ingredients and you will still great results. Gotta love a recipe like that!

My only addition was to add a bit of milk to the chocolate topping to make it softer and easier to slice through.

Bonus is that they take about 20 minutes to make. Give or take an extra 30 minutes to set in the fridge.

They’re also gluten-free and generally pretty allergy-friendly since they have so few ingredients. Enjoy!

Coconut Chocolate Squares

This simple dessert only has five ingredients and takes 20 minutes to make! (Recipe Credit: Aube Giroux of Kitchen Vignettes)

Ingredients

• 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup honey (use a bit less if you prefer less sweet)
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin cold-pressed coconut oil, at room temperature
• 1 cup dark bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp milk of choice (optional, makes a more sliceable topping)

Directions

1. Your coconut oil should be at room temperature and have the consistency of soft butter. (If not, you can warm it very gently in a small saucepan until just melted). Mix in the honey, then add the coconut. Stir until thick and evenly incorporated. Press the whole mixture into a 9 x 5 inch baking pan (8 x 8 inch works well too though the bars will be a bit thinner) lined with parchment paper with an overhang for easy removal and slicing. Smooth and press down the top with the back of a spoon. Place the pan in the freezer for about 10 to 15 minutes while you prepare the chocolate topping.
2. Melt the chocolate chips over the lowest heat setting or ideally in a double boiler. Add 2 Tbsp milk of choice (this is optional but it softens the chocolate layer a bit and makes it easier to slice). Stir gently to incorporate milk and ensure the chocolate melts evenly and does not burn on the bottom. Heat until just melted and then remove from heat. Let the chocolate cool down if it is hot, it should be lukewarm (almost cold) before spreading on top of the cold and hardened coconut base.
3. Place the pan in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set the chocolate. Remove from the fridge, pull out the whole block by tugging on the parchment paper edges. Slice with a sharp knife and serve. These slice better if they’re fully hardened and running the knife through hot water first also helps to get a clean slice. Store the squares in the refrigerator. They will keep for 2 weeks.

Yield: 8 squares

Aube Giroux is a food writer and filmmaker who shares her love of cooking on her farm-to-table blog, Kitchen Vignettes.

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine’s Best Food Blog award in the video category.