“Honestly? These taste better than the fancy chocolate almonds at the store — and you get to lick the spoon.”
Softly crackling almonds coated in rich dark chocolate — these Vegan Chocolate Covered Almonds are the ultimate sweet-meets-salty snack. Each bite is perfectly crunchy, with just enough sweetness to make you close your eyes and smile. Whether you’re gifting them, setting them out for guests, or sneaking a handful after dinner, this recipe hits that rare balance of indulgence and simplicity.
If you’ve ever made my Candied Pecans, Chocolate Strawberry Granola, or No-Bake Almond Butter Granola Bars, this recipe fits right into that sweet-spot category — simple, impressive, and completely plant-based.
A Little Homemade Magic
There’s something deeply satisfying about making your own chocolate-covered almonds. You control the sweetness, the salt, and the quality of chocolate — and the result tastes fresher than anything from a store-bought bag. This version takes things up a notch by first candying the almonds in maple syrup and coconut oil, creating a caramelized base that locks in flavor before dipping them in smooth, melted vegan chocolate.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Crispy, crunchy texture: The maple-glazed almonds set up beautifully under the chocolate coating.
- Sweet, salty, and balanced: A hint of flaky sea salt takes the edge off the sweetness.
- Make-ahead friendly: These keep beautifully for gifting or snacking through the week.
- Customizable: Make neat individual almonds or easier (but just as addictive) clusters.
- Gift Giving: Sharing is caring, and anyone (even the non-vegans) would LOVE their own homemade chocolate almonds!
Ingredients used and substitutions
The exact ingredients with measurements can be found in the recipe card below along with more concise abbreviated instructions. Read on for more details, tips, and tricks so that you will feel confident making this recipe.
- natural almonds – Or can use regular unsalted roasted almonds, see below.
- maple syrup – Use real maple syrup, please.
- coconut oil – Use refined coconut oil, and you won’t taste any coconut flavor.
- vanilla extract
- salt – A small amount for the recipe and a little more for (optionally) sprinkling on top.
- vegan chocolate or chocolate chips – If I can ever find legit vegan chocolate bars, I use that and chop it finely. Otherwise, it’s pretty easy to find vegan chocolate chips. Sometimes I use a combination depending on what I can source.
- Optional: flaky sea salt to sprinkle – Optional but YUMMY!
About the natural almonds
When a recipe calls for natural almonds, it simply means almonds that haven’t been roasted, salted, or flavored — just raw (but pasturized), shelled nuts in their pure form. They’re often labeled as “raw” or “natural” at the grocery store, and you can usually find them near the roasted nuts or in the baking aisle. Using roasted or salted almonds will change the flavor and texture since they’ve already been heated and seasoned. If you can’t find raw almonds, choose unsalted roasted almonds and skip the toasting step in the recipe. For a great overview of almond types and how they differ, see this article from Blue Diamond on the different types of almonds.
How to make these tasty chocolate almond treats
It’s best to refer to the recipe card for the exact steps. Here is an overview.
Step One – Toast or Prep the Almonds
If you’re using raw almonds, take a few extra minutes to toast them. It deepens their flavor and gives them that perfect nutty aroma. Spread them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 7–10 minutes, until the skins crack and the kitchen smells amazing. Let them cool before moving on.
Step Two – Candy coat the Almonds
In a medium saucepan, combine maple syrup, coconut oil, salt, and vanilla extract, and bring just to a gentle simmer. Add the almonds and stir constantly until the syrup clings to each nut and the liquid mostly cooks down — about four minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when there’s barely any syrup pooling at the bottom of the pan.
Spread the coated almonds on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let them cool for about 15 minutes. You’ll want to make sure they are thoroughly cooled before coating the almonds with chocolate.
Step Three – Melt the Chocolate
Use either vegan chocolate chips or a finely chopped bar. Melt in short microwave bursts, stirring after every 15–30 seconds until smooth and glossy. If you prefer, melt the chocolate over a double boiler for extra control. The key is gentle heat — overheated chocolate will seize up instead of coating smoothly.
Step Four – Coat the Almonds in chocolate
Once the chocolate is melted, toss in the cooled almonds and stir gently to coat. Retrieve each almond with a fork, letting the excess drip off before returning it to the parchment to set. Want an easier route? Make chocolate almond clusters — just spoon small piles onto the parchment and let them harden together.
OR – If you are impatient like me, remove the almonds a few at a time to make almond clusters.
Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt for that irresistible sweet-salty finish.
Step Five – Cool and Store
Allow the almonds to cool completely until the chocolate is firm. This can take a couple of hours, depending on the room temperature. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week (if they last that long).
Chocolate-covered almonds: The perfect edible gift
Sharing is caring. These chocolate almonds also make the perfect edible gift — the kind that looks fancy but feels homemade. Tuck a handful into a glass jar with a ribbon, and you’ve got something thoughtful and delicious to share. If you’re building a little vegan gift box, add a few Buttery Spiced Nuts, some No-Bake Peanut Butter Cranberry Bars, Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats, or even a scoop of Crunchy Nutty Granola. Each treat holds up beautifully for gifting and, together, they make a sweet surprise for anyone who loves homemade goodies.
Final Thoughts
These Vegan Chocolate Covered Almonds are everything a good homemade treat should be — simple ingredients, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and that little touch of love you can’t buy at the store. They’re perfect for gifting, parties, or as a satisfying treat when the chocolate craving strikes.
Try variations with dark chocolate and orange zest, or mix things up by coating other nuts like pecans or hazelnuts. However you make them, one thing’s for sure: these are guaranteed to disappear fast.
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Vegan Chocolate Covered Almonds
Ingredients
- 2 cups natural almonds
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil refined
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 10 ounces vegan chocolate or chocolate chips
- Optional: flaky sea salt to sprinkle
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, combine maple syrup, coconut oil, salt, and vanilla extract. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring gently until everything is well mixed and just bubbling.
- Add in the almonds, stirring to coat completely. Reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking and stirring frequently until syrup is mostly cooked down and coating the nuts (very little to none dripping to the bottom of the pot between stirs) about 4 minutes.
- Spread nuts on to a parchment lined baking sheet, separating the nuts as much as possible so they do not stick together. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
- Either use vegan chocolate chips, or, alternatively, chop your chocolate very fine. Microwave starting with 30 second increments until it starts to melt. Then go to 15 second increments. Stir after each time.
- If you are using vegan chocolate chips then Place chopped chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water until mostly melted. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.
- Coat the candied almonds in chocolate. You can add a large number to the bowl, stir to coat, and retrieve them individually with a fork. Place back on the parchment to set. Alternatively, make chocolate covered nut clusters (see blog post) – it's actually easier to do that!
- Optional: Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle on a small amount of flaky sea salt.
- Once chocolate is completely hard, nuts can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week…it they last that long!
Notes
Preheat oven to 350° F/175C. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Spread the almonds in an even layer on the sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes until the skins are starting to crack and the nuts are fragrant.
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Continue with the recipe. If you don’t want to microwave, you can alternatively place chopped chocolate/chips in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water until mostly melted. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. If you’d like to make nut clusters rather than the individually coated nuts, see the blog post for photos and examples. It’s honestly much easier to do it this way though if you have the patience for it, the individual nuts are better in my opinion. Making the clusters/dipping the nuts is included in the prep time. Cooling/setting time includes the time to cool the nuts before dipping and after dipping. Some chocolate might take a little longer to set and harden.
