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Easy Baking with Kids – Dark Chocolate Haystacks

By Alissa Marquess Zorn on January 27, 2010 (updated January 9, 2019)

These Dark Chocolate Haystacks were a fun and quick to make cooking project with my preschooler. I like to cook with my kids a lot. I know it’s not easy for everyone, but for us it’s one of the ways we connect. In fact, you can find our favorite recipe books here.

Easy to make with preschoolers - chocolate coconut haystacks

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Yesterday with the kids I made chocolate haystacks – great recipe to do with preschoolers because it’s very easy, and the results are done quickly. The haystacks don’t actually require baking at all, just cooling enough to stick together after mixing the warm ingredients, and because I used coconut oil, I didn’t even have to heat the mixture very much, making it feel safe to have the kids participate.

These dark chocolate haystacks were inspired at this site that gives instructions for making your own chocolate bars from cocoa powder, coconut oil and maple syrup.

Chocolate Coconut Haystacks Ingredients:

Cocoa powder – 1 Cup
Coconut oil – 1/3 cup
Unsweetened coconut shreds 1 Cup (or as desired)
Maple syrup – to taste

The numbers above are to give you an idea, but truthfully I didn’t have the computer on, so I winged it in the kitchen and it worked out great – the trick with these chocolate coconut haystacks is making sure the mixture isn’t too liquidy. It should stick together and not run all over your cookie sheet.

To Make Dark Chocolate Haystacks:

Melt the oil over low heat in a sauce pan then transfer to a bowl.
Stir in approximately 3 times more cocoa powder than oil and just a splash of maple syrup (to taste).
When you have the right sweetness level to your preference add in a few handfuls of unsweetened coconut shreds (good place for preschoolers to help mix).
Use a spoon to make little haystacks on a cookie sheet (*Recommended: use [easyazon_link identifier=”B0161X9TI8″ locale=”US” tag=”lissybug-20″]parchment paper[/easyazon_link] on your baking sheet on it so they don’t stick. Not critical, but helpful.) You’ll want to make these about 1 inch in size or so – bite sized I think is nice.
Put the cookie sheet in the fridge so the chocolate will harden. Once the haystacks have cooled they will be your own homemade bon-bons. Do be ware that the coconut oil becomes liquid again at only about 70 degrees, so they probably are best kept in the refrigerator in most homes.

[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”110″ identifier=”B017APN5H2″ locale=”US” src=”https://bouncebackparenting.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/515neloIg4L.SL110.jpg” tag=”lissybug-20″ width=”110″] These would be cute as kid made gifts as well – using treat bags to put 4-6 coconut haystacks in each bag.