White coconut almonds look like roasted almonds that someone rescued from the pan just before the caramel set. That is exactly how they work. We glaze the almonds only until the sugar coating turns white and sandy, then wrap two more pale layers around them. The result looks like little Raffaello balls in the bag and tastes of coconut, vanilla and toasted almond.
We have been making these almonds at Advent for years. We started with the classic dark roasted version, then at some point we added the white variety because our daughter asked for Raffaello and we had nothing ready in the cupboard. Now both types go into the same gift bags, because they complement each other perfectly in colour and finish at the same time.
White Coconut Roasted Almonds (Thermomix®)
Ingredients 0 / 9 ✓
- 120 g water
- 190 g sugar
- 15 g vanilla sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 200 g unpeeled almonds
- 100 g white chocolate
- 30 g icing sugar
- 60 g desiccated coconut
Instructions 0 / 6
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1
Cook sugar and spices.
Add water, sugar, vanilla sugar, salt and cinnamon to the mixing bowl and cook for 3 min / 120°C (TM31 Varoma) / speed 1.
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2
Glaze the almonds.
Add the almonds to the mixing bowl and, without the measuring cup in place, reduce for 12 to 18 min / Varoma / reverse direction / speed 1.
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3
Spread almonds on baking tray.
Spread the almonds evenly on the baking tray and separate them using two forks or spoons.
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4
Bake almonds.
Place the tray of almonds in the oven, preheated to 150°C, and bake for 6 to 10 minutes, keeping a close eye on them. The sugar coating will start to bubble after a short time and can catch quickly. Leave to cool.
Rinse and dry the mixing bowl.
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5
Melt the chocolate.
Break the chocolate into pieces and add to the mixing bowl, chop for 6 sec / speed 8, push down with the spatula, then melt for 5 min / 50°C / speed 2.
Add the almonds and mix for 15 sec / reverse direction / speed 2.
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6
Coat almonds in coconut.
Place the icing sugar and desiccated coconut in a bowl with a lid and shake well. Add the chocolate-coated almonds and shake again until the almonds are evenly coated in the coconut mixture.
Tip: If you are short on time, you can start with ready-made roasted almonds and simply coat them in the coconut glaze.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why the almonds stay truly white
Three layers create the look, and none of them can be skipped if you want to hit that Raffaello note:
- Layer 1: pale sugar coat instead of caramel. The 200 g of almonds are not taken all the way to brown caramel. They are reduced in the mixing bowl just long enough for the water to evaporate and the sugar to sit on the almonds in a sandy layer. The moment has come when the mixture looks white and grainy rather than glossy. From that point it turns brown quickly, so stop 30 seconds early rather than 30 seconds late.
- Layer 2: white chocolate as the adhesive. The 100 g of white chocolate is not just there for flavour. It is the binding layer for step 3. Without it the icing sugar and desiccated coconut would simply fall off. The key is to melt the chocolate at 50°C and no hotter, otherwise it turns grainy and will not stick properly.
- Layer 3: icing sugar plus desiccated coconut. The 30 g of icing sugar is not accidental. It ensures the 60 g of desiccated coconut sticks evenly and keeps the almonds from clumping together. The icing sugar draws up any excess chocolate moisture and makes the coating powdery rather than sticky.
In the Thermomix® everything happens in the same mixing bowl. We cook the syrup, glaze the almonds, melt the chocolate and mix the almonds back in the bowl at the end. Give the bowl a quick rinse and dry between these stages so that no residual syrup gets into the chocolate. Otherwise the chocolate absorbs moisture and turns grainy.
The critical moment when glazing
The tricky part is step 2: reducing the almonds at Varoma / reverse direction / speed 1 without the measuring cup. The measuring cup must be removed, otherwise the evaporated water condenses in the lid and drips back down. The mixture then stays too moist and never turns sandy. Reverse direction is essential because otherwise the almonds break apart. With reverse direction they stay whole and the syrup wraps around them like a shell.
The stated time of 12 to 18 minutes is a range, not a fixed value. For us it is usually 14 to 15 minutes in the TM6. In the TM31 it takes longer because the heating output is different. We lift the mixing bowl lid for the first time after 10 minutes and look inside. If the sugar is still shiny and liquid, let it continue. If it looks white and grainy on the almonds, stop. As soon as the first brown patches appear, the white version is no longer possible.
Oven or straight into the chocolate
After glazing, the almonds go onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. They are separated with two forks while they are still warm. Once the syrup cools, they are almost impossible to pull apart and stick together in clumps. That is why we spread them out flat on the tray immediately rather than leaving them to cool in the bowl.
Optionally, the tray goes into the oven at 150°C for 6 to 10 minutes, keeping a close eye on it. This makes the almonds crunchier inside and gives the sugar coating better hold. A word of caution though: at 150°C the sugar on top of the almonds can start to lightly brown from around minute 7. Anyone who wants to keep the white look should skip this step and move straight on to the chocolate once the almonds have cooled. We usually use the oven because we prefer a crunchier almond over a purely white finish.
When the almonds stick together
The shaking at the end is the point where things often go wrong. Icing sugar and desiccated coconut go together into a bowl with a lid, and the chocolate-coated almonds are added and shaken through. If the almonds are still too moist from the chocolate, they will clump into pairs or threes.
Our fix: after mixing with the chocolate, leave the almonds on baking paper for two to three minutes until the chocolate no longer looks shiny but matte. Only then transfer them to the coconut and icing sugar mixture. If anything still clumps, simply add another 20 g of desiccated coconut and shake again. That usually breaks up the clumps.
Variations we make often
With dark chocolate instead of white the Raffaello character disappears completely. The result is a dark-coated almond with a coconut shell, closer to Bounty than Raffaello. It tastes good but no longer looks like snow in the gift bag. We use this version only when someone does not like white chocolate.
With chopped pistachios in the coconut mixture the almonds get green flecks. This is our favourite variation at Easter. We take 30 g of shelled pistachios, chop them roughly for 2 sec / speed 6 in the mixing bowl and mix them into the desiccated coconut. The pistachios add a touch of colour against the white coating and the whole thing feels more spring-like.
With a hint of chilli (a knife-tip of cayenne pepper added to the cooking syrup) you get a grown-up version. It tastes sweet at first, then a gentle heat arrives about three seconds later. Works well at Christmas markets. Children are not keen.
The perfect gift duo
We love to pack the white coconut almonds together with the classic brown roasted almonds from the Thermomix® into the same bag. Visually it works because the light and dark pieces alternate and the bag looks like more effort went into it. Flavour-wise it works too, because the white version is mild and coconutty while the brown one has a strong caramel taste.
For packaging we prefer pointed confectionery bags because the almonds slide down to the bottom and leave space at the top for a label. We use pointed confectionery bags * with a clear film so the pale almond colour is visible from the outside. Plain clear bags * work just as well. For multiple recipients we like small preserving jars *, as each jar holds a generous portion and feels more considered than a bag.
How long they keep
In an airtight tin or screw-top jar at room temperature the almonds keep for one week without the coating going soft. In a cool spot such as a pantry or cellar they will last two weeks. In the fridge they go damp, because the desiccated coconut draws moisture and the chocolate blooms white. Store the tin at room temperature.
Freezing works in principle but is not ideal. On thawing, water condenses on the coating, the icing sugar dissolves and the desiccated coconut goes soggy. If freezing is necessary, for example when preparing ahead for Christmas markets, use airtight freezer bags and thaw in the closed bag in the fridge overnight rather than opening them at room temperature.
Anyone who would like to make more gifts from the mixing bowl will also find a guide to melting chocolate in the Thermomix® and a post on making icing sugar at home. We also make the vanilla sugar for the syrup ourselves. It saves the ready-made sachets from the supermarket and tastes noticeably more intensely of real vanilla.
What other recipes do differently
Goes well with: mulled wine.
Cookidoo, Rezeptwelt and Zaubertopf nearly all use unpeeled almonds for their Thermomix® versions and pull them through a classic sugar crust of water, sugar and vanilla sugar before adding the white chocolate. That gives a strong caramel note but makes the almonds darker and sweeter. Some recipes also include butter and cinnamon; others use milk chocolate couverture instead of white chocolate. We take the opposite approach: unpeeled almonds, white chocolate without caramel, plus icing sugar and desiccated coconut. This keeps the almonds as pale as Raffaello and they taste of coconut and vanilla rather than burnt sugar. If you like, season our version with a pinch of gingerbread spice for the Christmas season.
