Last updated on June 20th, 2023

Baileys Bounty Bars (low-carb and here to stay)

Baileys Bounty Bars have a crisp, rich dark chocolate shell encasing a sweet shredded coconut centre infused with Baileys Irish Cream liqueur.

These bars are low-carb, low-calorie, and the perfect candy for a fun and festive treat to munch on St Patrick’s Day, Easter, or Christmas. They’re good for any day when you want a little chocolate indulgence.

When St Paddy’s day rolls around, drinking Irish Cream becomes increasingly popular for those celebrating the day. I love a fun theme to put on the agenda now and then to keep my low-carb lifestyle interesting. So when I found an unopened bottle of Baileys Irish Cream liqueur sitting in my drinks cabinet (probably since I started doing low-carb), I had to make it a whisk-key ingredient in these bounty bars.

Most of you probably know that a Bounty bar is a British chocolate bar manufactured by Mars Incorporated. However, you may not know that it’s a copy of the Mounds bar, an American chocolate bar that came to the US market much earlier. Almond Joy is another chocolate bar from the US with a chocolate-covered almond in every bar.

What’s with the Bounty Bar Debate?

Recently, in the UK, there’s been some controversy over the Bounty bar, and it truly boils down to who loves them, who hates them and who really couldn’t care less for them.

But none of this mattered until November 2022, when Mars Wrigley removed mini bounty bars from their Celebrations tubs in a trial run leading up to Christmas. It caused quite a stir in the UK, and the British nation went nuts tweeting about it.

The decision to remove the mini bars from the tubs followed research that revealed 39% of the British public wanted the mini coconut bars gone for good. Oh my!

Not everyone seems thrilled about a chocolate + coconut combo for a chocolate bar.

Well, these Baileys Bounty bars are here to stay (in my household anyway), and a chocolate + coconut + Baileys combo should be in a chocolate bar, IMO!

Why you will love Baileys Bounty Bars

• These coconut chocolate bars are low-carb and low-calorie, so you can enjoy them without guilt.
• The Irish cream infused in this bounty bar is subtle but gives this bar a unique, sweet flavour perfect for St Patrick’s Day.
• A crisp thin layer of delicious dark chocolate encases the coconut centre.
• If you are sad to hear about Mars Wrigley removing its mini bounty bars from the celebration tubs, these are for you!
• Chocolate + coconut + BAILEYS is the perfect combo for a creamy, dreamy candy bar.
• Irish cream adds an extra boozy sweetness to the bounty bars without sipping it from a glass. It’s all about indulgence and avoiding too many carbs, right?

What is Baileys Irish Cream?

Baileys Irish Cream is a well known company that makes a creamy alcoholic drink (Irish Cream) made with Irish whiskey, cream and sugar. It tastes like vanilla or sweet cream and can be served on its own with ice or in coffee or hot chocolate. It’s often used to flavour sweets like these Baileys Bounty Bars or as a mixer in cocktails, like Chocolate Martini or a Mudslide.

6 Alternative Irish Cream Brands to Baileys:

• Emmets Classic Cream
• Carolans
• Molly’s
• Cool Swan
• Five Farms
• Saint Brendans

What you’ll need to make Baileys Bounty Bars

Coconut filling

Shredded Coconut-unsweetened and medium-sized shreds are perfect for making creamy, chewy centres for this chocolate bar.

Irish Cream Liqueur-I use Baileys, but any Irish Cream brand will work and you can leave it out for a non-alcoholic Bounty bar.

Sweetener-Powdered Allulose or Monk fruit works well in this recipe and it prevents a grainy texture in the filling.

Unsweetened Coconut Cream-Use the thick creamy part that sits at the top of an unshaken can of coconut milk; it usually floats to the top with the water remaining in the bottom.

Chocolate Shell

Dark chocolate-Pick a good quality dark chocolate with 85% cocoa in it to keep the carbs low. I find it melts faster if you shave it using a sharp knife. You can use unsweetened chocolate and add sweetener or low-carb chocolate chips. More details on the carbs in chocolate are below.

Sweetener-Allulose or powdered Monk fruit for unsweetened chocolate, but leave this out if you use sweetened store-bought dark chocolate.

How to make Baileys Bounty Bars

Make the coconut filling

• Combine the coconut filling ingredients in a food processor, and pulse the mixture a few times to make it firm and bind together. This step will help the mixture stay in shape when forming the bars.

Shape the filling into bars

• Divide the mixture into small 12-14 squoval bars like a bounty bar using your palm and fingers as if you are making sushi. They should be about 2 inches in length.
• Place the coconut bars on a parchment-lined baking tray and set them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to firm up and harden. 

Melt the Chocolate

• Prepare a double boiler by simmering a cup of water in a saucepan, then place a heatproof bowl over it.
• Add the chocolate to the bowl and let it melt completely, then stir in the sweetener (if using). Stir until the mixture becomes smooth and runny. Turn down the heat or switch the stove off to keep the chocolate warm without overcooking it.

Coat the coconut bars

• Take the coconut bars out from the freezer and coat each bar using two forks, one to turn it over carefully in the chocolate and the other to lift it out of the bowl.
• Pro Tip: As you lift it out, tap the fork against the edge of the bowl to let excess chocolate flow back into the bowl. This step helps achieve a thin coating around the coconut bars and saves a lot of chocolate for the rest of the bars.
• Place the chocolate-covered coconut bars back onto the same parchment-lined tray or a new one.

Freeze the Baileys Bounty bars

• Once all the bars are covered, dip a clean fork into any leftover chocolate and make markings on the top of each bar ( like a Bounty bar). 
• Freeze the bars for 20 minutes to harden, then transfer them into a container and keep them in the fridge for 7-10 days.

Tips for making Baileys Bounty Bars

• Shape the coconut filling into balls, then use your palm and fingers to shape the balls into oblong bars.
• To prevent the filling from falling apart, freeze the coconut bars for 20 minutes. This will also help to keep the bars in one piece when you dip them in the melted chocolate.
• Using the double boiler method to melt the chocolate makes it easier to keep the temperature consistent and prevent the coconut bars from falling apart while coating them.
• Using medium shredded coconut is the perfect texture to pulse with the coconut cream when making the coconut filling.
• The Baileys liqueur is quite sweet, so adjust the sweetener to your liking.

The Carbs in Baileys Bounty Bars (an in-depth view)

The carbs for each bar will vary depending on how much Irish Cream and Chocolate is used to make them.

Carbs in Irish Cream

Baileys Irish Cream liqueur contains sugar and carbohydrates, so I use a small amount in the recipe. Each bar is acceptable to eat on low-carb but be mindful to eat them in moderation. I’ll try out a low-carb Irish Cream recipe soon and see if it helps reduce the carb amount further.

Carbs in Dark Chocolate

I’ve tried several brands of chocolate to coat the coconut filling and found that the net carbs for each bar vary depending on which chocolate bar I use. I always look for brands with high fibre content to keep the net carbs low.

Choosing the right chocolate can make a difference in taste and net carbs. My preferred chocolate is melted Dark Chocolate with 85% cocoa, even though it is sweetened with regular sugar. Here is a breakdown of some chocolate brands I used to test this recipe.

Presidents Choice Dark Chocolate (85%) – net carbs in each bar: 5.5g (101 calories)

• This is my preferred chocolate, even though it contains regular sugar. You don’t need too much of it; it covers the coconut filling easily with a smooth thin coating.

Bakers Unsweetened Chocolate – net carbs in each bar: 4.5g (144 calories)

• As it’s unsweetened, you need to add sweetener, so it’s a great choice to control the amount of sweetener in each bar. I melted 6 ounces of chocolate, then added 2-3 tablespoons of Allulose. Powdered Monk fruit works well too, and the more sweetener you add, the thicker the chocolate will become.

Krisda Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – net carbs in each bar: 4.1g (127 calories)

• These chocolate chips are easy to use and melt quickly in the microwave. I use them to make Chocolate Orange Candy Bars for Halloween. They are sweetened with erythritol, so they may not be a good choice if you cut back on low-carb sweeteners.

Bakers Semi-sweet Chocolate – net carbs in each bar: 8g (153 calories)

• This sweetened dark version of the baker’s brand contains regular sugar, increasing its net carbs. It works well to coat the bars, but not a good choice if you are cutting back on white sugar.

How to Store Baileys Bounty Bars

Storage: Place the bars in the freezer to harden for 15-20 minutes. Then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 7-10 days. Although they usually disappear in a few days in my household.

What’s the best way to eat these bars?

Allow the bars to sit out on the counter for 5-10 minutes to fully enjoy the cool creamy Baileys flavour. But if you prefer that crispy crunch, you can eat them straight out of the fridge like a traditional Bounty bar.

Did you make this recipe?

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