Start by placing the shredded coconut into your blender or food processor. Pulse it just a few times until it resembles coarse crumbs. You don't want to blend it to powder; just a bit of breakage in the flakes will help everything bind later.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the pulsed coconut with the powdered sugar. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract until the mixture becomes sticky and dough-like. This is the base of your delicious treats.

Wrap the coconut dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. This will make it easier to handle when you’re rolling the bites. Trust me; chilling is essential for shaping!

While the dough is chilling, line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper. This will be where you place your coconut balls once they’re rolled out.

Once chilled, take a small amount of the coconut mixture and grease your hands slightly with butter. Shape the dough into balls—about one inch for Mounds bites and an inch-and-a-half for the Almond Joys. For the Almond Joy bites, press a whole almond into the center and roll the dough around it to seal.

Place your coconut balls onto the lined baking sheet. Space them out a bit, as they will expand slightly during the next steps.

Pop the baking sheet in the freezer and let them chill for another 30 minutes. This ensures that they firm up nicely before being coated in chocolate.

In a microwave-safe dish, melt your chocolate wafers. Start by heating them in 30-second intervals, stirring between each session. If needed, heat for an additional 10 seconds at a time until completely melted and smooth.

Take your chilled coconut balls out of the freezer. Carefully dip each bite into the melted chocolate, ensuring they’re fully coated. Let any excess chocolate drip off before placing the bites back onto the waxed paper.

For added flair, sprinkle some chopped almonds on top of the dipped bites before the chocolate hardens. Once done, let them sit at room temperature or refrigerate until the chocolate is fully set.