Do you love traditional lemon slice? If so, you’ll love these no bake dairy free lemon coconut balls. These definitely aren’t your healthy lemon bliss balls. They are just like the traditional sweet lemon slice made with plain biscuits and condensed milk. Only here we’ve made an allergy-friendly version that is free from milk, eggs, nuts and soy and is also gluten free and vegan.
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Jump to RecipeLemon coconut ball ingredients
You only need a few ingredients to make these dairy free lemon coconut balls:
- 205g (2 cups/7oz) plain milk/egg/nut/soy/gluten free cookies
- 90g (1 cup) desiccated coconut
- 160g (1/2 can) non-dairy condensed milk
- 2 Tablespoons non-dairy spread (eg Nuttelex or similar), melted
- grated rind of one fresh lemon
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- extra desiccated coconut for rolling
Allergy friendly and vegan plain biscuits or cookies
We like to use an arrowroot biscuit in this recipe, but you can use any type of plain crunchy cookie that is suitable for your allergies. The Woolworths brand Free From arrowroot biscuits we used are free from gluten, milk, eggs, nuts and soy, but if you don’t need to avoid soy the Leda arrowroot biscuits are very similar.
Other options include Enjoy Life vanilla honey graham cookies, Eskal vanilla tea biscuits (contain soy) or Schar digestives (contain soy). Make sure you check the ingredient labelling and any precautionary allergen statements carefully to choose something safe for you.
Desiccated Coconut
Desiccated coconut is a finely grated, dry coconut product. I usually buy McKenzies desiccated coconut. Don’t try and substitute shredded coconut, as this will be too moist and the longer strands don’t give the same texture. Coconut flakes also won’t give the right texture.
Dairy free condensed milk
We are able to source two different types of non-dairy condensed milk at our local supermarket – Nestle Plant Based Condensed Milk Alternative (with oat milk) and condensed coconut milk.
For our dairy free lemon coconut balls, we used Pandaoroo sweetened condensed coconut milk as it is is a coconut flavoured recipe.
Bear in mind that dairy free condensed milk comes in a smaller can than traditional condensed milk. For this recipe we only use half a can, so if you want to use the whole can just make double quantity!
If you can’t source a suitable non-dairy condensed milk, it is definitely possibly to make your own. For a vegan sweetened condensed milk, reduce about 650ml of your non-dairy milk with 50g of sugar in a saucepan over low heat. You can also add a dash of vanilla.
Method
Crush the biscuits to make a fine crumb. You can do this in a food processor, or when I don’t feel like washing the whole processor I like to use my Bamix stick blender and the processor attachment. If you don’t have either, just put the biscuits in a bag and crush with a rolling pan.
Combine the dry ingredients – the crushed biscuits and the desiccated coconut – in a large mixing bowl using a wooden spoon. Add the grated lemon rind and mix well.
Melt the non dairy spread in a small saucepan (or heat for 30second on medium heat in the microwave).
Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients – the condensed coconut milk, lemon juice and melted Nuttelex. Mix these ingredients until well-combined. The mixture should form a ball.
Place the mixture in the fridge for about 10 minutes to cool slightly.
Take a heaped teaspoon of mixture and roll into a ball with your hands. Roll the lemon ball in the extra desiccated coconut to coat and set aside. Repeat with remaining mixture.
Chill the lemon coconut balls in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
This recipe makes about 24 lemon and coconut balls. Prepared balls will last in the fridge for about a week. They can also be frozen and enjoyed later.
More recipes
If you love lemon flavoured sweet treats, you should also have a look at our recipe for Light and luscious egg and dairy free lemon cookies or Gluten, Nut, Egg and Dairy Free Lemon Slice (Vegan).
For more quick and easy allergy-friendly recipes, make sure to visit our recipe page.
Or if you’d like to explore some more allergy-friendly cookies you could try in this recipe, or just enjoy without baking, read about some of our favourites – 5 Favourite Allergy Friendly Cookies and 5 More Allergy Friendly Cookies to Buy, Not Bake.
Gluten, nut and dairy free lemon coconut balls
Equipment
- Food processor (or Bamix stick blender and processor attachment or rolling pin) to crush biscuits
- large mixing bowl
- Small grater for lemon rind
- Citrus juicer
- Small saucepan or small microwave proof bowl to melt non-dairy spread
- mixing spoon
- teaspoon
Ingredients
- 205 g (2 cups/7oz) milk, egg, nut and gluten free cookies, finely crushed
- 90 g (1 cup) desiccated coconut
- finely grated rind of 1 lemon
- 160 g sweetened condensed coconut milk (or other non-dairy condensed milk)
- 2 Tablespoons dairy free spread (eg Nuttelex)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Crush the biscuits to make a fine crumb. You can do this in a food processor, or when I don't feel like washing the whole processor I like to use my Bamix stick blender and the processor attachment. If you don't have either, just put the biscuits in a bag and crush with a rolling pan.
- Combine the dry ingredients – the crushed biscuits and the desiccated coconut – in a large mixing bowl using a wooden spoon. Add the grated lemon rind and mix well.
- Melt the non dairy spread in a small saucepan (or heat for 30second on medium heat in the microwave).
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients – the condensed coconut milk, lemon juice and melted dairy free spread. Mix these ingredients until well-combined. The mixture should form a ball.
- Place the mixture in the fridge for around 10 minutes to cool slightly.
- Remove mixture from fridge. Take a heaped teaspoon of mixture and roll into a ball with your hands. Roll the lemon ball in the extra desiccated coconut to coat and set aside. Repeat with remaining mixture.
- Chill the lemon coconut balls in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
Totally going to try these out, they sound good!