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Nutty Chocolate Bark

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Nutty chocolate bark

I love healthy treats that don’t contain flour or refined sugar. In the summer, it is really nice to pack some fruit, salty treats and a health bar at outdoor music events, long bike rides, and outings. Nut bars are packed with nutrients, so you only need a little to make you feel satisfied.

One thing I don’t like about store bought health bars is that they tend to be way too sweet and gooey! So I wanted to try making my own version that would be crunchy, with just the right amount of sweetness, a touch of salt and even some spices.

Since we always have a combination of dry seeds like pumpkin, sunflower, flax, hemp and nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios…) at home, it was just a matter of figuring out how much to use them and what could bind them together.

Usually it is some thick sweetener that holds the nuts and seeds. But since I don’t want something too sweet, some nut butter will do the trick. It works pretty well as long as you make sure to mix it well. If you don’t use whole almonds, you can use almond butter as a binder. You can also use tahini (sesame paste).ย  The key is to balance nuts and seed in equal amounts.

Flavoring

I like to add a dash of cinnamon, clove or nutmeg but you can play with your favorite spices or keep it simple. Adding some sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut adds a nice softer texture and tropical flavor.ย This snack comes together pretty quickly. You only need measure equal amounts of nuts, seeds and shredded coconut in a large bowl. Add the nut butter, a pinch of salt, sweetener and combine well with hands or a wooden spoon. Spread on a lined backing sheet. You can make a square or round layer. It doesn’t really matter because you will end up breaking pieces.

Making the bark

The best option here is chocolate. The kind you use is really up to you. I had some darker chocolate (70% cacao) so it was a little bitter and since it has no sugar, I had to some sweetener in the form of agave syrup.
To make the bark, you only need to melt a cup of chocolate with a tablespoon of coconut oil on low heat and drizzle it over the nut layer and let it cool in the refrigerator for a few hours until set.

Chocolate bark

Don’t rush the cooling process because this treats really shines when the chocolate is firm and you can break it into smaller chunks!

Let’s make this!

Nutty chocolate bark

Nutty Chocolate Bark

This nut bar is nutrient rich, easy to make and can be flavored in all kinds of fun ways.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Cooling down 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • Lined baking sheet

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/3 cup cashews
  • 1/3 cup flax seeds
  • 1/3 cup pistachios
  • 1/3 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
  • 1/3 cup tahini or almond butter
  • 2 tbsp agave, maple or date syrup
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp nutmeg, clove or cinnamon powder
  • 1 cup dark chocolate
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions
 

Make the nut bar

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • Combine the pumpkin , sunflower seeds, cashews, flax seeds and pistachios in a large bowl.
  • Add the salt, sweetener and nut butter. Mix well making sure everything is well coated. Taste and adjust as needed.
  • Line a baking sheet. Pour the nut mix and spread into a circle or a square smoothing out the top.
  • Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool down until you can touch it without burning your fingers.

Make the chocolate bark

  • heat up1 cup of dark chocolate with a tablespoon of coconut oil on low heat just until just melted.
  • Drizzle over the nut/seed layer. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm.
  • Break into smaller pieces.
Keyword gluten-free dessert

 

 

 

Bake for 15 mn at 350 F.

 

 

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