Making Chocolate Bark at home is surprisingly easy and requires only a few ingredients. It makes a beautiful and thoughtful homemade gift for holidays, celebrations, or anytime.
And the fun part is that we can be creative and use any kind of nuts, dried fruits, peppermints, crushed cookies, and so on.
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Why Is It Called Chocoalte Bark?
Once the chocolate is cooled, it is broken into small pieces. And each piece has a rough surface and edges that resemble the rough surface of tree bark. So, for this reason, it is called chocolate bark.
About Chocolate Bark
If you are looking for a last-minute treat for a holiday or party, this chocolate bark recipe comes to the rescue! It is beyond easy to make, but the result is impressive and super delicious.
I am sharing one of my favorite chocolate bark recipes here. But you can easily customize it as per your preferences. I like to use pecans, almonds, pistachios, and dried cranberries, but you can use whatever nuts you have on hand.
Also, I like to lightly toast the nuts for more flavors and a beautiful crunch. And I sprinkle a pinch of sea salt for a slight salty twist to this sweet treat.
Ingredients
You will need only a few ingredients to make this delicious dessert. They should be readily available in our pantry. And again, you can add nuts and dried fruits that are available to you. Also, I have mentioned the variations in this post; make sure to check it out.
- Chocolate: The chocolate I use is generally 60% to 70% cocoa content. Also, I use chocolate chips or chocolate bars, whatever is on hand. You can use whichever chocolate you prefer and as dark as you like.
- Nuts and Dried Fruits: I have used pistachios, almonds, pecans, and dried cranberries. However, you can use your choice of nuts and dried fruits. It is best to use unsalted nuts. I like lightly toasted nuts for the best flavors and crunch. You can use raw nuts, but I will highly recommend to toast them if possible. We love dried cranberries in this chocolate bark. But you can add your choice of dried fruits or skip it entirely.
- Sea Salt: I have sprinkled a pinch of sea salt over the chocolate. And it provides a sight contrast of saltiness to this sweet treat. However, you can skip adding salt if you want.
How To Make Chocolate Bark
- Place nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Lightly toast the nuts at 350° F for 6-9 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges. Let them cool completely.
- If you want to use raw nuts, skip the step of toasting the nuts.
- Transfer the nuts to a cutting board and roughly chop them.
- You can also chop the cranberries if you want or keep them whole.
- Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water.
- Cook the chocolate until it is entirely melted.
- Make sure to stir the chocolate continuously until melted.
- Once the chocolate is melted, carefully remove the bowl and wipe the bottom to remove condensation because chocolate should not contact water.
- Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and pour melted chocolate in the center of the baking sheet.
- Spread it evenly and smooth it out with a rubber or silicone spatula.
- Sprinkle the chopped nuts evenly over the chocolate and then add dried cranberries.
- Finally, sprinkle sea salt over the chocolate.
- Then, lightly and gently use a spatula to press the toppings into the chocolate.
- Let the chocolate cool at room temperature for about 2-4 hours or until chocolate is completely hardened.
- Or, for a quick result, place the baking sheet on the flat surface in the fridge for about 30-40 minutes.
- Once the chocolate is completely hardened, break it with your hand into 25-30 pieces.
Storing Suggestions
- Enjoy the chocolate bark immediately, or store it at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.
- If you want to store it for longer, refrigerate it in an airtight container.
Helpful Tips
- Make It Nut-Free: Use roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds instead of nuts.
- Make It Vegan: Use dairy-free chocolate to make vegan chocolate barks.
- Scaling: You can easily half the recipe for the smaller batch. And if you scale it up, you will need to use two baking sheets for spreading the melted chocolate.
Variations
- Nuts: Almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios
- Seeds: Pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- Dried Fruits: Dried cranberries, cherries, apricots
- Others: Candy canes, pretzels, crushed cookies, unsweetened shredded coconut
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Microwave to Melt The Chocolate?
Yes, absolutely! Use a microwave-safe bowl and warm the chocolate in 30 seconds intervals. Make sure to stir the chocolate after each interval. Microwave it until the chocolate is almost melted, then mix it with a spatula until fully melted.
More Chocolatey Treats
You May Also Like
- Eggless Chocolate Cake / Eggless Small Chocolate Cake
- Date Energy Balls / Healthy Date Energy Bites
- Eggless Red Velvet Cookies / Eggless Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe Card
Chocolate Bark (Easy and Quick)
Ingredients
- 16 ounce (450g) chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (60 to 70% cocoa content)
- 1 cup raw nuts
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- A pinch of sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Place nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Lightly toast the nuts at 350° F for 6-8 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges. Let them cool completely.
- If you want to use raw nuts, skip the step of toasting the nuts.
- Transfer the nuts to a cutting board and roughly chop them.
- You can also chop the cranberries if you want or keep them whole.
- Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water.
- Cook the chocolate until it is entirely melted. Make sure to stir the chocolate continuously until melted.
- Also, make sure that water does not contact chocolate while using the double boiler method.
- Once the chocolate is melted, carefully remove the bowl and wipe the bottom to remove condensation because chocolate should not contact water.
- Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and pour melted chocolate in the center of the baking sheet.
- Spread it evenly and smooth it out with a rubber or silicone spatula.
- Sprinkle the chopped nuts evenly over the chocolate and then add dried cranberries.
- Finally, sprinkle sea salt over the chocolate. Then, lightly and gently use a spatula to press the toppings into the chocolate.
- Let the chocolate cool at room temperature for about 2-4 hours or until chocolate is completely hardened. Or, for a quick result, place the baking sheet on the flat surface in the fridge for about 30-40 minutes.
- Once the chocolate is completely hardened, break it with your hand into 25-30 pieces.
- Enjoy the chocolate bark immediately, or store it at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
- Make It Nut-Free: Use roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds instead of nuts.
- Make It Vegan: Use dairy-free chocolate to make vegan chocolate barks.
- Scaling: You can easily halve the recipe for the smaller batch. And if you scale it up, you will need to use two baking sheets for spreading the melted chocolate.
Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think.