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About This Recipe
This Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond Bark is the great teat for anyone who loves a perfect combination of sweet and tart flavors with a satisfying crunch. The taste of fine dark chocolate combines perfectly with the tartness of dried cherries, sweetness of coconut and the toasty crunch of roasted almonds to create the best heathy treat!
Just like my dark chocolate pretzel bark, this easy chocolate bark is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser and also works great to bring to your next holiday party when you want to bring something other than traditional cookies.
This chocolate bark recipe also makes a great gift during the holiday season! It’s a great treat for neighbors, teachers, friends, co-workers, etc. Throw it together with some of my healthy buckeyes, Christmas crack, white chocolate Christmas chex mix or peanut butter fudge for the perfect holiday treat box!
But even if it’s not the holiday season, I love making a batch of this cherry almond chocolate bark to keep stashed in the freezer. It’s so easy to make and the perfect treat when you just need a little something to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Why You’ll Love This Dark Chocolate Almond Bark
- An instant crowd-pleaser for any event or holiday party! Also makes great holiday gifts!
- This simple bark is one of my favorite things to stash in the freezer for a quick healthy treat!
- Super easy to make with just four main ingredients and easily customizable!
- A simple recipe that is way better and cheaper than store-bought! Also makes the perfect gift this time of year!
- Chocolate lovers will love the balance of flavors in this sweet treat! A minimalist dessert anyone will love!
- Almonds: I used whole, raw almonds. You could also sub for peanuts or your favorite nut.
- Dark chocolate: You can use dark chocolate chips or chocolate bars. I used a bag of Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips (this brand melts really well so I didn’t need to use any coconut oil but if needed you can stir in 1-2 teaspoons of melted coconut oil to get the chocolate smoother. I highly recommend using a good quality chocolate for this recipe!
- Coconut oil: this is optional if you need hep melting your chocolate! The bag of chocolate chips I used melted really well so I didn’t need it but you may need a little bit depending on what type of chocolate you use to get a smooth consistency.
- Dried cherries: you can give these a rough chop or leave as it. You could also sub for dried cranberries or any dried fruit you like! I do not recommend trying to use fresh cherries for this recipe.
- Shredded coconut: I used sweetened but you can also use unsweetened if you prefer.
- Chocolate: If the taste of dark chocolate is to bitter for you, swap the dark chocolate for milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate or a mixture of both (I love doing half dark, half semi-sweet)!
- Nut: Sub the almonds for peanuts, pecans, cashews or even pistachios. If you have a nut allergy, you can swap the nuts for pretzels or something else slightly salty.
- Holiday bark: Drizzle white chocolate and add crushed candy canes for a fun holiday twist.
- Sea salt: If you like sweet and salty, you can sprinkle a dash of flakey sea salt on top of the bark once you add it to the baking dish.
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add almonds to the large baking sheet and spread out. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant. Let cool completely.
2. Melt chocolate and coconut oil (in a double boiler over medium-low heat or in the microwave in a heatproof bowl in 20 second increments).
3. Stir until smooth.
4. Stir in the toasted almonds, dried cherries and shredded coconut (save some of each for topping).
5. Pour chocolate mixture into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (small to medium in size, can use the same pan if it’s cooled down), spread evenly with a spatula about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle extra almonds, dried cherries and shredded coconut on top if desired.
6. Chill into firm– refrigerate for an hour or freeze for 30 minutes. Break into even size pieces. Stack a few up and tie in a bow to give to a friend!
Keep stored in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the freezer.
Helpful Tips
- High-quality chocolate: I HIGHLY recommend using a high-quality dark chocolate for this bark. This will provide the best, smooth flavor to compliment the sweetness of the cherries and almonds.
- Toast the almonds: I know this is an extra step, but toasting the almonds really helps bring out the nutty flavor! An extra step but definitely worth it!
- Don’t burn chocolate: Be careful to not overheat the chocolate or it can become grainy. Heat in microwave (or double broiler) until just melted and smooth.
- Remove air bubbles: If needed, you can lightly tap your baking sheet on the counter once you’ve added your chocolate mixture to remove any air bubbles formed when pouring.
What’s the best way to melt chocolate?
I always just melt the chocolate in the microwave for ease and convenience. To melt chocolate, just mix the chocolate (and coconut oil if needed) in a bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring with a rubber spatula in between, until melted. You can also use a double boiler method or place a glass bowl over a small saucepan of water to melt your chocolate if you prefer!
Can I use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate?
Yes, you can use milk or semi-sweet chocolate instead of dark chocolate! However, using milk chocolate will result in a much sweeter bark compared to dark chocolate. If you like the combination of sweet and slightly bitter flavors, dark chocolate is the way to go. Milk chocolate may also be softer and melt differently, so keep that in mind when working with it.
How thick should the chocolate layer be?
Try to spread your melted chocolate mixture to about a 1/4-inch thickness. If you spread it to thin, the bark will be fragile and might break easily into small pieces; whereas if it’s too thick, it could be too hard to bite into and also break weirdly. I’ve found a 1/4″ thickness provides the perfect balance of crunch and chew.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond Bark
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole raw almonds (90g)
- 10 oz. 60-70% cocoa dark chocolate chocolate chips or chocolate bars
- coconut oil optional (see notes)
- 1/2 cup dried cherries (80g) roughly chop or leave as is
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut (30g) I used sweetened
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add almonds to the baking sheet and spread out. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant. Let cool completely.
- Melt chocolate and coconut oil (in a double boiler over medium-low heat or in the microwave in 20 second increments). Stir until smooth.
- Stir in the toasted almonds, dried cherries and shredded coconut (save some of each for topping).
- Pour chocolate mixture into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (small to medium in size, can use the same pan if it’s cooled down), spread evenly with a spatula about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle extra almonds, dried cherries and shredded coconut on top if desired.
- Chill into firm– refrigerate for an hour or freeze for 30 minutes. Break into even size pieces. Stack a few up and tie in a bow to give to a friend!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
