9-Minute Festive Chocolate Bark

This bark is made with a mix of semi and bittersweet chocolate and is finished with sweet and salty toppings. It’s really festive to bring to a party or to gift, and it’s tasty enough that you’ll want to stash some in your freezer!

Ah, it’s that time of year again. Time to break out all the holiday cookie recipes and celebrate the season with good food. I’m in! But to be honest, with as busy as things get around the holidays, sometimes you just need a quick sweet to whip up. This delivers!

You can use whatever chocolate you like as long as it’s good quality. You can even use a dairy-free version if that suites your needs. I really like the mix of bittersweet and semi-sweet because it’s intensely chocolatey and provides bold contrast to both the sweet and salty toppings.

Speaking of toppings, this recipe is really flexible to suite your favorites. I’d just recommend adding toppings that have great color, texture and flavor (which is a big reason I chose the ones I did 😉).

This recipe seriously couldn’t be easier, and it turns out to be a thoughtful and tasty gift… Or a treat to yourself during Christmas movie binges. Enjoy!

9-Minute Festive Chocolate Bark

Recipe by elizabethCourse: Christmas, Dessert, Snacks

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

9

minutes

Chill Time

10

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup good quality semi-sweet chocolate

• 1 cup good quality bittersweet chocolate

• 1/8C pepitas

• 1/8C dried cranberries

• 1/2C gluten free pretzels, chopped

• 2T dried apricots, quartered

• Finishing salt (optional)

Directions

• Place 1 cup of chocolate into small glass bowl and microwave in 30 second increments. As the chocolate melts, add more until all the chocolate is incorporated. The goal with this method is to be sure the chocolate doesn’t get too hot (see notes).
• Once the chocolate is melted, spread it in a thin layer over parchment paper.
• Add all toppings in an even layer and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to set.
• Randomly break chocolate into bite-sized pieces and place in a tin with waxed paper for gifting or store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe Video

Notes

• The goal of melting the chocolate so gently is to temper it. This makes for a more glossy chocolate that is more “snappy” when bitten into. If the chocolate doesn’t temper it’s still perfectly good to eat.
• I’d recommend not greasing the parchment paper. It’s not necessary and makes for greasy chocolate (no thanks!).
• I’ve found that this recipe makes the perfect amount of bark if you’re hoping to use a tin to gift it to someone.