Whip up this healthy dark chocolate bark recipe in no time! This is a super decadent easy chocolate dessert that’s perfect for Christmas and other holidays, but also for Wednesdays at 3 pm in the office.
This chocolate bark is made with melted dark chocolate, almond butter and has a gluten-free shortbread base that tastes absolutely amazing. And just to make it clear, if I was better at slicing, this dessert would probably make it into the category of healthy chocolate bars…
But as you can tell – I’m not. So, I’ve got to stay adaptable and accept things as they come. Well, this little recipe happened to come in the shape of a bark. Wuf.
But, no matter what it looks like, you will love the taste of this dark chocolate recipe. It happens to be one of my favorite healthy chocolate desserts to make when I need something sweet and I simply cannot leave it alone.
Dark Chocolate Bark Recipe Ingredients
Dark Chocolate. Good for you for many reasons, but one health benefit I specifically appreciate about dark chocolate currently is that it can improve brain function. It can particularly help to improve attention and memory function and that’s something I personally need more of right now. So the more cacao the better! For this recipe use dark chocolate with 70-90% cocoa (depending on what you like, of course).
Almond Flour And Ground Oats. These will be the main ingredients for the healthy shortbread base. Compared to white flour, almonds and oats tend to be the better option for your body for multiple reasons. They’re richer in fiber, minerals, prebiotics and several vitamins and both have a lower glycemic index, thus won’t cause blood sugar spikes. What we need for this recipe are blanched almond flour and old-fashioned or quick oats.
Coconut Oil. This is one of the healthier alternatives when it comes to cooking oils. Still, coconut oil is definitely to be enjoyed in moderation.
Almond Or Peanut Butter. I used almond butter, but peanut butter will be just fine in this recipe as well.
Maple Syrup. Another one we need to enjoy in moderation, maple syrup is delicious and a little bit goes a long way in this tasty chocolate dessert.
Pecans or Other Roasted Nuts. I used lightly toasted pecans, but chopped almonds or hazelnuts will go beautifully on top of the chocolate bark as well!
How To Make Healthy Dark Chocolate Bark
The first thing to do when you start making this healthy dark chocolate bark is to preheat the oven to 180C/350F. We will be baking the healthy shortbread crust – it takes the longest, so that’s what we’ll begin with.
Mix ground oats, almond flour, maple syrup, water and coconut oil in a bowl until you get a good crumbly dough.
Line a small baking pan with parchment paper and spread the shortbread mixture, pressing it down evenly with your hands to make the crust.
Bake for about 5-7 minutes or until golden brown, then take out and allow to cool off. The crust will get more crispy as it cools off.
While you’re baking the shortbread crust, melt dark chocolate in the microwave. Chop the dark chocolate into chunks or use dark chocolate chips and place into a heat-resistant microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 30-40 seconds and repeat as needed until the chocolate has almost fully melted. Then take out and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Then stir in some almond butter.
In a different bowl – prep the almond butter topping. All you need to do here is mix almond butter with a little bit of maple syrup and a pinch of salt!
Now that you’ve got everything ready, it’s time to layer! So spread the almond butter mixture over the shortbread crust. Then top with the melted dark chocolate and finally add the toasted pecans.
To make it all come together, place the baking pan in the fridge for about 40-45 minutes.
Cut in pieces or if you wish break apart and enjoy this easy dessert with dark chocolate!
More Options
There are many ways to adjust this delicious dark chocolate recipe to your liking and your needs. You can use different nuts on top, you can use different nut butter…you can even add things like shredded coconut to the chocolate topping!
How To Store
The best way to store this healthy chocolate bark is in the fridge! Simply transfer the bark into an airtight container, close it with a lid, and refrigerate. The dessert will stay good for at least 4-5 days, probably even longer if there’s any left!
If you wish to make more to have some when you’re craving chocolate the dark chocolate bark will survive in the freezer for about a month – but will need some defrosting time before you can enjoy it.
More Healthy Dark Chocolate Recipes
I hope you enjoy this tasty dark chocolate bark and if you love dark chocolate as much as I do, make sure to check out these easy healthy recipes:
- Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
- Easy Healthy Chocolate Cake
- Easy Healthy Brownie Cookies
Yield: 8
Healthy Dark Chocolate Bark
Whip up this healthy dark chocolate bark recipe in no time! This is a super decadent easy chocolate dessert that's perfect for Christmas and other holidays, but also for Wednesdays at 3 pm in the office.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Additional Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup or about 50g dark chocolate
- 1/3 cup and 2 tbsp almond butter
- 1/2 cup ground oats
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped toasted pecans
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F to bake the healthy shortbread crust.
- Mix ground oats, almond flour, maple syrup, water and coconut oil in a bowl until you get a good crumbly dough.
- Line a small baking pan with parchment paper and spread this shortbread mixture, pressing it down evenly with your hands to flatten in order to make the crust.
- Bake for about 5-7 minutes or until golden brown, then take out and allow to cool off. The crust will get more crispy as it cools off.
- While you’re baking the shortbread crust, chop dark chocolate into chunks or use dark chocolate chips and place them into a heat-resistant microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 30-40 seconds and repeat as needed until the chocolate has almost fully melted. Then take out and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Then add in one tbsp of almond butter.
- In a different bowl – prep the almond butter topping. All you need to do here is mix almond butter with a little bit of maple syrup and a pinch of salt!
- Now that you’ve got everything ready, it’s time to layer! So spread the almond butter mixture over the cooled shortbread crust. Top with the melted dark chocolate and finally add the toasted pecans.
- Finally, place the baking pan in the fridge for about 40-45 minutes.
- Cut in pieces or if you wish break the chocolate bark and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 158Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 19mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 3g
