The holiday season is in full swing, so chances are you’ve been treating yo’self to a chocolate or two or… ten already.
You know me, I’m not going to tell you to stop eating chocolate altogether. That’s not really realistic holistic advice around the holidays, I know.
But, I am going to encourage you to opt for dark, organic and fair trade chocolate when you can and EVEN BETTER, I’m going to give you this killer recipe for homemade chocolate bark that is bonkers easy and off the chain good.
I do not exaggerate. This chocolate freezer bark will knock. Your. Socks. Off.
It’s all made from whole, raw, and organic ingredients and takes all of 10 minutes to whip up, pour onto a tray and pop it in the freezer.
It’s better than any chocolate I have ever bought and you can feel especially good when gifting to your friends because you took the time to make it from scratch. (They don’t need to know it only took a hot second.)
I topped this batch with sesame seeds, flaked coconut and walnuts, but the sky’s the limit. Use any nut or seed of your choice: add goji berries, cranberries, dried blueberries or puffed quinoa. Once you see how dead easy this is, I know you’ll be experimenting all sorts. Kids will love to help out in the kitchen with this one!
The nuts and seeds are full of good fats, vitamins and minerals. Coconut oil is also a healthy fat that actually helps you burn fat. And raw cacao is chock-full of potent antioxidants and healthy minerals. This treat will, literally, boost your mood.
You do need to keep it in the freezer or fridge though because it will get soft and melt if left out too long.
Obviously, don’t eat the entire batch all at once and treat it as a treat not a dietary staple. There’s a reason you break it into bits.
You ready for this?
- Chocolate:
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup raw cacao powder
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp nut or seed butter (I used organic peanut butter)
- pinch sea salt
- Topping:
- ¼ cup raw walnuts
- ¼ cup dried coconut flakes
- ¼ cup raw sesame seeds
- (you can use them raw or toast them a bit in the oven like I did)
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Toast nuts and seeds on baking sheet for about 4-5 minutes until just starting to brown.
- In small saucepan, melt coconut oil on low heat and add maple syrup and nut butter to pan, whisk until well combined.
- Then mix in the raw cacao powder with a pinch of salt and whisk everything together until smooth.
- Pour chocolate mixture onto parchment-lined baking sheet, sprinkle with desired toppings and place on an even surface in the freezer for at least 20 minutes
- Once hardened, remove from freezer and break into chunks and do a happy holiday dance.
That’s it. So easy, right?
Are you singing my praises for sharing this gem with you? I hope so.
Happy holidays!
xo
KD
