Making chocolate bark is so easy. Honestly. Like it requires almost no effort, is so quick to do and looks seriously impressive when you offer it to friends and family. It also keeps ridiculously well when Ziplocked in the freezer. Plus, this bark in particular is super delicious, especially when paired with a glass of red wine!
It’s pretty standard in that all you have to do is melt chocolate chips and then add just about anything you could dream of on top. Dried fruits, nuts, seeds and even candies like crushed peppermint or bits of toffee—it’s really up to you!
I decided to take a healthier approach and make dark chocolate bark with dried berries and toasted sunflower seeds… because berries are superfoods, right? And fruit and seeds are better than adding pieces of crushed candy, correct?
Because you can kind of do whatever with this recipe it’s pretty open ended. You can melt more or less chocolate depending on how much you’d like to make. Just remember that if you decide to melt more chocolate you’re going to want to use a large sheet pan or maybe two smaller ones as you’d like the chocolate bark to be relatively thin but still thick enough so as not to break super easily.
I also melt my chocolate chips using a double boiler since it’s less tricky to burn and if you follow my adventures in the kitchen, you’ll know that sometimes I struggle with that! That said, keep an eye on your chocolate and once most of your choco chips are melted, remove from heat and keep stirring until complete smoothness occurs.
Whether you want to make this and keep it as a special lil treat for yourself or to keep on hand for guests that might happen to pop by, this bark is a winner. I think I might even make a whole bunch the next holiday season and package it up nicely as a thoughtful (and delicious!) handmade gift.
I’ll admit that this berry-focused bark was meant to be paired with a bottle of Cab Sauv as I
celebrated my last week at work before jetting off for Italy to start my Master’s program. Though my plans have since changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I’m glad that I made enough bark to get through some emotional eating during all of this! Fortunately for my family but not our waistlines, it looks like I’m gonna be making a lot more bark and other goodies until that adventure finally begins.
Anyways, this berry bark is great and I love snacking on a piece after dinner as a dessert or making some to star on a charcuterie board with cheeses, fruits and meats! Whichever way you decide to indulge, you’re sure to love this incredible rich, yet vibrant snack. Satisfying, full of texture, and sweet and salty flavours, you’re gonna keep coming back for more...I know my mom wasn’t a stranger to helping herself to my fresh batch of bark!
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Berry Bark
* Makes 12 servings *
INGREDIENTS
2 cups dark chocolate chips (I use the PC brand)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup dried berries, chopped roughly
1 teaspoon seas salt flakes
METHOD
In a pan over medium high heat, toast sunflower seeds for 5 minutes or until slightly golden in colour. Set aside.
Boil water in a pot and set a heat-proof bowl on top. Place chocolate chips into the bowl and stir until almost all are melted. Remove from heat and stir until completely smooth.
On a large, parchment-lined sheet pan, use a spatula to spread the chocolate evenly. Aim for a 1/4” thickness.
Sprinkle the berries and seeds over your chocolate base.
Finish with sea salt flakes.
Place the sheet pan in the freezer for 20 minutes. Once the chocolate is completely hardened, use your hands to break it into pieces.
Serve immediately or freeze in a Ziploc bag to satisfy cravings whenever they strike!
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Have you ever made chocolate bark? What are your go-to toppings?