Dark Chocolate Bark with Dates and Nuts

This rich dark chocolate bark is the perfect treat to satisfy your nighttime sweet cravings while nourishing your body. Packed with fiber, magnesium, and antioxidants, it's also naturally sweetened to help keep blood sugar balanced. Taking care of yourself tastes so good!

A Good for You Sweet Treat

You'll often find me pulling a square of this bark out of the fridge before I settle into my nighttime routine. It's the perfect delicious treat packed with plenty of health benefits.

It also helps me stay on track with my nutrition goals. I'm always mindful of getting enough fiber and magnesium in my diet because I noticed how much they improve my daily well-being and help balance my hormones. This recipe provides both!

Free of Refined Sugars

Too, it's free from refined sugars. When I have tested it with my continuous glucose monitor, it gives me a nice stable response every time.

I also love to set this out during the holiday season on the dessert table as an alternative for anyone who's avoiding added sugars. Both those watching their sugar intake and those who aren't equally enjoy this treat. It's easy to make and you can feel good about serving up health to your family and friends.

Health Reasons to Love this Recipe

• Antioxidant-Rich: Combines dark chocolate, dates, almonds, and pumpkin seeds for a powerful dose of free-radical-fighting compounds.
• Energy-Boosting: Provides healthy fats, natural sugars, and protein for sustained energy.
• Gut-Friendly: Offers fiber from dates, almonds, and pumpkin seeds for better digestion

What Kind of Chocolate is Used for Bark?

Any chocolate that has a cocoa content of 70% or more is considered dark chocolate and what I prefer to use for this recipe because of the health benefits we just covered.  

I look for fair-trade chocolate with as few ingredients as possible, steering clear of too many added emulsifiers, gums or other chemical additives.

Some of my favorites include Guittard, Stonegrindz, Beyond Good and Endangered Species.

Make sure to chop up the chocolate if you're using dark chocolate bars instead of chips so that it melts more evenly and you get a nice, smooth, pourable chocolate for making the bark.

What Type of Dates Should I Use?

There are different varieties of dates and they come in different shapes and sizes. I love using sweet medjool dates for dessert and baking recipes because they're fairly large.  

Be sure to remove the pits before chopping them up.  I like to chop them into nice small pieces so there's dates in every bite of bark.

Nuts & Seeds Options

You can see I include sliced almonds and pumpkin seeds in this recipe.  Feel free to substitute in equal amounts of your favorite nuts and seeds instead for different flavor combinations.

I've made this bark with peanuts, sunflower seeds, pecans and walnuts.

You can also sub out the dates with dried cranberries, dried cherries, coconut flakes or other freeze-dried fruits. The only thing I watch out for in other dried fruits is they often come with added sweeteners which I try to avoid.

What is Flaky Salt

Flaky salt is chunky and has irregularly shaped crystals that can look like shards. Unlike granulated or fine salt, flaky salt has a delicate, crunchy texture and dissolves more slowly on food, making it ideal for finishing dishes. Maldon is one of the most popular brands.

For this recipe, it's sprinkled on top of the bark when the drizzled chocolate is still wet so that it adheres.  When you bite into the bark, you get the sweet and bitter flavors of the chocolate and dates and the salt rounds it all out for a magical balance of flavors.

Special Equipment You'll Need

• 8 x 8 baking pan
• Parchment Paper
• Binder Clips - help to keep the parchment paper in place so you get nice clean edges on your bark
• Large metal or glass bowl
• Whisk
• Small pot of boiling water

How to Make Dark Chocolate Bark

Step 1

Melt the chocolate in a metal or glass bowl over a boiling pot of water. This is called the double boiler method and the indirect heat from the steam helps to evenly melt the chocolate.

Step 2

Pour ¾ of the chocolate into a parchment-lined 8-inch square pan.

Step 3

Sprinkle chopped dates, almonds, and pumpkin seeds all over the chocolate.

Step 4

Drizzle the remaining chocolate over the top of the fruit and nuts and sprinkle flaky salt on top.

Step 5

Refrigerate the bark for at least 2 hours until it's fully set, then remove it from the pan and chop it up into pieces.

I keep dark chocolate bark in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to two weeks. I like it cold right out of the fridge. If you like it more room temperature, take it out about 20 minutes before you plan to enjoy or serve it.

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