Make This Epic Dark Chocolate Berry Bark With Just 5 Ingredients
This decadent dark chocolate berry bark is studded with berries and coconut flakes and simple to make. It’s creamy, delicious, goodness in a healthy treat!
Nothing is more delicious than dark chocolate… except, maybe, for homemade dark chocolate bark studded with frozen berries and coconut flakes. Here’s how to make the most epic berry chocolate bark ever. (You’re welcome.)
The Health Benefits of this Dark Chocolate Berry Bark Recipe
This dark chocolate bark begins with cacao butter, aka cocoa butter. This product is the solidified oil extracted from the cacao bean, and it’s used used as the fat source in making chocolate. It gives chocolate bars a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth feel – and it’ll contribute that still-same texture to this bark.
Cacao Butter
Cacao butter shares several characteristics with coconut oil, especially in its medium-chain fatty acid content. The fats in cacao butter are associated with reduced risk of heart disease and hardening of the arteries1. And what’s more, these fats, coupled with cacao butter’s high polyphenol compound content, contribute to cacao’s anti-inflammatory properties2.
Cacao Powder
Cacao powder is next on our list, adding flavor, depth, and color to this dark chocolate bark. Raw cacao powder is loaded with antioxidants and polyphenols – more so than green tea and red wine, according to a 2003 study3. So the next time someone dings you on your dark chocolate habit, tell them to look up theaflavin, epigallocatechingallate, resveratrol, and procyanidin, all of which have been studied for their chemoprotective and heart protective abilities.
Frozen Berries
Frozen berries boost the antioxidant content of this dark chocolate bark (and according to some studies, the fact that they’re frozen improves their antioxidant superpowers even more.4) The berries also provide a natural sweet flavor that, in my opinion, precludes the need for added sweeteners. I prefer my dark chocolate bark really dark (without adding in any sweetener), as in my opinion, the berries sweeten it enough. That said, if you prefer a slightly sweeter bark, add some pure maple syrup or raw honey.
Coconut Flakes
A sprinkle of coconut flakes is a delicious way to add texture and flavor to this dark chocolate bark. Choose an unsweetened brand to keep the sugar content low.
That’s all you need to make this creamy, decadent dark chocolate bark a reality!
Ingredients
Preparation
- Add cacao butter to a saucepan, and heat over low heat until completely liquid.
- Stir in coconut oil until combined.
- Whisk in cacao powder and sweetener, if using.
- Line a small baking tray with parchment paper. Pour liquid chocolate into baking tray, and dot with frozen berries and coconut flakes. Place in the freezer to set for 45 minutes.
- Remove chocolate from the freezer and gently break into pieces.
- Store chocolate bark pieces in the freezer, where they will keep for up to five months.
Sources
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2797556/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3942736/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14640573/
4. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140722124810.htm
