Who doesn’t love a little dark chocolate every once in a while? And paired with nuts, dried fruit + cacao nibs, these chocolatey bites are sure to satisfy. You can eat them as a mid-day snack, for dessert or bring them to your next get-together. You better make sure and save one for yourself though, because they will go fast.
This recipe proves that you can indulge in a little treat every once in a while and still be healthy. Let’s look at the nutrition. The high quality 85% dark chocolate and cacao nibs are low in sugar, high in fiber, and also contain iron, magnesium and a few other minerals. Plus they are a great source of antioxidants. Next, your raw nuts are a good source of healthy fats. Then the dried fruit adds some natural sweetness without being too sweet [make sure to find dried fruit with no added sugar; read your labels]. I’m not sure I really even need to convince you that my Nutty Dark Chocolate Bites are healthy, but it’s always good to know. The flavor of these bite-size treats will speak for themselves.
The ingredients are few + simple.
[cacao nibs + apricots + pecans + cashews; dark chocolate and sea salt not pictured.]
You can choose any combination of nut, seed or dried fruit that you like best. I just happened to choose cashews, pecans + apricots this time. Make sure you find raw nuts [not oil roasted] and unsweetened dried fruit [no sugar added]. The best place to find these ingredients is in the bulk section of your local grocery store.
Using a tablespoon measure, I carefully pour the fruit + nut mixture onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet [one that will fit in the fridge]. I save about an inch of space between each pile to allow room for the melted chocolate to spread.
[ready to be drenched in melted chocolate.]
Melting chocolate is very simple. All you need is a glass bowl and a pot of water. Fill your pot with water [about 1/3 full], put on the stove at medium heat until the water begins to simmer. Place the glass bowl on top and the steam from the simmering water will gently melt your chocolate. This is the best way to melt chocolate to ensure that you don’t burn it. Once my chocolate has completely melted, I remove it from the heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes so it’s not so runny when I add it to my mixed fruit + nut mixture.
[melted dark chocolate.]
Again, using a tablespoon measure, I slowly spoon the chocolate over each pile of mixed fruit + nuts. The chocolate will spread slightly which is perfectly okay. Next I add a sprinkle of cacao nibs and sea salt to each pile. And that’s it. They are ready to be popped in the fridge to set. Once set [which takes about 30 minutes], they will very easily come off of the parchment paper.
[ready for the fridge.]
This little treat is everything that is great about dessert. You have the perfect balance of sweet [but not too sweet], salty, crunchy + chewy all in one delicious bite. And best yet, they are made using high quality ingredients and real food. These are pure love in one bite. I have one left in the fridge that I’m going to snag before anyone else gets it! Check out the full recipe + directions below.
[sweet treat ready to eat.]
Nutty Dark Chocolate Bites
Servings: about 20
Ingredients
- 2 bars high quality dark chocolate [70% cocoa or higher; I like the Green & Blacks brand 85% cocoa]
- ½ cup raw cashews, chopped
- ½ cup raw pecans, chopped
- ¼ cup cacao nibs
- ¼ cup dried apricots, chopped
- ½ tsp sea salt
Directions
Coarsely chop nuts + dried fruit. Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler or by placing glass bowl on top of pot with boiling water. Stir chocolate occasionally to prevent burning. Once completely melted, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon measure, spoon nut + fruit mixture onto parchment paper, leaving about 1 inch between each pile. Next using a tablespoon measure, carefully pour 1 Tbsp dark chocolate onto fruit + nut mixture. The chocolate will spread slightly. Top each pile with a pinch of cacao nibs and sea salt. Transfer baking sheet to the fridge and allow 30 minutes to completely set up. Once set, remove from baking sheet and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy!
- 2 bars high quality dark chocolate [70% cocoa or higher; I like the Green & Blacks brand 85% cocoa]
- ½ cup raw cashews, chopped
- ½ cup raw pecans, chopped
- ¼ cup cacao nibs
- ¼ cup dried apricots, chopped
- ½ tsp sea salt
- Coarsely chop nuts + dried fruit.
- Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler or by placing glass bowl on top of pot with boiling water. Stir chocolate occasionally to prevent burning.
- Once completely melted, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a tablespoon measure, spoon nut + fruit mixture onto parchment paper, leaving about 1 inch between each pile.
- Next using a tablespoon measure, carefully pour 1 Tbsp dark chocolate onto fruit + nut mixture. The chocolate will spread slightly.
- Top each pile with a pinch of cacao nibs and sea salt.
- Transfer baking sheet to the fridge and allow 30 minutes to completely set up.
- Once set, remove from baking sheet and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy!
Did you give this recipe a try? Let me know in the comments below!
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