I love DIY holiday gifts. There’s something about a homemade gift from the kitchen that somehow seems more authentic and heartfelt than a purchased gift—even if it’s a store-bought item that I think kicks booty and brings joy. The problem with most homemade edible presents is that they can be crazy unhealthy or overwhelmingly difficult to make. Or both.
But what if I told you that I’ve got a super simple recipe for a holiday treat that’s at once impressive-looking AND not (too) bad for you? Introducing…Coco-Nutty Dark Bark! (You can watch me make it in my own kitchen in this Periscope video.)
First things first—let’s not kid ourselves: this tart, nutty, and bittersweet dessert ain’t Paleo or Whole30-compliant. My crunchy bark recipe doesn’t contain a lot of junk, but it shouldn’t replace the greens and protein on your plate. Okay, PSA over.
I love making Coco-Nutty Dark Bark ’cause it’s drop-dead simple and infinitely customizable. To be honest, I feel embarrassed even calling this a recipe: all you do is melt the best dark chocolate you can find, and top it with your favorite add-ins. You can change the toppings to suit your taste, though in my humble opinion, the crowning trio consists of toasted coconut flakes, tangy dried cranberries, and salty roasted macadamia nuts. I’ve even provided some fun printable labels that’ll make your packs of chocolatey goodness look legit. Of course, it goes without saying that this minimalist dessert is only going to be as good as the ingredients you choose, so don’t skimp on the chocolate, forget to toast the coconut, or buy stale nuts. Quality matters.
Ready to impress your pals?
Makes 1⅓ pounds dark bark or enough for four gifts bags
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 pound dark chocolate (70-85%) (I like Alter Eco and Green & Black bars)
- ½ cup dry-roasted and salted macadamia nuts, cut into halves (salty is the way to go!)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
Equipment:
- Parchment paper
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Serrated knife or chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Medium glass mixing bowl
- Medium saucepan
- Silicone spatula
- Offset spatula (optional)
- Dry measuring cups
- Instant-Read Thermometer
Method:
Preheat an oven or toaster oven to 300°F. Place the coconut flakes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast in the oven for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Take them out and cool to room temperature.
One of the keys to melting chocolate evenly is to cut the chocolate bars into small pieces—don’t just break them up into large squares. Starting at one of the corners, use a sharp serrated knife to cut the chocolate into small shards on the diagonal. This step might seem like a chore, and you’re gonna have to flex your muscles, but the chocolate will melt faster and more evenly once it’s properly chopped.
Place the chocolate shards into a glass mixing bowl. You have two options for melting the chocolate: use a double boiler or a microwave. Most folks don’t own a double boiler, but you can make your own by grabbing a metal or glass bowl that fits snugly in a medium saucepan. Fill the saucepan with about two inches of water and bring it to a simmer. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan, making sure that the water never touches the bottom of the bowl.
While maintaining the water at a simmer, stir the melting chocolate until it’s smooth. Be patient and don’t overheat the chocolate—it can turn grainy if the temperature goes above 115°F. (You can check the temperature with this nifty thermometer.)
For those of you who use a microwave oven, you can melt the chocolate by zapping it on high for 30 seconds, and stirring well to evenly distribute the heat. Repeat two more times, and stir until smooth. If the chocolate’s not totally melted after a minute and a half, repeat in 15 second increments. Be careful not to overcook it!
While the chocolate is melting, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pour the melted chocolate onto the parchment paper, and using an offset or silicone spatula, spread it thinly and evenly into a rough rectangle, keeping the chocolate layer about ⅛- to ¼-inch thick. Dark bark is supposed to be rustic, so don’t stress out if it’s not totally uniform.
Grab your toppings…
…and sprinkle on the macadamia nuts, toasted coconut…
…and dried cranberries.
Once the chocolate is decorated, I gently push down the toppings that look like they need a little help getting stuck in the chocolate.
Place the tray in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until hardened.
Once the dark bark has solidified, break or cut it into pieces.
To keep fingerprints off the chocolate, handle the bark with parchment paper or use a sandwich bag as a glove. Classy, right?
If you’re going to eat the dark bark by yourself, you can store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.
For those of you gifting the candy, divide the jagged bark into four decorative bags (I like packing them in these fold-over lined bakery bags, cellophane bags, and kraft bags), and seal them with some stickers for good measure.
Want to print out some of the Nom Nom Coco-Nutty Dark Bark stickers for yourself? I have downloads available for free! If you want to buy pre-cut 2.5-inch circular Avery labels, download the sticker template here. On the other hand, if you want to cut ’em out yourself, use this template instead. (Note: These are two different templates, so choose wisely!)
Now go share the love (and calories)!
Looking for other DIY holiday gift ideas? Make my Magic Mushroom Powder or my Nom Nom Chocolate Truffles! Not crafty? There’s no shame in just buying a gift—especially if you’re using my 2016 Holiday Gift Guide. Happy holidays!
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Coco-Nutty Dark Bark
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 pound dark chocolate 70-85% (I like Alter Eco and Green & Black bars)
- ½ cup dry-roasted and salted macadamia nuts cut into halves (salty is the way to go!)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat an oven or toaster oven to 300°F. Place the coconut flakes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast in the oven for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Take them out and cool to room temperature.
- One of the keys to melting chocolate evenly is to cut the chocolate bars into small pieces—don’t just break them up into large squares. Starting at one of the corners, use a sharp serrated knife to cut the chocolate into small shards on the diagonal. This step might seem like a chore, and you’re gonna have to flex your muscles, but the chocolate will melt faster and more evenly once it’s properly chopped.
- Place the chocolate shards into a glass mixing bowl. You have two options for melting the chocolate: use a double boiler or a microwave. Most folks don’t own a double boiler, but you can make your own by grabbing a metal or glass bowl that fits snugly in a medium saucepan. Fill the saucepan with about two inches of water and bring it to a simmer. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan, making sure that the water never touches the bottom of the bowl.
- While maintaining the water at a simmer, stir the melting chocolate until it’s smooth. Be patient and don’t overheat the chocolate—it can turn grainy if the temperature goes above 115°F. (You can check the temperature with this nifty thermometer.)
- For those of you who use a microwave oven, you can melt the chocolate by zapping it on high for 30 seconds, and stirring well to evenly distribute the heat. Repeat two more times, and stir until smooth. If the chocolate’s not totally melted after a minute and a half, repeat in 15 second increments. Be careful not to overcook it!
- While the chocolate is melting, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pour the melted chocolate onto the parchment paper, and using an offset or silicone spatula, spread it thinly and evenly into a rough rectangle, keeping the chocolate layer about ⅛- to ¼-inch thick. Dark bark is supposed to be rustic, so don’t stress out if it’s not totally uniform.
- Grab your toppings, and sprinkle on the macadamia nuts, toasted coconut, and dried cranberries. Once the chocolate is decorated, I gently push down the toppings that look like they need a little help getting stuck in the chocolate.
- Place the tray in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until hardened. Once the dark bark has solidified, break or cut it into pieces.
- If you’re going to eat the dark bark by yourself, you can store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.
- For those of you gifting the candy, divide the jagged bark into four decorative bags (I like packing them in these fold-over lined bakery bags, cellophane bags, and kraft bags), and seal them with some stickers for good measure.
- Want to print out some of the Nom Nom Coco-Nutty Dark Bark stickers for yourself? I have downloads available for free! If you want to buy pre-cut 2.5-inch circular Avery labels, download the sticker template here. On the other hand, if you want to cut ’em out yourself, use this template instead. (Note: These are two different templates, so choose wisely!)
Notes
- To keep fingerprints off the chocolate, handle the bark with parchment paper or use a sandwich bag as a glove. Classy, right?
- Looking for other DIY holiday gift ideas? Make my Magic Mushroom Powder or my Nom Nom Chocolate Truffles! Not crafty? There’s no shame in just buying a gift—especially if you’re using my 2016 Holiday Gift Guide. Happy holidays!
