Sometimes you just need the extra energy and pick-me-up of something chocolate. There are lots of benefits to eating chocolate, especially dark chocolate! A good quality dark chocolate will be dairy free and low in sugar, but high in antioxidants. If you mix that with delicious dried blueberries, chopped almonds, seeds and a bit of coconut oil the result is a wonderful chocolate treat that backs up the sweet goodness of chocolate with protein. This means you can enjoy your chocolate fix without worrying that you’ll end up crashing half an hour later!
The great thing about this treat is that it’s so easy to make. You’ll need a cup of good quality, fair-trade dark chocolate chips (or, chop up your favorite chocolate bar). Just melt this with a tablespoon of coconut oil, and stir in 1/2 cup chopped raw almonds, 1/4 cup dried blueberries (I made these myself in the oven), 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds and 1/4 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds. Stir it all together, spread it on a piece of parchment paper, pop it in the fridge for about half an hour and then break it apart. So fast and easy!
I like to keep a jar of dark chocolate blueberry bark in the pantry, for a quick chocolate fix during the day. It’s also a great treat for lunchboxes, and makes a wonderful snack when you go hiking! You get the sweet boost of chocolate with its potassium, iron, magnesium and copper, the protein and vitamins from the nuts and seeds, omega 3 from the coconut oil, and the delicious antioxidants from dried blueberries. I love a sweet snack that I can feel good about indulging in!
- 1 cup good quality, fair trade low sugar dark chocolate chips (or, chop up your favorite candy bar)
- 1 tablespoon organic coconut oil
- 1/2 cup chopped raw almonds
- 1/4 cup dried blueberries
- 1/4 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup raw shelled sunflower seeds
- Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together, stirring until it's smooth.
- Add the nuts, seeds, and blueberries and stir well to combine.
- Line a pan with parchment paper. Spread the chocolate and nut mixture out on the paper, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Chill the chocolate bark in the fridge until it's hard, about 15-20 minutes.
- Break apart the chocolate bark and store in a jar or airtight container. If the weather is warm, you might need to store it in the fridge so that it won't get soft.