bakingglutenfreememories Have you ever received word last minute of friends or family being in town and wanting to visit? To show hospitality, it is fun to have a treat or snack on hand for them to enjoy. This chocolate cranberry bark is perfect for such occasions, or any really, since it requires very little time to make!
I thought it would be fun to make a seasonal chocolate bark with cranberries for a little added tartness, though this can be made at any time of year. I chose to add lightly salted pistachios for some extra flavor and crunch. The chocolate is a combination of both dark and white. I recall having amazing white chocolate in Switzerland with pistachios. There is something delicious about those two together. The level of sweetness for this bark is just right and an added sprinkling of sea salt on top really brings it home. The chocolate I used is also dairy free so it is perfect to share with those that are vegan or that need to avoid all dairy products!
This bark is easy to make and it only requires about 1 hour and 15 minutes to firm up in the refrigerator before serving and enjoying. And only 5 ingredients are needed! It tastes great alongside a cup of coffee or tea as an afternoon or after dinner treat.
Required Ingredients for Chocolate Cranberry Bark
- lightly salted pistachios
- dried cranberries, sweetened or unsweetened (your choice!)
- white chocolate chips
- dark chocolate chips
- sea salt
This chocolate cranberry bark is: easy to make, sweet and tart, crunchy, chocolatey, can be made vegan, rich, luxurious, and just 5 ingredients!
The dairy-free chocolate I used is mentioned in my recipe below. You can definitely add more toppings to this bark or change up the nut options. Slivered almonds would be another tasty option!
Other no-bake chocolate recipes I have on the blog that are worth checking out are: Chocolate Sunflower Butter Cups, Chocolate Strawberry Roses, Raspberry Pistachio Chocolates, and Chocolate Nut Bars.
How to Make Chocolate Cranberry Bark
To begin, roughly chop the pistachios and dried cranberries and set them aside in small bowls. Next, line an 8” x 10” baking dish with parchment paper. Firmly press it in, trimming any extra paper if needed so that it will fit well inside the dish. This helps with the overall shape of the bark, unless you don’t mind messy edges.
Then sprinkle the bottom of the dish with half of the chopped pistachios and cranberries. This will help disperse it better in the chocolate. Now set the dish aside.
Start by melting the dark chocolate in a non-stick pan or a double boiler over the stove on medium heat. Use a spatula or spoon to constantly stir the chocolate until it is completely melted. Turn off the burner and set it aside.
Now for the white chocolate. Pour the chocolate in a microwavable safe bowl covered and microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring with a spoon in between each interval. Make sure it is completely melted, roughly 1 minute or slightly over.
Then pour the dark chocolate in the dish over the nuts and cranberries. Use a knife or scraper to evenly spread the chocolate, touching each corner end edge.
Additionally, spoon out the melted white chocolate on top of the dark chocolate. Here you can do a marbled effect or decorate it as you’d like. I used a wooden skewer tip and just pulled on the white chocolate to spread it around, as pictured below.
Finally, top the chocolate with the remaining pistachios and cranberries and sprinkle the top with a little sea salt.
How to Set the Chocolate
Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove and allow the chocolate to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before chopping it into chunks on a chopping board. Serve and enjoy!
Storage Tips and Notes
- Store the chocolate bark in a sealed container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for about 1 week
- The chocolate bark will also store well in the freezer in a sealed container and just allow it to thaw before eating
- Other topping options include: mini marshmallows, slivered almonds, chopped peanuts, chopped pecans, etc.!
- A slightly larger dish can be used if you would like a thinner bark
- I used fine sea salt for sprinkling on top, but another option is using coarse sea salt for more of a salty finish
Chocolate Cranberry Bark
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried cranberries, sweetened or unsweetened (67g)
- ½ cup lightly salted pistachios (74g)
- ⅔ cup white chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand) (125g)
- 1½ cups dark chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels) (9oz)
- Sea salt for topping
Instructions
- First, roughly chop the pistachios and dried cranberries and place them in small bowls. Line an 8'' x 10'' dish with parchment paper. Trim sides if needed and press down firmly around the sides.
- Sprinkle half of the pistachios and cranberries inside the dish and set it aside.
- In a non-stick pan or double boiler, melt the dark chocolate over medium heat on the stove. Use a spatula or spoon to constantly stir the chocolate until it is completely melted. Remove from the heat.
- In a microwavable safe bowl, pour in the white chocolate chips and cook covered for 20 second intervals, stirring in between. Heat until the chocolate is completely melted, roughly 1 minute total.
- Then pour the dark chocolate in the dish, covering over the pistachios and cranberries. Use a knife or scraper to evenly spread the chocolate to all sides and corners of the dish. Now scoop out the melted white chocolate on top of the dark chocolate. Spread or design the top as desired.
- Finally, top the chocolate with the remaining pistachios and cranberries and sprinkle the top with sea salt. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until hardened. Allow the bark to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before chopping into chunks to serve.
