Fruit and nut chocolate bark recipe
Fruit and nut chocolate bark is easy to make, it’s ready in hardly any time at all, and it’s a wonderful homemade gift. Dried cherries, pistachios and toasted pecans are sprinkled on top of melted dark chocolate and white chocolate, then topped with flaky sea salt.
I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.
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Fruit and nut chocolate bark
This fruit and nut bark is great for gifting to friends, family, and neighbors during the holidays, but it also makes an easy sweet treat anytime of the year.
What you need to know
I used 70% dark chocolate bars for the base of this bark. It’s not terribly sweet, but it is not bitter either, which some really dark chocolates tend to be. It also balances nicely with the white chocolate and the dried fruit, which is sweet.
I don’t recommend melting chocolate chips to make this chocolate bark with fruit and nuts. Why? Because chocolate chips are made to hold their shape. They have stabilizers to keep the chip intact during baking. If that’s all you have, use it. You can stir in a tiny bit of coconut oil or neutral oil to help loosen it up, but I’d recommend using bars or a block of chocolate for the best results.
Ingredients
This is exactly what I used to make this fruit and nut chocolate bark. It is one of the easiest treats to pull together and, with fruit and nuts in it, it’s practically health food. 😉
- Dark chocolate – I used 70% dark chocolate bars as the base.
- Substitution: Milk chocolate can be swapped out, if you prefer it sweeter. Or, you can half dark and half milk.
- White chocolate – This is optional, if you want to swirl the chocolate. If you don’t, just use all dark chocolate.
- Nuts – Pistachios, pecans, almonds, or macadamias are all great choices.
- Dried Fruit -Dried cherries are sweet and tart, which goes nicely with the chocolate.
- Substitution: Dried cranberries, sliced dried apricots, golden raisins, or any dried fruit that you have will work.
- Flaky salt – Maldon is my preferred flaky salt. I’ve used it nearly every day for over 20 years.
How to make chocolate bark
Here’s a quick summary of how to make chocolate bark with nuts and dried fruit. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- Melt the chocolate.
- Drizzle with white chocolate over dark chocolate, if desired. You can use all dark chocolate, if you prefer.
- Swirl the chocolate using a chopstick, or handle of a wooden utensil.
- Top with dried fruit, toasted nuts and flaky salt, or make a few variations in sections.
Fruit and nut chocolate bark FAQ’s
Store chocolate bark in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 – 3 weeks.
No. Leave the chocolate bark out at cool room temperature. Chocolate absorbs the flavors around it, like leftovers, cheese, fish – you get the picture.
White chocolate doesn’t melt exactly like dark chocolate. It tends to be thicker and less “pourable”. If your melted white chocolate is too thick, add half a teaspoon of coconut oil or neutral oil to it, then stir until it loosens up and the oil is fully incorporated.
Variations and substitutions
- Spicy – Add in a pinch of chili powder or red pepper flakes to give it a spicy, smoky kick.
- Minty – Swap out fruits and nuts for crushed candy canes.
- Sprinkles – Add colorful sprinkles to give it pop of color.
One of the best things about a recipe like this is the room for creativity. If you don’t like pistachios, swap them out for something else. You want more fruit? Throw it in! Do you like a little spice? Put a pinch in to the melted chocolate.
The possibilities with this are limitless. Add chopped up bits of pretzel for added crunch and a bit of saltiness, or tailor them to a specific holiday: pink and red candies for Valentine’s Day, green mix-ins for St. Patrick’s Day, pastels for Spring holiday, etc.
Helpful tools and equipment
- I used these nonstick quarter size sheet pans for this chocolate bark recipe.
- Parchment paper sheets are MUCH easier to use than tearing pieces off of a roll.
- Silicone mats are a fantastic option, and are washable and reusable.
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Fruit and nut chocolate bark
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dark chocolate
- 4 ounces white chocolate
- ½ cup pistachios roughly chopped
- ¼ cup pecans toasted, and roughly chopped
- ½ cup dried cherries
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt *such as Maldon
Instructions
- Toast the pecans – Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Toast the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet for 6 – 8 minutes, until fragrant.
- Line a small (quarter size) sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat, then set aside.
- Melt dark chocolate – You can do this in 30 second increments in the microwave, stirring after each round, or you can set a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water – do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Remove chocolate from heat when it is 90% melted. The residual heat will continue to melt the remaining pieces. Stir until it is completely melted and smooth, then pour the melted dark chocolate over the parchment/silicone mat.
- Melt white chocolate either in the microwave or on the stove. *If your white chocolate is really thick, add ¼ – ½ teaspoon of coconut oil, or a neutral oil to the melted white chocolate, and stir until combined, and slightly thinned.Drizzle white chocolate over the dark chocolate, then use a chopstick, or a wooden skewer to swirl them together. Don't swirl too much – you want it to be uneven.
- Sprinkle dried fruit and nuts over the melted chocolate. Lightly press bigger pieces down into the chocolate.Sprinkle flaky salt, if using, over the top of the chocolate bark.
- Cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours or until set. Break into approximately 24 small pieces.Store in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 2 – 3 weeks.
Notes
- If you are in a hurry, you can slide the fruit and nut chocolate bark into the fridge for 20 minutes to help it set up faster. However, this may cause a bit of condensation on the top of the bark. Leave it out on the counter to finish setting up to avoid too much moisture.
Nutrition
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Originally published July 13, 2015, most recent update November 12, 2024.
This looks fantastic!! We will be making it.
Thanks, Perry!