Dairy Free Festive Bark [White & ‘Milk’ Chocolate]

There is something about the silly season that seems to invoke a lot of chocolate eating. The boxes of chocolates are on sale and our inhibitions seem to go out the window for a few weeks.

Don’t get me wrong I’m a huge fan of chocolate as well but I am trying to make some better choices when it comes to treats like chocolate as it’s far too easy to say yes every time it is offered and then feel a bit crappy afterwards when you realise just how much you have eaten.

This is why I thought I’d try to make a Festive Bark as a healthier alternative to traditional chocolate.

This festive bark comes in both white and ‘milk’ chocolate and is made using cacao butter as a base. When I think of festive bark I automatically think of cranberries and pistachios as they are Christmas colors (this may just be me?) and they taste so darn good together.

You can of course do the same thing with melted down traditional chocolate however my festive bark recipe is naturally refined sugar free, dairy free and gluten free. This festive bark isn’t sickly sweet like traditional chocolate but still has the hint of sweetness that you require from chocolate and that melt in your mouth texture we all know and love from chocolate.

Ingredients
250g cacao butter
1.5 tablespoons honey
70g pistachios
50g cranberries
1 tbs dark cocoa (I used West Coast Cocoa)

Directions
1. Melt the cacao butter and honey in the microwave.
2. Chop the pistachios and cranberries into small pieces.
3. Pour half of the cacao butter mixture into one baking tray (lined with baking paper)
4. Add half of the pistachios and cranberries to the baking tray and ensure evenly spread around.
5. Add the dark cocoa to the remaining cacao mixture and stir until combined.
6. Pour chocolate mixture into a second baking tray (lined with baking paper).
7. Add half of the pistachios and cranberries to the baking tray and ensure evenly spread around.
8. Place both baking trays in the freezer to set (10-15 minutes)
9. Once set, break into small pieces and store in the fridge.

Note
You can use whatever sweetener you like, I chose honey and it was tasty but it does sink to the bottom a little and became a little bit sticky, I didn’t find this an issue but you might. If you do I’d try using equal or natvia sweetener 🙂

Would you prefer to try the white or milk chocolate festive barks?