Superfood Dark Chocolate Bark
A healthy chocolate treat that will satisfy any sweet tooth!
Any sweet tooth's out there?! Me, me, me!! My sweet tooth is bad, especially during the holidays. I’m all about balance and intuitive eating but when it comes to sweets, I have zero control! I work at a university so for the past two weeks there has been at least one sweet item in the break room. When my pants started to feel a little tighter than usual, I decided to put an end to it!
To satisfy my sweet tooth without feeling guilty, I created a superfood dark chocolate bark that is super easy to make and is loaded with all the good things, sans added sugar, dairy, and gluten.
The dark chocolate base is made with only 4 ingredients: dark chocolate, maca powder, quinoa, and MCT oil. Quality dark chocolate is quite nutritious as it contains high amounts of fiber, iron, magnesium, and copper. Not only is maca powder popular for increased energy levels and vitality, it provides a sweet “honeycomb” flavor to the chocolate.
Toasted quinoa provides a nutty crispy texture to your bark while providing high amounts of protein and fiber.
MCT oil is easily absorbed throughout the body providing your body an instant source of energy that can be converted into ketones to fuel your brain. I like using this brand: Sports Research
Not only is the base full of superfood ingredients, so are the toppings! I used a random mix of just about everything but you could use whatever you have in your pantry. For example, I used bee pollen, goji berries, cashews, cacao nibs, pepitas, and coconut flakes.
This bark is rather bitter but with a honeycomb undertone. If you prefer your bark a little sweeter, then gradually add 1 Tbsp of pure maple syrup or honey until desired sweet flavor. If you do not have MCT oil, you can use coconut oil instead. Coconut oil does not replace MCT oil as far as nutrition, it just provides an oily consistency that you need when melting the bark.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!
Ingredients
1 bag (10 oz) organic dark chocolate
½ cup quinoa
2 Tbsp MCT oil (or coconut oil)
1 tsp maca powder
Toppings
Cashews, almonds, pistachios, goji berries, cacao nibs, bee pollen, chia seeds, coconut flakes
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, spread quinoa in a single layer.
Toast quinoa in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until lightly brown and toasted.
While the quinoa is in the oven, melt chocolate by placing the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and nuking the bowl in the microwave in 30 second increments.
When the chocolate is completely melted, add the toasted quinoa, MCT oil, and maca powder. Stir to combine.
Transfer chocolate mixture onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spread chocolate using the back of a spoon to spread it out into a rough rectangle.
Scatter toppings over the chocolate while it is still warm. Feel free to get creative!
Place baking sheet in the fridge for up to 1 hour or until the chocolate has set.
Use a sharp knife to chop the slab into rough pieces.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.