Coconut Oil Chocolate Bark (4 Ingredients, Vegan)

Nourishing yet indulgent-tasting coconut oil chocolate bark, made with 4 ingredients! It uses cocoa powder instead of chocolate and is vegan, paleo, gluten-free, grain-free, and includes a keto option, too!

An Straightforward, Nourishing, Satisfying Chocolate Bark Recipe

In the summer, I keep my freezer stocked with at lest one batch of myFruit and Yogurt Bark.It is so plain to make and top with summer fruits and nuts for extra crunch.

But come winter, it is all about chocolate, specifically my especially straightforward chocolate bark recipe.

This chocolate bark is so satisfying, and its a reliable recipe for gifting and celebrating. It is go-soft-in-the-knees satisfying, especially-plain to make, and relatively frugal, too, plus naturally vegan, Paleo gluten-free, and Keto (with straightforward swaps). I meant it when I said it is reliable!

The recipe in question is my decadentCoconut Oil Chocolate Bark,made with only 4 ingredients. This dark chocolate bark uses cocoa powder instead of chocolate, making it a more affordable treat, and present, too.

While this is definitely a treat, and not low in calories, they are nutritious calories: coconut oil has a plethora of health benefits, cocoa powder is rich in antioxidants, and maple syrup is a natural, unrefined sweetener. Toppings such as nuts, seeds and dried fruit add even more nourishment. No worries about artificial junk making its way into your gift!

Don’t you want to reach into your screen and grab a piece, right now?

Recipe Benefits

• 4 ingredients
• Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
• Customizable (choose the toppings you like reliable)
• Grain-free
• Gluten-free
• Keto (with especially straightforward swaps)
• Especially straightforward
• Made with cocoa powder, not chocolate

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

The essential ingredients for the bark are minimal:

• Virgin Coconut Oil
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powderor Raw Cacao Powder
• Maple Syrup (or honey, if you are not vegan)
• Toppings(e.g., Nuts, Coconut and/or Dried Fruit)

That’s it!

Step by Step Instructions

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

• Line a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. The small baking sheet I use is a standard 1/4 size sheet pan (9×13 inches/ 22.5×32.5 cm).
• Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder, maple syrup and salt. Return to heat and whisk for 1 minute longer.
• Scrape chocolate mixture onto prepared parchment paper; using a silicone spatula, spread to an even thickness (about 1/4-inch thick).
• Sprinkle with desired toppings.
• Transfer baking sheet to the freezer (for 30 minutes) or refrigerator (for at least an hour) until bark is firm.
• Transfer bark (on the parchment paper) to a cutting board and cut into about 25 pieces.

Coconut Chocolate Bark: A Reliable Gift

Coconut chocolate bark is ideal for gift-giving because you can personalize the toppings according the palate of your intended recipient. My Dad, brother and husband areless is moretypes (especially when it comes to chocolate); for example, some chopped almonds or hazelnuts, and, perhaps, a sprinkle of coarse sea salt.

But I have plenty of friends and other family member who (like me) prefer more is more toppings (fruits, nuts, seeds, coconut!).

Variations

• Add toppings directed into the bark:f you like, stir some of the toppings directly into the coconut oil-cocoa mixture, instead of on top of the chocolate, before spreading on the parchment. Lumpy-bumpy is a very good thing here!
• Swap maple syrup for another liquid sweetener:For example, brown rice syrup, agave nectar, date syrup, or (if you do not follow a vegan diet) honey.

Storage for the Chocolate Bark

Store the bark in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 month or the freezer for up to 6 months.

Topping Ideas

You can add extra sweetness, a little crunch, and, overall, lots of extra flavor and texture with a wide range of toppings. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Chopped Nuts:For example, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, almonds, peanuts, cashews and macadamia nuts. Toasted or roasted nuts deliver a lot more flavor, but you can use raw, too.
• Seeds:For example, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), sunflower seed kernels, chia seeds, hemp hearts and sesame seeds. The same goes for seeds: toasting adds extra flavor and crunch.
• Coconut:Add raw or toasted unsweetened coconut shreds or flakes.
• Chopped Dried Fruits:Sucha s dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried apricots, dried blueberries, dried mango, raisins, figs and prunes.
• Freeze dried fruit:Look for options such as freeze-dried strawberries, blueberries, apples and raspberries. Crumble onto the bark or leave whole.
• Nut butters and seed butters:Stir in a few tablespoons of nut butter or seed butter, such as peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter or tahini. Heat the nut butter or seed butter slightly so that it is more runny, and easier to swirl.

Make Keto Coconut Oil Chocolate Bark

It’s a cinch to make this bark keto-friendly:

1. swap the maple syrup for a keto-friendly liquid sweetener.
2. Do not use dried fruit in the topping. Instead, use nuts, seeds, unsweetened coconut flakes, and, for a fruit option, freeze dried fruit (such as strawberries; you can find these in the baby food section of most supermarkets).

Happy chocolate, everyone!

More Nourishing Chocolate Desserts to Love

• 3-Ingredient Chocolate Date Truffles (vegan, paleo, grain-free)
• Double Chocolate Chickpea Flour Cookies (vegan, grain-free)
• Straightforward Chocolate Truffle Tart (vegan, grain-free, keto option, no-bake)
• High Protein Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding (vegan, no-cook)
• Black Bean Brownies (vegan, gluten-free)