Cranberry & Pistachio Chocolate Bark

Cranberry Pistachio Chocolate Bark is a quick & easy holiday recipe. It's delicious topped with dried fruit, coconut, and nuts. Vegan and gluten-free, too!

Cranberry & Pistachio Chocolate Bark

During the holidays, Jack has a thing for peppermint bark. I have a thing for not picking sticky candy pieces out of my teeth, so we compromised this chocolate bark together using festive ingredients that we both love – pistachios, dried cranberries, coconut flakes, and (most importantly!) a sprinkle of coarse sea salt.

Cranberry & Pistachio Chocolate Bark

This chocolate bark is my kind of holiday dessert because it’s (naturally) red and green, and also easy to throw together. You might even already have these ingredients (or similar ones) on hand in your pantry. If you don’t – feel free to customize with whatever toppings you like – nuts, dried fruit, or even crushed candy cane pieces if that’s your thing.

Pop it in the freezer to set – then break and eat!

Cranberry & Pistachio Chocolate Bark


5.0 from 7 reviews

Cranberry & Pistachio Chocolate Bark

 
Prep time
Total time
 
Cranberry & Pistachio Chocolate Bark is a delicious, quick & easy holiday treat. Topped with pecans, pistachios, cranberries, and coconut, this festive red & green recipe is a great holiday gift or addition to a cookie plate. Vegan and gluten-free.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • Baking chocolate (I used this 5.3 oz 70% cacao baking bar)
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons crushed pistachios
  • 3 tablespoons crushed pecans
  • 3 tablespoons toasted coconut flakes
  • 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
  • and a few pinches of coarse sea salt
Instructions
  1. Over a double boiler on the stove (or a saucepan filled with a few inches of gently boiling water with a glass bowl on top), melt the chocolate, coconut oil and maple syrup together - stirring until smooth.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the chocolate. Smooth it out to about ¼ inches thick.
  3. Top chocolate with nuts, coconut flakes, dried cranberries and a few pinches of coarse sea salt.
  4. Place baking sheet in the freezer for a few hours to set. Store remaining bark in the fridge or freezer.
  5. Break bark into pieces & enjoy!
Notes
If you use chocolate sweeter than 70% cacao, decrease (or skip) the maple syrup.
Feel free to customize your own toppings!
If you are vegan or gluten free, make sure to carefully check the labels on your chocolate, nuts, etc.

 

 

35 comments

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  1. Annie
    02.07.2015

    Mmmm! Sounds delicious! I was just wondering how much chocolate you suggest using? Or does it not really matter?

    Thanks so much for the continuously wonderful and creative recipes – they’re what I look forward to everyday!!

  2. Elisa from theunlikelyhousewife.com
    01.01.2015

    oh, this combination sounds so good! And it’s pretty enough to make a food gift out of it!

    Thank you for sharing this recipe! (And your awesome photos – WOW)
    Happy New Year!

  3. Such a beautiful presentation with gorgeous colors. All of my favorites wrapped up into one treat. I will definitely be making this soon! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    ~ strawberrymint.org ~

  4. Perfect for Christmas present/party snack/make it myself and eat it all. I’m impressed you had the patience to photograph it first….

  5. I love the natural red & green in this bark! While I am a fan of peppermint (high five, Jack!), I could TOTALLY get behind these toppings just as much.

    • jeanine
      12.10.2014

      I used raw ones (this time) because I also added salt separately – but you could toast/salt them first – there’s really not a wrong way to make this…

  6. This looks amazing–I love chocolate and pistachios paired together!

  7. Carol from theotherhalfofcarol.blogspot.pt
    12.09.2014

    looks delicious! Perfect recipe

  8. Anita
    12.09.2014

    This looks delicious! I stumbled upon your web-site yesterday and i love it! I have already found a lot of recipes I want to try.

    • jeanine
      12.09.2014

      Thanks Anita – welcome!

  9. Migue
    12.09.2014

    This is a great great idea, I actually have a wood hammer to break chocolate jeje.

  10. cheyenne from wanderfulways.blogspot.com
    12.09.2014

    this looks aaamazing!
    xo, cheyenne

  11. Oh my gosh, I am so happy I just bought cranberries and pecans. Except I will probably eat this entire thing by myself. Gorgeous photography and a really festive twist on the traditional bark. Love it.

    • jeanine
      12.09.2014

      Ha, well it was hard for us to stop eating it long enough to take the picture 🙂

  12. So festive! I love your mix of green pistachios and dried cranberries for natural Christmas colours (: This looks like perfect holiday party food!

  13. chocolate bark is way better than candy canes any day! this looks delish!

  14. Isabelle from headredandblondi.blogspot.com
    12.08.2014

    Along with naturally festive colors 😉 it looks so elegant!
    Beautiful recipe!

  15. YUM! I might have to leave out the coconut. My husband is finicky when it comes to coconut. The oil he’s ok with but I’m not sure he’d agree to flakes.

  16. I have yet to make chocolate bark but I don’t know what I’m waiting for. This looks so good, especially with the pecans and coconut flakes, and as you say it’s so easy to pull together last minute there’s really no excuse to not make it is there?!

  17. Maria from mariasblog.me
    12.08.2014

    It looks great! I agree that the possibilities are endless – all kinds of combinations of dried fruit and nuts! Do you think it would also work with white chocolate?

    • jeanine
      12.08.2014

      yep! Just don’t add the maple syrup because white chocolate is (usually) a lot sweeter than the dark chocolate I used here.

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.