Recipe: Dark Chocolate Walnut and Cherry Holiday Bark

When grocery store shelves are piled high with peppermint bark around the holidays, it might be tempting to grab a tin for gifting or to enjoy as an after-dinner treat. But that bark was probably made awhile ago with ingredients you might not recognize. This year, go the extra mile without the extra effort and make your own instead. It’s super easy to do and totally customizable with your favorite mix-ins. This four-ingredient recipe has a combination of savory California walnuts and chewy dried cherries set into dark chocolate, and it comes showered with a little crunchy salt on top.

Bark is essentially melted chocolate sprinkled with toppings. The chocolate hardens and keeps all the toppings in place, and then it’s broken into individual pieces, perfect for snacking or as an elegant edible gift. For this version, start by melting some dark chocolate chips, then spread the mixture thinly on a sheet of parchment paper.

Next come the California walnuts and dried cherries, which need to be chopped into smaller pieces so they’ll be in every bite. Feel free to toast the walnuts first if you’d like — this enhances their delicious flavor and adds some extra crunch. As for the dried cherries, both sweet or tart will work well depending on what you prefer.

The beauty of this bark is that unlike cookies, it can be shipped or stored for a much longer period of time. It’s a great make-ahead project to tackle before other holiday activities set in. But since it only takes minutes to throw a batch together, it can also be a last-minute dessert or addition to a cookie plate. Since it’s loaded with good-for-you walnuts, be sure to make a batch to keep for yourself as a snack when you need an afternoon pick me up.

Discover more delicious, healthy ways to cook with California walnuts.