Health(ier) Chocolate Bark with Salted Popcorn

Tis the season for giving food as gifts! And if there’s one unique and delicious gift you should give this holiday season, it’s this Healthy Chocolate Bark with Salted Popcorn, made slightly less guilt-inducing with dark chocolate and whole grains (popcorn!)

As many of you know, every other week I feature a different ingredient on my blog. It’s a way for me to explore seasonal ingredients and find new ways of cooking with them. At this point I’ve featured almost all of the major ingredients, from apples to zucchinis, so this fall I thought it would be fun to turn the spotlight to popcorn!

But when I actually started brainstorming the recipes I could possibility incorporate popcorn into, I hit a wall. I mean, we eat popcorn as a snack, we make popcorn balls with marshmallows…but is that it? Well I’m coming at ya today with a fun new way of using this autumnal whole grain! It’s adding crunch and salty deliciousness to our favorite swirled chocolate bark.

How to make chocolate bark

Making this Healthy Chocolate Bark is insanely easy. You’ll just melt your chocolates in separate bowls. Mix some of the popcorn in with the white chocolate, then swirl the two chocolates together on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with more popcorn and sea salt then throw in the fridge to firm up.

The best thing about chocolate bark is that, in addition to being so easy, it’s flexible to whatever ingredients you have on hand, so feel free to throw slivered almonds or dried berries on as well. Then just break into pieces and enjoy! I like to keep it in a container for a sweet treat to munch on, or gift stacks of it during the holidays.

How to melt chocolate for chocolate bark

While the microwave may look tempting, it’s easy to burn chocolate this way. Melt chocolate for bark by setting it in a heat-proof bowl and setting that bowl over a pot of boiling water (just above the water, not submerged). Stir constantly until most of the chocolate is melted. Remove the bowl from over the steam and continue to stir until chocolate has all melted.

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Healthy Chocolate Bark with Salted Popcorn

Tis the season for giving food as gifts! And if there’s one unique and delicious gift you should give this holiday season, it’s this Healthy Chocolate Bark with Salted Popcorn.

Course Desserts, Snacks

Keyword chocolate bark

Diet Gluten-Free, Vegetarian

Occasion Birthdays, Christmas, Game Day, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day

Time 30 minutes or less, 45 minutes or less

Prep Time 5 minutes

Setting Time 30 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 325 kcal

Author Live Eat Learn

Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped dark chocolate 400 g
• 1 ½ cups chopped white chocolate 200 g
• 1 cup popped popcorn 15 g
• ½ tsp coarse sea salt

Instructions

1. Prep: Line a large 9 x 12 inch rimmed baking sheet or pan with parchment paper.
2. Melt: Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Place dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set just over the boiling water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water). Stir chocolate until most of it has melted. Remove from heat and continue stirring until all pieces are melted. In a different bowl, repeat melting process with the white chocolate. Stir half of the popcorn into the white chocolate.

3. Pour: Pour the dark chocolate into the prepared baking sheet, spreading evenly over the sheet. Drizzle white chocolate mixture on top. Use a knife to create swirls in the chocolates. Sprinkle evenly with remaining popcorn and sea salt.

4. Set: Set in the refrigerator to chill until hard, at least 30 minutes. Break bark into pieces either by hand or with a knife. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts

Healthy Chocolate Bark with Salted Popcorn

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 325 Calories from Fat 165

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 18.3g 28%

Saturated Fat 12.2g 61%

Cholesterol 13mg 4%

Sodium 146mg 6%

Potassium 209mg 6%

Total Carbohydrates 36.2g 12%

Dietary Fiber 1.5g 6%

Sugars 32.4g

Protein 4.3g 9%

Calcium 9%

Iron 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks so much for dropping by and for making fun recipes like this Healthy Chocolate Bark with Salted Popcorn possible! This recipe first appeared over on Amanda’s Cookin’, where I’m a contributor.