Pining for something healthy yet decadent this season? Look no further than these delicious and versatile Dark Chocolate Seed and Nut Bites. Although the holidays are often filled with sugar-laden treats, these tasty morsels are only as sweet as the chocolate you use to make them. Choose a rich, dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate instead of sweet milk, and there is hardly any sugar worth mentioning.
Starring: Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Seed and Nut Bites are easy to make; they're simply melted dark chocolate mixed with your favorite assortment of nuts and seeds. This mixture is then spooned onto baking paper and chilled for twenty to thirty minutes before serving. They keep a long time in the fridge, or even your pantry if it is dark and cool. Just store them in an air-tight container and pull them out when ready to serve. If you're worried about heat melting the bites, store them in the freezer and pull them out an hour before serving.
Since chocolate is the star of these crunchy bites, be sure to choose the best you can find. Look for high percentage dark chocolate from a reputable chocolate maker; you want it smooth and glossy when it melts, not streaky and clumpy or, even worse, grainy.
Filled With Goodness
Then choose the nuts and seeds you want. This is where you can go as simple or as wild as you like. If you prefer one flavor profile, go for Dark Chocolate Macadamia bites, or perhaps hazelnut, almond, or walnut. If you like an array of flavors and textures, throw in whatever you fancy. Try a hodgepodge of Brazil, pine nuts, sesame and poppy seeds.
For this recipe I just used a combination of what I had in my cupboard, a mix of macadamia nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds. The tiny chia seeds work well as a binder for the remaining nuts. You can chop your nuts if you like, but I prefer a mix of sizes and shapes to give each chocolate bite a distinctive shape and texture.
If you want a sweeter dessert, add a smattering of dried fruits to the nut mixture. I love dried cranberries and cherries best, but dried apricots, figs, pineapple, and raisins are also lovely, and candied ginger is a delightful surprise.
Chop, Melt, Mix
When all your ingredients are assembled, mix together the nuts, seeds, and fruit (if using) in a small bowl and set aside.
Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces and place in top of a double boiler. Set this over barely simmering water and stir gently until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth when stirred.
Remove melted chocolate from heat and stir in nuts, seeds, and fruit until everything is well coated. If the mixture is sloppy, add more nuts and seeds until it easily spoons up without dripping much.
Place spoonfuls of the chocolate mixture on baking paper, and chill 20-30 minutes until chocolate bites are firm. Eat immediately or store as mentioned above.
Dark Chocolate Seed and Nut Bites
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup nuts, seeds, and dried fruit (if using)
- 8 ounces dark chocolate
Directions:
Mix together nuts, seeds, and dried fruit in small bowl and set aside.
Chop chocolate and melt in double boiler until smooth and glossy.
Remove chocolate from heat and stir in nuts, seeds, and dried fruit until everything is coated. (Add more if mixture is too sloppy.)
Place mixture by spoonfuls onto baking paper and chill in freezer for 20-30 minutes until firm.
Eat immediately or store in air-tight container in cool, dark place.
