These homemade Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bars are the perfect sweet treat that is made in just 5 minutes with only 4 ingredients. So many different ways to adapt these homemade chocolate bars and they made a lovely gift too.
Who doesn't love a chocolate bar? I grew up eating the Cadbury's chocolate Fruit and Nut bars, and in my never ending quest to come out with healthier versions of my favorite foods, I created these dark chocolate fruit and nut bars that are packed with almonds, cashews, walnuts, dried cranberries and strawberries.
These are seriously bursting with flavor and crunch. It's like the classic Fruit and Nut bars, but next level! I never felt like the store bought ones had much fruit or nuts in them, so I made sure to pack these full of both of them.
Whilst my kids like some nuts, walnuts are not their favorite. So, I packed plenty in here and they love them. Same with the dried cranberries. Not normally something they love, but they happily eat them here.
Looking for more healthy chocolate recipes? Why not try my nut-free Chocolate Seed Bars, easy Chocolate Berry Bark, simple Chocolate Rice Cakes or our moorish Superfood Dark Chocolate Buttons?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chocolate - Use a really good quality dark chocolate, as it's the main flavor. We used 80% dark organic. However, you could use milk chocolate instead if you prefer.
- Coconut oil - This helps to thin the chocolate out to make it more pourable and easier to work with. It also helps to make it shiny too.
- Fruit - We used a mixture of dried cranberries and dried strawberries. But any dried fruit will work.
- Nuts - We used a mixture of almonds, cashews and walnuts, but any nut will work.
Variations
Fruit - Any dried fruit goes here. You could also add raisins, goji berries, dried banana, dried apricots, figs, dates or dried cherries. You can also buy dried tropical fruit mix that works really well.
Nuts - Feel free to change the nuts that are used. You could also add peanuts, macadamia, pecans, pistachios or hazelnuts.
Chocolate - To finish off these fruit and nut chocolate bars, you could drizzle some melted white chocolate over everything.
Flowers - If I was to make these as a homemade gift, then I would add some edible flowers to them to make them really pretty.
Extras - Other toppings that work well are seeds like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or chia seeds, or coconut or puffed quinoa for a protein boost. You can also add crystalized ginger or candied orange to change the flavor.
How To Make Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bars- Step by Step
Prep: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 1: Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together over a low heat, stirring regularly.
- Step 2: Add the dried fruit and nuts (reserving a couple of tablespoons of each). Mix well to coat everything in the chocolate.
- Step 3: Spoon the mixture onto the lined baking sheet in rough bar shaped pieces. Sprinkle the remaining fruit and nuts on top.
- Step 4: Refrigerate until set (about 1 hour).
Tips For Making The BEST Homemade Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bars
- Always heat the chocolate on low to avoid it burning.
- If you want to make these more of a uniform shape, then you can use chocolate moulds. You could make mini circle shaped ones that are bite-sized if you prefer.
- Use vegan chocolate to make a vegan version of this.
- You can either crush the nuts finely and chop the fruit up very small, or you can leave everything a bit chunkier if you prefer.
- Leave the homemade chocolate bars in the fridge for at least an hour to set.
Frequently Asked Questions
These can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months. I would separate each bar with parchment paper so they don't all stick together.
Yes, you can melt the chocolate in the microwave. Melt it for 30 seconds at a time.
More Chocolate Recipes
If you’ve tried these fruit and nut bars, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Homemade Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bars
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz) Dark chocolate - 80%
- 1 tablespoon Coconut oil
- 80 g (0.5 cups) Dried fruit
- 80 g (0.5 cups) Mixed nuts - crushed
Instructions
- Melt 200 g Dark chocolate and 1 tablespoon Coconut oil together over a low heat, stirring regularly.
- Add 80 g Dried fruit and 80 g Mixed nuts (reserving a couple of tablespoons of each). Mix well to coat everything in the chocolate.
- Spoon the mixture onto the lined baking sheet in rough bar shaped pieces. Sprinkle the remaining fruit and nuts on top.
- Refrigerate until set (about 1 hour).
Recipe Tips
- Always heat the chocolate on low to avoid it burning.
- If you want to make these more of a uniform shape, then you can use chocolate moulds. You could make mini circle shaped ones that are bite-sized if you prefer.
- Use vegan chocolate to make a vegan version of this.
- You can either crush the nuts finely and chop the fruit up very small, or you can leave everything a bit chunkier if you prefer.
- Leave the homemade chocolate bars in the fridge for at least an hour to set.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
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