Quinoa Almond Chocolate Bark

It should not have taken me this long to realize I should quit spending money on store-bought chocolates. With just five ingredients, I can make a delicious chocolate bark at home. All it takes is melting some dark chocolate and toasting some almonds and quinoa.

Almonds are called for in the original recipe, but I think pistachios or dried cranberries or both together would make a nice substitution. You can also heat things up by adding a sprinkle of cayenne to the melted chocolate. Check out this list of ten best chocolate bark mix-ins to further inspire you.

While there are really no limits to the things you can mix in to a chocolate bark, I do ask that you toast the quinoa. It brings out a nice nutty flavor that makes it the star of this recipe. Same goes for the almonds. Plain almonds are fine, but toasted almonds are next level. Enjoy!

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Quinoa Chocolate Bark

Author The Quintessential Quinoa Cookbook by Wendy Polisi

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and dried

1 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 pound quality dark chocolate, chopped

Instructions

1. Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium low heat.
2. Add the quinoa and allow it to toast until lightly browned, gently shaking the saucepan back and forth over the heat, about five minutes.  
3. Stir together the toasted quinoa, toasted almonds, and sea salt. Reserve about three tablespoons of this mixture to sprinkle on top of the bark.
4. Now melt the chocolate over a double boiler, stirring often to avoid scorching.
5. Pour all but the reserved three tablespoons of the toasted quinoa and almond mixture into the melted chocolate and stir until thoroughly coated.
6. Spread the chocolate mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper and top with the reserved quinoa and almond mixture.
7. Allow to sit until set, about two hours, then break into pieces and enjoy.

Notes

To toast the almonds, simply place them on a baking tray and allow them to sit in an oven heated to 350 degrees for a few minutes. They are done when their aroma infuses the air. Keep a close eye on the nuts during this step because they can burn very quickly.

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