If you know anything about me, you know that I love a little sweet treat. A pastry with my morning coffee, festive holiday cookies, or something simple as an afternoon pick me up – like this Toasted Quinoa Dark Chocolate Bark!
This bark is everything I love about a quick and easy recipe. It’s made with just 3 ingredients, no special equipment, and is endlessly customizable.
It’s basically a homemade Crunch bar – rich and chocolatey with the perfect crispy crunch from toasted quinoa and saltiness from cashews. It’s the perfect treat to make over the weekend and have on hand all week (or month!) for when the chocolate craving strike.
How to Make 3-Ingredient Homemade Crunch Bars
This toasted quinoa bark was originally published by my friend Jessica in her cookbook, The Pretty Dish, and I’m so excited to be sharing it with you! The recipe couldn’t be easier to make – all you need is 3 pantry staple ingredients and a few minutes.
That’s it! This bark is sweet, salty, and perfectly crispy, my ideal sweet bite. Jessica’s recipe calls for white chocolate, but I’m more of a dark chocolate gal, so I omitted it for my bars. Feel free to customize it to your taste – swap out the dark chocolate for milk chocolate, use different nuts, dried fruit, the possibilities are endless!
Storage Tip ⇢ Dark chocolate bark will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to a month or two – but don’t be surprised if it doesn’t last that long!
I can’t wait for you to try this Toasted Quinoa Dark Chocolate Bark! Enjoy it on its own with a cup of coffee or a glass of red wine, or share it in a treat box with friends and family. You’re going to be obsessed!
If you do give it a try, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
3-Ingredient Toasted Quinoa Dark Chocolate Bark
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: serves 8–10 1x
Description
A simple 3-ingredient dark chocolate bark recipe with toasted quinoa folded throughout a thick layer of dark chocolate and topped with cashews.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 20 ounces high-quality dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup cashews, chopped
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set aside.
- Toast the quinoa: Add the quinoa to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring and tossing often, for 5-6 minutes, or until the quinoa becomes fragrant and pops. If you’re using white quinoa, it will turn golden.
- Melt the dark chocolate: Meanwhile, as the quinoa toasts, melt the dark chocolate. Place the chopped dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, thoroughly stirring the chocolate between each interval, until melted completely.
- Assemble the bark: Pour half of the dark chocolate out on the prepared baking sheet. Using a spatula or spoon, spread the chocolate out all over the baking sheet. Top with some of the toasted quinoa, and use the spatula to press the quinoa into the chocolate. Repeat once more with the remaining chocolate and quinoa, creating layers of toasted quinoa throughout the chocolate. Top with any remaining toasted quinoa and the chopped cashews.
- Allow the bark to set in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, or until firm. Break apart into large pieces and enjoy! I keep mine stored in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator. Bark will keep for up to a month or two – but I doubt it’ll last that long!
Notes
- This recipe is adapted with permission from The Pretty Dish: More Than 150 Everyday Recipes & 50 Beauty DIYs to Nourish Your Body Inside & Out by Jessica Merchant.
- Jessica’s Dark Chocolate Bark recipe also has white chocolate drizzled over it at the end – I chose to skip this step because I just really love dark chocolate. If you like white chocolate, you can add the drizzle at the end of Step 4, after having melted 4 ounces of white chocolate using the same method described in Step 3.
do you cook the quinoa first or just pour out of the bag, as is.
Hi Carol, no need to cook the quinoa first, you can just use the dry quinoa straight from the bag. Hope that helps!
This is so delicious & so easy! My whole family enjoyed!!
So glad to hear it was a hit for the whole family, Namalee!
Should the quinoa be rinsed and dried first? I ask because most quinoa recipes call for rinsing the quinoa to remove the bitter coating before cooking/eating. Thanks!
hey katy! i haven’t found it necessary, but i know people do have a sensitivity to that film. if you do, definitely give it a rinse. drain off as much water as you can, & note that it may take a minute or two longer to toast the quinoa since it’s wet. hope this helps! xoxo
thank you so, so much!!! xoxoxo
thank YOU! so excited about the pretty dish! xoxo