Sea Salt Chocolate Bark
This Sea Salt Chocolate Bark is salty and sweet, with a fantastic crunch in each bite. The cranberries, pistachios, coconut, and sea salt toppings make this a colorful, irresistible treat!
I’m calling for all chocolate lovers. I want to share this easy Sea Salt Chocolate Bark recipe that spruces up the regular plain chocolate bar.
It is no secret; chocolate is my sweet Love! Being Swiss, I feel like chocolate runs through my veins and is part of me!
Did you know that the average Swiss person consumes approximately 8.8 kg of chocolate per year – one single person!!! That is about 22 lbs! It is the most chocolate consumption per person of any country worldwide! Oh yes, we Swiss love our exceptional chocolate!
So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that every time I visit my home country, I come back with a suitcase that is half filled with just chocolate. Chocolate of any kind: Milk, dark, white, filled, with nuts, the list goes on.
And I am mean; I do not like to share my chocolate! That’s why I hide most of it from my family. Having three hungry boys and an even hungrier husband, the chocolate would be gone in no time! But please, don’t judge me; a tired momma needs a bit of chocolate here and there!
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Tips for making the best chocolate bark
Use good-quality chocolate
This is a must, believe me! You might think I am biassed, but have you tried Swiss Chocolate before? Lindt, Toblerone, Cailler – to name a few. You will throw your Hershey bars far away after you taste this goodness!
I used the Dark Sea Salt chocolate from Lindt in this recipe! Hint, Lindt is my absolute favorite!
Ensure no water gets in the chocolate!!!
This is the most important thing to remember from this recipe! Since you are melting the chocolate over simmering water, you must be extremely careful that no water, not even a tiny drop, comes in touch with the chocolate. Or your batch will be ruined. Water instantly makes the chocolate seize, making it thick, gritty, and rough.
Temper the chocolate
You could make it easy, not temper the chocolate, simply melt it and use it, as many other chocolate bark recipes do. But if you want the perfect shine and a nice snap for your bark, you want to temper your chocolate! If you don’t, your chocolate might be dull looking with white streaks after it hardens. Not very appetizing.
Add the nuts and cranberries to the chocolate and on top!
If you want the best crunchy texture and flavor, add half of the mix-ins into the chocolate and the rest on top! Adding them to the top only would make this bark just a regular, boring bark like many others out there. But we want an exceptional bark!
What is tempering chocolate?
Tempering is a special process that requires the chocolate to melt, cool, and warm up again. It stabilizes the chocolate, gives it a shiny exterior and a perfect snap, and avoids the white streaks that can appear when stored.
Use a food thermometer!! This will help to achieve the precise temperatures that are required for tempering.
How to temper chocolate
➙ Finely chop 3 Lindt chocolate bars and carefully melt the chocolate in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, use a heatproof bowl on top of a pan with simmering water. Make sure the water doesn’t get to a boil to avoid splashing and overheating the chocolate.
➙ Heat the chocolate to 118°F (48°C). Measure the temperature frequently with a food thermometer to ensure it doesn’t get too hot! Once you reach the desired temperature, let the chocolate cool for a few minutes.
➙ Meanwhile, finely chop or grate another chocolate bar. Then add it into the bowl with the melted chocolate. Stir thoroughly, then let it stand for a few minutes to let the grated chocolate melt. Continue to stir until all the chocolate is melted and the temperature has reduced to 80°F (27°C).
➙ Then gently reheat the chocolate to 90°F (32°C). Once you reach 90°F, the chocolate is tempered. That is the whole process! Not as hard as it sounds, but it is important to reach the exact temperatures, or the tempering is not working.
E Guete, (Bon appétit)!! Don’t forget to share some pictures with me and tell me how you liked this Sea Salt Chocolate Bark. Also, it would make my day if you tag @mirjamskitchenyodel on Instagram, share on Facebook or pin on Pinterest.
If you liked this recipe, you might also like the following:
Sea Salt Chocolate Bark
Ingredients
- 400 g Lindt Sea Salt chocolate 4 bars
- 60 g Dried cranberries
- 60 g Pistachios
- 30 g Coconut chips
- Sea Salt to sprinkle over the bark
Instructions
- Chop the cranberries, pistachios, and coconut chips to make them smaller. Set aside. Then line a baking sheet or cutting board with parchment paper.
- Finely chop 3 Lindt chocolate bars and carefully melt the chocolate in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, use a heatproof bowl on top of a pan with simmering water. Ensure the water doesn’t get to a boil to avoid splashing and overheating the chocolate.
- Heat the chocolate to 118°F (48°C). Measure the temperature frequently with a food thermometer to ensure it doesn’t get too hot! Once you reach the desired temperature, let the chocolate cool for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, finely chop or grate another chocolate bar. Then add it into the bowl with the melted chocolate. Stir thoroughly, then let it stand for a few minutes to let the grated chocolate melt. Continue to stir until all the chocolate is melted and the temperature has reduced to 80°F (27°C).
- Then gently reheat the chocolate to 90°F (32°C). Return the bowl to the double boiler or above the pan with simmering water for a couple of seconds at a time until you reach 90°F and the chocolate is tempered.
- Add half of the mix-ins (cranberries, pistachios, and coconut chips) to the tempered chocolate and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the chocolate onto the lined baking sheet/cutting board and spread it in an even layer to your desired thickness.
- Immediately sprinkle the remaining cranberries, pistachios, and coconut over the top and add some coarse sea salt if desired.
- Let the bark harden. You can speed up the process by putting the baking sheet into the fridge for about 15 minutes.
- Once the bark has hardened, cut it into irregular pieces with a sharp knife.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month.
This looks awesomely delicious 😋
Thank you, Colleen! It is so good I can’t get enough of it 😄