One of my current favorite treats are dark chocolate dipped dried fruits. I feel a little better about them being slightly healthy. I mean.... kind of.
The chocolate
I like a dark chocolate, but if you prefer a semi sweet or even milk chocolate, use those. This was a Signature Reserve- a Fred Meyer brand and I loved it. I am sure you know, there are plenty of options out there.
I melt mine with just a little coconut oil. It makes it smooth and so creamy to work with.
Now, melting the chocolate is a little tricky, but not bad. Don't let this scare you off. All you need to remember is you don't want the chocolate to completely melt in the microwave. If it is totally melted there, you have heated it too much. I like to put it on for about 45 seconds to begin with. Mix, and add another 20-30 seconds. Once the chocolate is about ½-3/4 way melted, remove and stir until it melts the rest of the way. This will prevent it from blooming., you know where you get the white streaks in it.
Dried fruits for dipping
Now, on to the dried fruits. I pulled out whatever I had in the pantry, which was dates, mangoes, apricots and figs. I also love dried blueberries, cherries, raisins etc.
Dipping the fruits in chocolate
Now, let's get to dipping. You have a couple options for dipping. You can dip them partially, like I did. Or you can dip them all the way. I guess this would depend on what you want your chocolate to dried fruit ratio to be. No judgment here :).
I like to place mine on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then as they set up, they are so simple to remove. You may have noticed, but I use a lot of parchment paper over here!
To finish them off, I added a sprinkle of flake salt. If you aren't into the whole salty chocolate thing, skip this step.
If your house is cool enough, let these sit at room temp. Depending on how cold your house it, they will set up within 10 minutes- 1 hour.
I always keep my house really warm, so I throw mine in the fridge to set them. I also store them in the fridge.
Do you think they are just the prettiest dessert? Or it just me? Dark chocolate dipped dried fruits are so great!
Plus, the blend of dried fruits, dark chocolate and a little sea salt is just the kind of thing I like!! So, give these a try, you won't regret it!
Looking for another simple and healthy dessert? What about these chocolate coconut bites?
Dark Chocolate Dipped Dried Fruits
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dark chocolate You can use chips, chunks or even cut up a chocolate bar
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1-2 cups assorted dried fruit I used, apricots, dates, figs and mangoes for mine, but sky is the limit here!
- sea salt optional. I love it, but it is a personal preference
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment. Set aside. Now, add your chocolate and coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl. Place in microwave for 45 seconds. Remove and mix. The goal is to get your chocolate about ½-3/4 way melted. So, if after the 45 seconds you need more time. Return and microwave for 20-30 seconds. That was all it took for my chocolate. Then remove from the oven and mix gently until the chocolate melts all the way. Now, dip your fruits, let the chocolate drip down a bit, then place on the parchment lined baking sheet. After the chocolate has set just a little bit, sprinkle with sea salt. Allow to set at room temp or place in the fridge to set. I have to even store my extras in the fridge as I keep my house really warm. Now, sit back and enjoy. You deserve it!