Fruit and Seed Chocolate Bars - Dairy Free, Nut Free - 2 Variations
Salt, sweet, roasty, and tangy, these chocolate bars have it all. This is my version of an allergy-friendly “fruit and nut bar”, but of course, without the nuts.
Please note that in Canada, where I live, coconut is not considered a nut or a top 8 allergen.
Tips: Buy an allergen-free brand of dried fruit and seeds and avoid bulk bins or no-name brands in order to avoid cross-contact with nuts and other allergens
Ingredients for Fruit and Seed Chocolate Bars - Dairy Free, Nut Free - Classic
3/4 cup allergen-free chocolate chips
1/2 cup diced dried fruit (I used candied ginger and dried apricots)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp. flax seeds
2 tsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
Ingredients for Fruit and Seed Chocolate Bars - Dairy Free, Nut Free - Toasted Rice and Coconut
3/4 cup chocolate
1/3 cup any white rice
1/2 cup shredded coconut flakes
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
How to make Fruit and Seed Chocolate Bars - Dairy Free, Nut Free
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. If making both flavors, then melt both batches of chocolate together and divide the melted chocolate into two bowls.
For the classic variation, add the seeds, cinnamon, and dried fruit and mix well.
For the rice and coconut variation, toast the rice in a dry pan on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until it turns golden brown and smells nutty. Give it a quick pulse in the food processor or with a mortar and pestle to break the rice grains down to smaller pieces, but not so fine that it is a powder. Toast the coconut in a dry pan for about a minute until it is golden brown. Add both the rice and coconut, along with the vanilla extract, to the melted chocolate and mix well.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat and spread the chocolate out to your desired thickness. I tend to make the classic version a little thicker than the rice and coconut version. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top.
Refrigerate for 45 minutes to an hour before breaking into chunks.
Store in the fridge when not serving.
Here is the original photo of my fruit and seed chocolate bars, this time made with hemp seeds instead of chia seeds. I also used dried cranberries and raisins instead of apricots and ginger.