Chocolate Goldenberry Fruit and Nut Bars

Thick, chewy and nutty slices of raw dried fruits and nuts layered in a smooth and creamy dark chocolate ganache topped with crunchy cacao nibs and seeds make a delicious, indulgent and healthy snack. These bars are gluten-free, added sugar-free and naturally vegan – a real crowd pleaser!

When the temperatures rise, I still love baking, but raw baking or un-baking is definitely more tempting, meaning I can work outside in the sunshine instead of watching the oven door closely. This recipe is testament to just that! I first made these on one of those rare summery British weekends and they were a pretty impressive experiment.

Chocolate Goldenberry Fruit and Nut Bars

If you’ve seen my social media or other recipes you’ll know that I love the raw dried goldenberries and am so happy to be working with Natures Heart Superfoods who stock them. Goldenberries are a tangy and juicy superfruit from Ecuador celebrated with its energy-boosting iron and magnesium. They are larger than sultanas but smaller than dates and have a wonderfully tangy but sweet flavour that works really well with the abundance of nuts and seeds here. The slight tartness provides a great contrast to the dark and rich chocolate ganache but if you don’t have them, you can use other dried fruit in its place such as raisins, dried figs or extra dates. I like to soak my dried fruits in boiling water to allow them to get really jammy – making a sticky base.

Chocolate Goldenberry Fruit and Nut Bars

Chocolate Goldenberry Fruit and Nut Bars

Add in a plethora of nuts and seeds – here I’ve used roasted almonds, pistachios and pumpkin seeds although you can switch these for your preferred nuts and seeds. The buckwheat groats add a welcome crunch to the Chocolate Goldenberry Fruit and Nut Bars and the coconut provides a welcome tropical twist! These bars really are supercharged with nourishing ingredients, so much flavour and even more texture.

Perhaps the best part of the recipe is the rich and dark chocolate ganache – not for the faint hearted! Simply melt your favourite chocolate, stir in the coconut cream from the top of a tin of coconut milk (top tip: store in the fridge overnight to allow the cream to separate from the water) and a little syrup and watch the magic happen. The chocolate turns wonderfully thick and glossy – a real ganache treat.

Chocolate Goldenberry Fruit and Nut Bars

Chocolate Goldenberry Fruit and Nut Bars

I hope you’ll love these Chocolate Goldenberry Fruit and Nut Bars, they make a great after-dinner dessert for friends and family, a delicious and nutrient-packed afternoon snack with a cup of tea, or enjoy as part of a balanced snack any time of the day. They are easy to make, requiring only one food processor bowl and one tin to make and set the bars. They cut easily into neat slices, are healthy, packed with tangy-sweet-rich flavour and crunchy-smooth textures and will last up to 1 week in the fridge.

If you are looking for other raw bakes, how about my Chocolate Coconut Raspberry Cheesecake, Peanut Butter Coffee Crunch Slicesor Raw Coconut and Cacao Donuts.

Chocolate Goldenberry Fruit and Nut Bars

• Servings: 24
• Time: 15 minutes plus cooling
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Thick, chewy and nutty slices of raw dried fruits and nuts layered in a smooth and creamy dark chocolate ganache topped with crunchy cacao nibs and seeds make a delicious, indulgent and healthy vegan and gluten-free snack.

Ingredients

• For the base:
• 250g goldenberries, or raisins, soaked in boiling water
• 100g dates, soaked in boiling water
• 80g coconut oil, melted
• 80g buckwheat
• 120g almonds
• 120g pistachios
• 70g pumpkin seeds
• 50g coconut flakes
• Chocolate Ganache:
• 160g dark chocolate
• 4 tbsp coconut milk (from a can, stored in the fridge)
• 2 tbsp maple or agave syrup
• Toppings:
• 1 tbsp cacao nibs
• 1 tbsp chia seeds

Directions

1. Add the drained goldenberries (keep the water) to a food processor with the melted coconut oil and pulse into sticky and jammy, adding up to 100ml of drained goldenberry water.
2. Add all the other ingredients to the processor and pulse to combine, leaving the nuts chunky. Test the mixture holds together when squeezed between your fingertips.
3. Press down firmly into a lined dish and place in the fridge.
4. Prepare the chocolate ganache by melting the chocolate and then remove from the heat. Scoop the coconut cream from the top of the tin and slowly stir into the chocolate with the syrup until silky smooth and thickening. Pour over the base, sprinkle with cacao nibs and chia seeds and allow to set in the fridge for 3 hours until firm. Cut into 24 bars.

Chocolate Goldenberry Fruit and Nut Bars

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on these Chocolate Goldenberry Fruit and Nut Bars, please leave them below and remember to tag me in your creations. I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With fruit and nut love x