While dark chocolate has some nutritional benefits itself, it is more ideal if we eat it with some extra protein and fiber to offset the sugar rush that it also provides. This is an easy way to add in lots of nuts and seeds and some dried fruit to chocolate to give it that extra oopmh. I made it specifically because my mom and her friend are having some major chocolate cravings lately and I want them to have a more balanced option that won’t offset all their hard work at the gym. Therefore I used a large variety of ingredients to get a range of nutrients, but you can basically clean out the cupboard and use up any small amounts of whatever is laying around. I used pumpkin seeds for their zinc, walnuts, hemp and chia seeds for their omega 3 fatty acids, pecans for their taste (plus they have lots of minerals), almonds for their calcium, dried apricots for their vitamin A and potassium, dried cherries for their vitamin C, and blueberries for their antioxidants.
- 3 80% dark chocolate bars (anywhere from 250-300 grams in total works)
- 2 tablespoons pecans, chopped
- 2 tablespoons almonds, chopped
- 2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons hemp hearts (hemp seeds)
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons dried cherries
- 2 tablespoons dried blueberries
- 2 tablespoons dried apricots, chopped
- Prepare a baking sheet with a layer of parchment paper and mix all the seeds, nuts and dried fruit together in a bowl. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt in a pot on the stove over low heat, stirring constantly so it does not burn. Pour the chocolate onto the baking sheet and spread around with a spatula until it is evenly distributed throughout the pan. Sprinkle the trail mix on top and press down so that the pieces will get stuck in the chocolate and not fall out once it sets. Place the tray in the fridge for an hour so that it firms up completely. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
