Four-Ingredient Cranberry Orange Almond Bark

If you’re like me and you’re looking for something to do with the mounds of cranberries you have left over after Thanksgiving, this recipe is for you! It’s quick and easy to make and perfect for the holiday season. 

Cranberries, especially raw cranberries, have lots of great health benefits. They’re loaded with antioxidants, which help to ward off inflammation and have been shown to reduce the risk of chronic disease. Cranberries can also be good for your digestive system because they boost good gut bacteria and reduce bad microbes in the colon, according to Cleveland Clinic.

People often avoid eating raw cranberries because of their tart/sour taste, but the chocolate and orange flavors in this bark balance out the cranberry, so you get a good balance of sweet and tart notes. If you’ve ever eaten orange Pim’s (which I loved when I was a kid, before I went vegan), this bark is really reminiscent of that flavor, just more complex and with some crunch thanks to the almonds.

Another plus about this recipe is that you can keep it frozen until you need something to bring with you to a holiday party. It also makes a nice little gift if you package up a few pieces of bark in small, decorative cookie boxes like these. Perfect for gifting to coworkers, neighbors, or extended family. Or, keep it all for yourself–we won’t judge you!

Note: If chopping the cranberries and almonds manually, preparation will take a bit longer than indicated below. I used a food processor to finely chop the cranberries and a nut chopper to coarsely chop the almonds. A food scale also comes in handy and can be a huge time saver. The linked product recommendations aren’t sponsored at all; these are just what I use and love. 🙂

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Prep time: 15 minutes

Freeze time: 2+ hours

Ingredients:

• 4 cups (500 grams) semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

• 2 cups (200 grams) fresh cranberries, finely chopped

• 2/3 cup (100 grams) almonds, coarsely chopped

• 2 tsp orange extract

Instructions:

1. Melt semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (Enjoy Life brand is my favorite) in a microwave safe bowl, heating and stirring in 30-second increments until completely melted and smooth. You could also use bar chocolate as an alternative to chocolate chips/chunks.

2. Add orange extract into melted chocolate and mix in well. 

3. Fold in the chopped cranberries and almonds until spread evenly throughout the chocolate.

4. Line a small cookie sheet or rectangular baking dish with parchment paper. 

5. Transfer mixture to the prepared sheet, spreading evenly across the parchment paper. I like to use a silicone spatula to smooth out the top.

6. Place the baking sheet/dish in the freezer for at least 2 hours or let it sit overnight and wake up to a sweet, crunchy, slightly tart treat.

7. Apply pressure with your hands to break the bark apart into medium or large shards, depending on your preference.

8. Keep frozen for up to 2 months, or store in the fridge for around 5 days.

9. Consume it cold or let it sit out for about 30 minutes to reach room temperature.

10. Enjoy!