Four-ingredient chocolate, fruit and nut clusters are an easy, no-bake recipe for healthy, guilt-free snacking. Perfect with a cup of tea and in lunch boxes.
These may not be the prettiest things you’ll see on the Internet today, but by goodness, they might be the tastiest.
These little three-bite clusters, crammed with heart-healthy nuts and chocolate as well as sweet dried berries, almost didn’t make it onto the blog. I really thought they were just too simple. I figured everyone would know about these, and how easy they are to make. But I think I may be wrong.I’ve been taking these choccie little nuggets into work off and on for years. And every time I bring them in someone says, “Oh, these are so good. How did you make them?” I always think people are being polite, but as it happens so often, and three times in just a few days, I thought I should just share them here.
You can make them pretty but I deliberately make them this naïf way as they remind me of lumpy little nibbles I remember getting from the drugstore as a child. I think those ones may have had gooey caramel inside, but truly, to my more mature taste buds, these ones are much nicer. And very much better for you. If you do want to make them more presentable – especially if you wish to gift them – melt the chocolate and pour a little into an oiled silicone ice cube tray or little silicone shapes and push in the fruit and nuts, giving a final drizzle of the chocolate to seal them in place. Also, I didn’t temper the chocolate but if you are fancy that way, go ahead and temper away.
Nutrition bit: A 100-gram bar of 70-80% dark chocolate contains 11 grams of fibre, 67% of the RDA for iron, 58% of the RDA for magnesium, 89% of copper and 98% for manganese – as well as potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium.Probably of keener interest are the wide variety of antioxidants, including heart-healthy polyphenols, flavanols and catechins. Good dark chocolate may also help lower blood pressure, raise good cholesterol, reduce insulin resistance, lessen risk of cardiovascular disease and improve brain function by improving blood flow to the brain. While there are obviously many health benefits from including dark chocolate, less is more. Chocolate still contains a lot of calories and some saturated fat. Remember, the darker the chocolate the less sugar it will contain. Splash out on the good stuff, too.
One chocolate, fruit and nut cluster will cover you for the day. But if you sneak another, I won’t tell. 🙂
Chocolate, Fruit and Nut Clusters
Four-ingredient chocolate, fruit and nut clusters are an easy, no-bake recipe for healthy, guilt-free snacking. Perfect with a cup of tea and in lunch boxes.
100g dark chocolate chips or chopped up bar
85g lightly toasted and cooled nuts, such as cashews, walnuts and/or pecans*
15g lightly toasted coconut flakes (or 2 tbsp good quality desiccated coconut)
85g dried fruit of choice, cut up if large pieces – I like a mix of dried berries and sultanas
10g salted, roasted peanuts or almonds – finely chopped (for topping the clusters) – optional
Method
Either melt the chocolate in a microwave, or do as I do and melt the chocolate in a double boiler/bain marie.
Chop the toasted nuts quite finely, but not to dust.
Set eight paper cupcake cases into a small lipped oven tray or on a large plate.
Fold the nuts (except the salted ones), fruit and coconut into the melted chocolate. Use a tablespoon to measure the mix equally into paper cupcake cases – about 8 of them. I tend to push in two tablespoons for each case. Top with a sprinkling of the salted nuts.
Lightly cover the tray with clingfilm and place in a cool room or in the refrigerator until set. These will keep for about five days in a lidded container placed in a cool cupboard or the fridge.
* To toast nuts, heat the oven to 160C fan/180C/350F and place the nuts on a baking tray. Roast in the oven for eight minutes.
Guilt-free snacking has never tasted so chocolatey!
Ripe For Pinning! And you can follow me on Pinterest :-)
These looks and sounds very delicious, even if I will avoid the salted once at the top.
Thank you for sharing.
Reblogged this on #THEGUYWHOSAIDALWAYSNO.
Thank you Kellie xx
I’ll recommend to my editors at FitnessRX. Great recipe!
For me, I’d replace the peanuts and cashews with hazelnuts or walnuts. Sound delicious. And I didn’t know all that about the dark chocolate, thanks! Yum. 😁 As I don’t cook, will share your recipe with my local paleo-influenced café and get them to make it.
Reblogged this on J.Alana Giresi and commented:
Fitness RX, I hope you see this.
these look so delicious!
I love how easy these are, especially because I’m not *fancy* so no tempering required 🙂 I love enjoying a small chocolate treat after dinner-these are just perfect!
Thank you for this recipe. It does look really easy to make =)
Easy, tasty & healthy ! What else we can look for in a recipe, thanks for sharing !!
lovely, and so handy to have a little pick me up ready to have with a cuppa. nice one kellie
These look and sound incredible, I’m so exited to try these !! 🙂
Looks yum, I made a similar vegan rocky road on my blog.
Definitely going to give these a try
loved this yummy recipe
These look so delicious! I love the way you take your pictures! So minimalistic yet pleasing!
x Lysbeth from https://lysbethchristina.com
I used to LOVE fruit and nut clusters, especially if they were covered in chocolate! And I’d totally sneak in another cluster, no doubt about that, and I’d be proud of doing so!
This is gorgeous! I am making these soon.
Yay! You won’t regret it 🙂
Delicious – and they do look ‘super easy’. Thank you for sharing.
Indeed they are, Lisa. I hope you make them 🙂
Love guilt-free treats!
Especially when they don’t “seem” like it 🙂
Oh I’m so glad you shared these with us. As simple as they are, we all need reminders of simple and delicious snacks — I certainly do. So thank you, I can’t tell you how ideal these are to me, as my snack of choice is a mix of nuts, dried fruit and chocolate! This makes it feel a little more special.
Aw thank you, Katie. These are great for an off-the-cuff treat as we always have the ingredients around, don’t we?
Yes, they are! And I’m happy to report I have a bag of them stashed in the fridge for the week. Yaay! When I go to the US once a year, I bring back golden berries and mixed berries. I was trying to find a special way to enjoy them and they landed in these chocolate clusters. Couldn’t be happier. Thank you Kellie!
Awesome, Katie! I’m so pleased that these easy little snacks are going to be nourishing you and treated you this week. Well-pleased 🙂 PS I love goldenberries. My absolute favourite dried fruit – if a bit pricey for the organic stuff
Wow, they look so good! Thanks for sharing the recipe with us, I am so making one soon!
Thank you, Ayunie. And what a pretty name you have 🙂
Hehe thank you so much Kellie!
Looks very delicious and healthy too. I will give it a try 🙂
I hope that you do 🙂
Thanks for sharing! I think I will definitely try these out.
Love these, a perfect little lunch box treat. Wish I was having one right now with my afternoon matcha!
Wow, interesting. Never thought this could be healthy too. Going to try this out soon.
— thinkwitty.com
nice