3-Ingredient Date Bark Recipe

Date bark is having a moment right now, and with good reason. The fact that it requires few ingredients and minimal cooking is one strong selling point, as is the fact that one of those ingredients is naturally sweet, deeply yummy, nutritious, and fiber-filled dates. There's something magical about the simplicity of turning 3 ingredients into a fancy dessert or nutritious snack. It's no surprise that making date bark is one of those trends that's here to stay.  

Sweet and chewy medjool dates make up the base of the bark, creamy (protein-packed) peanut butter is the next layer, and rich melted chocolate finishes things off. The result is a chewy and crunchy, sweet and salty masterpiece that even gains extra charm because of the irregular shapes it's broken into. It's special enough to dress up for the holidays, yet casual enough for an after-school snack. This recipe is proof that you don't need a long list of ingredients to pull off a dessert that's a home run.

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "I love the idea of desserts that don't involve the oven. They are perfect to make year-round and can be made ahead for parties. Once you know the basics of making bark, you can play around with adding other ingredients to spice things up."

To make this recipe, start by picking up some medjool dates. Then grab some peanut butter and some chocolate chips.

Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add boiling water to the dates and soak them for 10 minutes.

Split the dates open and discard the pit if your dates are not pitted.

Place the dates on the prepared baking sheet

Top the baking sheet with another piece of parchment paper and press down on the dates with the bottom of a sturdy glass to flatten them. Discard the parchment paper.

Drizzle the peanut butter over the dates and spread with a spoon to create an even layer.

Add the chocolate chips to a small pot and bring the heat to medium. (Or heat up in the microwave.)

Stir for 5 minutes or until the chocolate is melted.

Pour the melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer and smooth out with a spoon.

Sprinkle with flaky salt.

Cover and freeze for a minimum of 1 hour

Break apart the bark into about 15 pieces, add more flaky salt, and serve.

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This date bark is already gluten-free and vegetarian, but the beauty of a recipe this simple is that you can easily customize it to suit dietary needs or taste preferences. To start, if you want to use another type of date, try deglet dates. They typically will be harder, so just let them soak in boiling water for at least 30 minutes so they soften up. For the peanut butter layer, you can make the bark nut-free by using tahini or sunflower seed butter. Both tahini and sunflower seed butter tend to be neutral-tasting and bland on their own, so you may want to stir in 1 tablespoon of maple syrup before adding it to the bark. If you're not avoiding nuts, all sorts of other nut butters work fine and will add their unique flavor to the bark. Try almond butter, cashew butter, or hazelnut butter. 

For the chocolate layer, you can use a chocolate bar instead of chips, and if you need a dairy-free recipe, swap regular for dairy-free chocolate chips. To minimize the sugar in this recipe, select 100% cacao chocolate. It will give you a chocolately taste that isn't too sweet.

Though delicious as is, with a nice balance of creaminess, chew, and chocolatey crunch, if you want to experiment with a variety of flavors and textures, there's no end of fun things you can add to the 3-ingredient recipe. Many chocolate barks include chopped nuts for extra crunch. Try chopped peanuts, cashews, pistachios, almonds, or walnuts. Seeds will also work, like toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or sesame seeds. For an extra protein boost, try hemp seeds. You can also add dried fruit like cherries, cranberries, or raisins. Just add them to the middle or top layer before freezing.

For a dust of flavor, spices are an easy extra to add. Sprinkle on some cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or nutmeg for a warm and cozy flavor. For a little heat, add cayenne or ginger to the mix. For a mocha twist, sprinkle on espresso powder, and for a chai flavor, use a mix of ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon. You can also add even more sweetness and color with extra candy, like chopped Reese's pieces, toffee bits, or mini M&M's. For a festive touch, sprinkles or edible glitter are a fun addition.

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