Valentine’s Crispy Strawberry Chocolate Bark

Go all out this year and show the ones you love how much you care with this beautifully layered and swirled Valentine’s Crispy Strawberry Chocolate Bark.

Strawberries are associated with Valentine’s day because of their heart shape and beautiful red color. It’s a delicious bonus that they’re also juicy and sweet and pair perfectly with chocolate. Here, I use them in dehydrated, or freeze-dried form. In this form, they’re perfect for candy bark and they add a sweet and colorful addition when swirled in with the chocolate and white colors.

What makes this recipe so awesome is that you have just about every texture of scrumptiousness layered into this Valentine’s chocolate bark recipe. Two colors of melted chocolate hold layers of rice Krispie cereal for a satisfying crunch; the dehydrated strawberries add texture, a fruity taste, and a splash of color; and the almonds give it a nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the chocolate and strawberries.

This homemade Valentine’s chocolate bark candy has it all! Even better, it’s easy to make. You get to be a little creative with the chocolate’s fun swirling and the ingredients’ layering. Let the kids help, too. They will love adding their favorite ingredients ( chocolate, fruit, and Rice Krispies!) to this sweet treat. When the candy has been set, be sure and call them back so they can help break it into pieces.

Where can I buy dehydrated strawberries?

Many large-chain grocery stores carry dehydrated strawberries or freeze-dried strawberries. Also, check your local health food stores. You can also check online and purchase a bag like this one.

Substitutions

• If you don’t like or can’t find dehydrated strawberries, try substituting them with dried cherries.
• If you need a dairy-free or vegan option, you can easily find this type of chocolate (white or dark) in bars or chips. Most health food stores will stock these and some larger grocery store chains will carry them.
• You can use gluten-free rice Krispie cereal if you need that option.
• You can substitute the almonds for any other nut of your choice. Just remember to chop them into smaller bits.
• If you have a nut allergy, omit the almonds.

Pro-bark-making tips

If you’ve made candy bark before, no doubt you’ve picked up on some tips that make the end result in a little better, a little tastier, and in some cases, a little prettier. Here is mine:

1. Make sure you chop the dehydrated or freeze-dried strawberries into small pieces. There are two reasons for this. First, the small parts are more easily covered by the chocolate layers that you’ll be adding. Second, the smaller bits help the bark hold together more efficiently.
2. Even though we all love swirling the chocolate and ingredients into a lovely design, there’s a tendency to keep swirling to get it just right. Don’t be mesmerized by this! Too much swirling will result in a big mess of ingredients clumped together into a chocolate glop that’s not attractive and that no one will want to eat. So, swirl until you see a pattern emerge, and then stop.

How do I store this homemade Valentine’s Day candy bark?

Store the bark pieces in an airtight container on your counter or in the refrigerator. Will keep it up for 8 to 10 days.

Ingredients

12-ounce bag of Milk Chocolate Chips

12-ounce bag of White Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Dehydrated Strawberries, chopped

1/2 cup Sliced Almonds

1/2 cup Crispy Rice Cereal (we used Rice Krispies)

1/4 cup Red or Pink Chocolate Melting Disks

Valentine’s Sprinkles

Tools and supplies

1 – 13×9 pan

Parchment Paper or Wax Paper

Microwave Safe Bowls

How to make the bark

Step 1: Line a 13×9 pan with parchment or wax paper.

Step 2. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt half of the chocolate chips in the microwave at 50% power for 1 minute. Stir and keep microwaving at 50% power in 30-second intervals until all of the chips have melted.

Step 3. Once melted, pour the chocolate into a 13×9 pan and layer half of the strawberries, almonds, and crispy rice cereal on top.

Step 4. Melt half of the white chocolate chips in the microwave in the same way as the chocolate chips and pour them into the pan. Lightly swirl the ingredients together making sure to coat the strawberries, almonds, and cereal with the chocolate.

Step 5. Add the second half of the strawberries, almonds, and cereal to the mixture.

Step 6. Melt the rest of the chocolate chips and swirl them onto the top, making sure to coat the other ingredients.

Step 7. Melt the red or pink melting chocolates and swirl them onto the top of the bark. Sprinkle bark with sprinkles.

Step 8. Chill until set, approximately 45 minutes – 1 hour.

Step 9. Break into pieces and serve.

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Nettie is a wife and mother who is passionate about cooking and baking. With 5 children, Nettie insists that all meals, snacks, and desserts come together quickly! You will find a wide variety of easy yet scrumptious recipes on her very popular website Moore or Less Cooking

 

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