Last week after testing out some new dark chocolate bars I thought It’d be a good idea to try using them in a fun summer dessert.
So, after a few bites of each bar- I tossed ’em in a saucepan on the stove top and got to work.
I was inspired to create these tasty lil’ nibbles after attending two Almond Board events last month where they had buckets upon buckets of every almond imaginable.
I’m talkin’ about everything from chocolate covered almonds to coconut chili almonds.
There were easily 30 different kinds of almonds to choose from. So, I simply grabbed a pretty candy bag and tossed a few of each inside.
Of course I tried each one.
But my favorite were the simple dark chocolate covered almonds.
So, after they were all gone (and in my belly)…
I figured I should make some myself.
And I did just that.
It’s a fairly simple recipe. I mean chocolate covered almonds can’t be that difficult to make, can they?
Na.
Just make sure you’ve got some really, really good dark chocolate.
I’m talkin’ really good.
Because it’s the good chocolate that makes these babies so tasty.
I used two Alter Eco dark chocolate bars that I found at Whole Foods Market last week. They were pretty darn fabulous to say the least.
I could have easily eaten each bar bite – by – bite.
But, instead I took a few bites and used ’em for this recipe because I knew I wanted them to taste mighty fine.
These chocolate covered almonds rocked.my.world.
Yep.
That pretty much sums it up.
So, now I’m ready to move to California to work for the Almond Board and a company that makes a mighty fine dark chocolate. Because they just might be my two favorite things right now. Yes, almonds and dark chocolate- who would’ve thought? I mean, for a (almost) 30 year old Manhattan gal you’d think Jimmy Choo’s and a Prada bag would be on my list of wants…
Ha- that was back in the day when I worked at VOGUE.
Now, I want the Prada and Jimmy Choo of food n’ kitchenware, hehe…
Hey- a girl can dream, can’t she?
I’ve been called the Carrie Bradshaw of Food. Except Carrie spent all her money on shoes- mine goes to food.
Anyway, back to the almonds and the dark chocolate, of course.
These were deliciously dense, a little on the grainy side and unlike any dark chocolate covered almond I’ve ever had. In the best way possible. I think it was my magic touch along with my two new favorite ingredients.
If you’re a fan of crunchy n’ sweet snacks (or desserts) you’ll love these. I was satisfied after eating a few and that never happens. Trust me.
I melted the dark chocolate on the stove top … and ended up eating most of it with a spoon straight outta the pot.
Oy! Belly ache.
I used two chocolate bars because what goes better with almonds than dark chocolate?
Ya, you might wanna run home and create this recipe. Stat.
Try keeping them in your freezer for a refreshing summer dessert. It will blow your mind.
Ingredients
- 2 4 oz. bars dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate
- 2 cups roasted almonds
- 1 Tbsp. powdered or liquid stevia
- Drizzle of melted coconut oil
Instructions
-
Break up chocolate bars into small pieces then add to the top of a double boiler.
-
Stir constantly with a spoon until the chocolate melts and is smooth.
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Place the bowl of melted chocolate into a bowl filled with ice water; slowly mix chocolate with a spoon. The chocolate will start to thicken (this is when the tempering occurs and you can then remove the cold water).
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Warm the chocolate again without overheating it and without losing the tempering; this can be tricky but it is possible. Place the bowl filled with chocolate over the pot of warm water if need be, to loosen the chocolate.
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Transfer roasted almonds to a large mixing bowl; add the melted coconut oil and stevia. Pour 1/3 of the melted chocolate over the almonds to coat them; stir until the chocolate starts to set.
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If the chocolate isn't setting after 8 minutes, place chocolate covered almonds in the fridge for 4-5 minutes.
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Using your hands or a small knife, gently separate any clusters that have formed so that each almond is separate and not clustered.
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Pour 1/2 of the remaining chocolate over the almonds; mix well until the chocolate sets. Add remaining chocolate and set over almonds. Using hands or a small knife, separate any clusters that formed so almonds are in individual pieces.
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Set aside or in the fridge/freezer until ready to serve.
Is there a way to make these to have a longer shelf (not refrigerated) life like the once we see in the stores?
Sealed container in the freezer! xox
Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe!!!!!
I’m just about through with my first trimester (this is my first child), and I’m been craving chocolate covered almonds like a mad woman!! I couldn’t find any with 85% dark chocolate, so finally decided to make them myself.
Your recipe saved me!! Totally hit the spot 🙂 Thank you!! xoxo
YAY!!!!!!! Thank you Lauren. xoxo Enjoy!
How do I get the almond shape for a finished look because yours look like something I would want to buy mine not so much
I tried this recipe and my almonds did not come out shiny and the chocolate was also coming of on my hand and everything else when I took a handful…any advice?
Thanks Jill; it’s probably the type of chocolate that you used!
The chocolate has to be in temper in order to be shiny when it’s dry. A dab of coconut oil helps as well, although the chocolate will not dry quite as hard.
I made some chocolate covered almonds with Trader Joe’s imported Belgium dark chocolate & after letting them dry, they aren’t as glossy looking as yours, the color isn’t a uniform chocolate color, they have like light colored dry spots on them… Do you have any idea of how prevent that?
Thanks Grace; perhaps it was the type of chocolate you used; try dipping them a few times to coat them. Enjoy!
hi amie, i made chocolate covered almonds for my brother by this way ~ i put a buttered paper in a bowl and put some almonds in it. then i made a chocolate sauce by: liquid chocolate, milk, and sugar and poured it on the almonds. then i covered the bowl with aluminum paper and stored in freezer. i hope i did everything right. i just wanted to ask u and looking forward for your advice.
Thank you
Sounds great Sehaj! Hope you enjoy it. I haven’t made it this way but I’m sure it will taste delicious! Have a great weekend.
Dear Amie, I see you used stevia powder, do you know how it would work using stevia liquid or what the equivilant would be? I’m looking forward to trying this.
Yes you can use 1 drop of liquid too Tiara!!
Dear Amie, I made this recipe for Thanksgiving last week. However, when I transferred the nuts and chocolate out of the mixing bowel to the baking pan, the chocolate partly ran off the nuts and onto the baking sheet resulting in a nearly naked nut stuck in a congealed pool of chocolate. They were still delicious but not very pretty. How did you form your almonds so that there were no flat spots in the chocolate?
I’m sure that the shine of the chocolate in your pictures is the result of tempering the chocolate. What procedure did you use to temper the chocolate or were you just very careful not to heat the chocolate above 100 degrees F?
Thanks Jon; great to hear fro you. Yes, I made sure not to heat the chocolate above 100 degrees and set them on a wire rack baking sheet so that they dripped clean and looked shiny! Hope that helps. Have a great holiday season and wonderful to hear from you!
can you elaborate on how to get the almonds to look like the ones you have in the little bowls. it doesn’t seem that easy. are those store bought? what do yours look like that are home made
Nichole,
I made these chocolate covered almonds myself using real chocolate and whole raw almonds. The look of the almonds probably depends on the type of chocolate you are using as well as how much you are using. Hope that helps! Have a great night.
Hi Amie,
I stumbled across your amazing blog via MindBodyGreen and… There are no words!! Me & hubby are preparing for a big celebratory holiday (he’s the big 5-0 in November so we’re doing a road trip into Europe) and to make sure we’re fit enough to cope with the driving each day we’ve been doing lots and lots of yoga, which makes you want to eat clean, so this has come at just the right time for us! I’m also a lactose intolerant coeliac so sometimes you end up eating the same stuff over and over again 🙁
Anyway, after all that i just wanted to say when we get back i’m going to set to and have a go at this (OMG) and lots of your other amazing receipes, so a) thanks for letting me ramble, and b) keep up the amazing work you do, please!
best wishes from Derbyshire,
Helen xoxo
Awe you.are so kind! Thank you so much Helen! Have a fabulous 50th and hope you enjoy all of my recipes! Xxoo
Hello! I just found your blog and love it! Out of curiosity, what is your favorite kind of chocolate? The darker the better if you ask me :).
Awe thank you Stephanie; you are so kind. I love Alter Eco Dark Chocolate- it’s amazing!!!
O.M.G. do these sound fabulous! Then again, with almonds and dark chocolate a girl can’t go wrong! I might try this with pecans too. I loved the “Carrie Bradshaw” of food comment! But I’m right there with you about the food. Well….I would like the Jimmy Choo’s too but will choose to eat well instead.
Thanks Lisa; hope you enjoy them. Hehe; gotta love a good pair of shoes but yes food is more important to me!
AMIE
THIS SOUNDS LIKE A DELICIOUS SNACK I LOVE CHOCOLATE AND ALWAYS HAVE ALMONDS IN MY FREEZER. THANKS ONCE AGAIN
Thanks Beverly; hope they’re a fun refreshing treat for you this summer!
Hey Amie, these look so pretty – I’m impressed! Surely mine would result in a messy (but still tasty) chocolate mass, ha!
Awe; thanks Cara. Hope you are having a fabulous summer! xoxo Enjoy your night darling.
Good tip – thanks Amie!
Wow, this seems so easy — too easy! Any tips on how to transfer the chocolate covered almonds to the baking sheet with minimal mess? I feel like my attempt would result in a chocolate covered kitchen!
Thanks Val; great to hear from you. Try using parchment paper on top of a piece of cardboard (from a box). This will surely help.
Have a great day!