This keto chocolate bark with sea salt and almonds is easy to make and totally addictive. A little bit salty, a little bit sweet, and a whole lot delicious! Low carb and sugar free chocolate almond bark.
This keto chocolate bark recipe was first published in 2013. I recently made it again and was completely wowed by how good it is. It’s a tasty low carb dessert that stands the test of time. It’s back on the top of my favorite keto candy recipes!
I like to refer to this keto almond bark as addictive, but let’s take a closer look, shall we? Because there are good addictions and there are not-so-good addictions. And this one definitely falls into the good addiction category.
Sugar is addictive. I will venture to say that in the past few decades of nutritional science, this has become indisputable fact. Anyone who has ever tried to break their sugar habit will agree with me, I am sure.
Now that I’ve broken the habit, I look back and I can see just how addictive sugar really was. Eating something sugary always led to the desire for more sugar. The craving for more sugar. This is a common problem in many people eating a standard American diet. Even a little taste of sugar can trigger that uncontrollable desire.
Conquering Your Sugar Addiction
Some people feel you should eschew sweets all together when you go on a keto diet. Whereas others, myself included, feel that having keto sweets allows us to stay on track and stick with the program. Every person has to find their own way through it, their own personal journey. I can’t tell you what’s right for you.
But for me, being able to have a chocolate treat that is free of sugar and still feels like an indulgence is a powerful antidote.
Here’s the thing about low carb and sugar-free versions of my old favorites: they taste just as good, sometimes even better, than the originals, but are not nearly so addictive.
They tend to be much higher in fat, and thus much more filling. And because of the low carb and low sugar content, they don’t kick off that crazy roller coaster of cravings. Sometimes they taste so good that I find myself salivating at the very thought of them and can’t wait to have more, so I suppose that’s a sort of craving. But it’s not quite the same as the serotonin rush brought on by a sugary, carby snack. It’s much more manageable.
Sweet and Salty Keto Almond Bark
This keto chocolate bark was inspired by some dark chocolate sea salt almonds that my husband fell in love with. They were most definitely NOT sugar free, so I decided I had to fight fire with fire.
Keep in mind that this was back in 2013, when good sugar free chocolate that wasn’t loaded with artificial sweeteners wasn’t readily available. So I had to make everything from scratch. I had previously made my own keto sugar free chocolate chips, and I knew that it would make a delicious dark chocolate base for the bark.
The advantage to making your own keto chocolate is that you really control the ingredients. No commercial additives, no junk, no fillers.
I also wanted to capture that salty sweet taste for the almonds themselves, so I made a mixture of Swerve Sweetener and some butter, then tossed the almonds in it. After they cooled, they were like salty almond toffee. Delicious on their own and doubly delicious in the bark!
How to make Keto Chocolate Bark
This is an easy recipe to make, even when creating your own sugar free dark chocolate. You can watch the video in the recipe card for extra tips, but here are some pointers for getting it right:
- Prep the almonds. Bring the sweetener and butter to a boil and cook it for a few minutes, then add roasted almonds and a bit of sea salt. Spread them out on a pan in a single layer to cool.
- Make the chocolate mixture. You do need cocoa butter for this keto chocolate bark recipe. It’s the difference between a firm bark at room temperature, and a melty chocolate mess. You can purchase it online and in some health food stores like Whole Foods. I really like this one from Wild Foods because it comes in little discs and is easy to measure out.
- Use gentle heat. Unsweetened chocolate is finicky and can seize easily. Melt it double boiler style, with a heatproof pan set over a pan of barely simmering water. I like to get my water going over medium heat, but then reduce it to low when I add the chocolate.
- Coat the almonds. Break up your almonds so they aren’t sticking together, and then add most of them to the chocolate mixture. Keep a handful for the top of the bark so that they show through.
- Spread out the bark. You can make it thicker or thinner, as you desire, but try to get the almonds in one layer. Sprinkle with a little additional flaked sea salt, if desired.
- Chill the chocolate bark. Pop the whole sheet pan in the fridge to set the chocolate. If you can fit it in your freezer, it’s even faster!
- Break it up. Use your hands to break the bark into irregular pieces. Now you’re ready to eat!
How to store Keto Chocolate Almond Bark
This sweet chocolate treat should be fine on the counter for several weeks, assuming you don’t live in a very hot environment. It’s also fine in the fridge for weeks.
Store it in an airtight covered container for freshness.
More Delicious Keto Bark Recipes
- Keto Brownie Bark
- Keto Peppermint Bark
- Keto Raspberry Coconut Bark
- Frozen Cheesecake Bark
- Keto Cinnamon Praline Bark
- Keto Vanilla Protein Bark
Keto Chocolate Almond Bark
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Swerve Brown
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3/4 cup roasted almonds, unsalted
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 2 oz cocoa butter
- 1 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1/3 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- Additional sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the Swerve and butter. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 minutes, watching carefully. Stir in the almonds and sea salt.
- Spread the almonds out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, breaking up any clumps. Let cool.
- Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Combine the cocoa butter and unsweetened chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.
- Stir in the powdered sweetener, then stir in the cocoa powder, until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Break up the almonds and reserve about one quarter of them. Stir the remaining almonds into the chocolate until well coated. Spread the mixture out onto the same parchment-lined baking sheet, keeping the nuts in a single layer.
- Sprinkle with the reserved almonds and additional sea salt, if desired. Chill until set, 1 to 2 hours. Use your hands to break into chunks.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Whwn I open my recipes in the Zip it opens, hard to scroll and then shuts down the wholw site. I don”t have this happen in anyother site. If I go to your recipes and open it at that point it stays open. In the ox it says to click for further instructions and that is when it happens. Any suggestions?
I think you will need to contact the folks at Ziplist directly and see what’s up! So sorry about that.
Wow, I had better reread my emails before I send them out. Thank you for your comment. Love your site.
Tried it last night. Went horrible. So I didn’t read the comments where it clarifies putting the almonds into the chocolate. So I poured the chocolate over the almonds and it resulted it a gooey mess on the bottom. And the sea salt melted into the chocolate. And it never hardened completely so it’s more like fudge.
I am sorry it didn’t go well for you, but I am not sure that pouring the chocolate over the almonds would result in a gooey mess and it not completely hardening. I am pretty clear in my instructions that all but 1/4 cup of the almonds get stirred into the chocolate, but either way, the chocolate should harden up properly if you are using cocoa butter. What brand did you use? And what brands of chocolate and cocoa powder?
My husband and I are currently cutting back on sugar! Can’t wait to try this .. I am craving something sweet!
Can you use Splenda?
You can try it but I have no idea if it will work.
Hi Carolyn. I made this over the weekend but I had some trouble spreading the chocolate mixture out in the pan. My mixture was thick and difficult to spread. I even tried putting it back in the pan and heating it for a 5-10 minutes, but it didn’t make a difference. It still tastes good, but it is thicker and doesn’t look nearly as good as yours.
Any idea what the problem could have been? I used powdered Swerve and all the other ingredients, as listed.
Hmmm, it should be completely pourable. What kind of cocoa butter did you use? Sounds to me possibly like your chocolate seized for some reason.
Thanks for the quick reply. This is the brand I used. It was the only one they stocked at my local health food store. I wonder if this could be the culprit?
http://navitasnaturals.com/product/434/Cacao-Butter.html
Hi Maggie!
My health food store tried to sell me the same thing and I noticed that it was “ao” not “oa” for Cocoa butter. The person helping was pronouncing it differently than what I was saying so that’s what tipped me off and I noticed the spelling was different.
But good to know that it still tasted really good. I just might try it now.
Cacao and cocoa are really actually the same thing. Cocoa comes from the cacao plant, and there are cacao nibs, etc. So some people label it as cocoa butter and some as cacao butter.
I don’t think it would be, because the Navitas brand is supposed to be pretty good. Although it does say it’s raw so maybe that has an affect? I don’t know. But it should be fairly runny when hot, so that you can pour it out onto the tray. If you try it again, go lightly on the cocoa powder at first. Combine the cacao butter and chocolate and sweetener and then do 1 tbsp of cocoa powder at a time until you have a consistency you can still pour.
Thanks for the suggestion. I’m sure I will make it again and I’ll be more careful about incorporating the cocoa powder.
I definitely wasn’t pouring from the pan, but rather coaxing it out with a rubber spatula.
As I mentioned, it’s very tasty, but not as pretty as yours.
I had the same issue. When I put the cocoa powder into the mixture, it turned into a dough. Is 3/4 CUP the right amount for the cocoa powder? Mine was definitely not pour-able.
Yup, it’s definitely the right amount. What brand are you using?
Carolyn, you are such a gift!!!
FYI for those having trouble finding cocoa butter: I called all the health food stores and got a bunch of “no’s” from them all. I went to one anyway and found the Now brand in Cosmetics. The jar and their website clearly say 100% food grade (Now gets it from a candy company). Don’t give up.
Oh and Carolyn, you’re a gift (again)!!!!!
Thank you!
I love this stuff! We are down to the last couple of pieces now. (sniff) A low carb friend mentioned that they really like milk chocolate and I wondered if this recipe could be altered in any way to make it more like milk chocolate? What do you think?
Milk chocolate requires milk solids to be mixed into the chocolate and that’s not easy to do without heavy duty equipment. I don’t know that I’d even try.
Hey carolyn,
I tried a modified recipe of the bark today and ran into a few problems. Would appreciate your help – my erythritol recrystallized and the bark does not look as smooth as yours. I used butter instead of cocoa butter (thought I’d try it out and if it turned out good would buy the cocoa butter). I used an equivalent amount of butter for half the recipe (4 tbsps) – could that be a reason? Thanks.
Hi Bindi…what kind of erythritol did you use and was it powdered? And yes, butter will change it a lot, it will be very soft and won’t hold up as well. That might also be the issue for the re-crystallization, but I am not really sure.
I used NOW brand. I usually use Sensato powdered which I get from Netrition but this one says powdered crystalline. I guess that just means finer crystals. But it dissolved completely in the water+butter mixture before putting in the almonds but recrystallized almost immediately.
Some erythritol will do that, unfortunately. I’ve used NOW brand, a long time ago. I think Swerve is much better for this recipe.
Made this tonight and it turned out great! Since I have now eat low-carb, one of the things my husband and I have missed is sharing a piece of chocolate at night. But we both love this–thanks for giving us back a evening ritual! 🙂
Now, how do you recommend storing this? Thanks!
Oh my goodness…..so many grammatical errors! Never edit without rereading….lol….
🙂 For a second there, I thought this was a comment directed at me and my writing! I do have typos at times…
Store in the fridge for the most part. I took some up to Maine with me over the weekend, though and it held up just fine. The chocolate did get a little “grey-ish” after 4 days out of the fridge but it tasted just as good.
Thanks for the response—and sorry about not clarifying that it was MY writing to which I was referring!!!
Another note….took a few pieces of this to work today and shared with some co-workers. They ALL asked for the recipe! I directed them to your blog and will give them a printed copy of the recipe with the URL at the bottom.
One more thing—if it is possible, it was even better today. 🙂
All my favorite food groups.. in one! 😉
Looks delicious!
Is ther any reason one couldn’t use sugar. I really have a distaste for the substitutes. And if so, how much. Thanks so much.
Use sugar in the exact same amount.
Hi Carolyn:
I am a bit confused. There are two places where you say to add the almonds into a mixture & spread the almonds in the pan. Do you use just half to mix into the Swerve, water & butter mixture; and then the other half when you mix them into the chocolate mixture ………. or am I just too senile to understand?
Thanks for all the great recipes and ideas – and your hard work.
Hi. No, you need to spread them in the pan after you’ve covered them in the sweetener/butter/water mixture and let them cool. Then you make the chocolate, and you toss them back in (keep a little out to sprinkle on top). YOu spread the chocolate/almond mixture out again, sprinkle with the few that are held back, and then chill it.
Thank you Carolyn.
Made this today and it came out amazing! This was my first time working with cocoa butter but I don’t think it’ll be my last, thanks and keep the amazing recipes coming!!
Thanks, Becca!
Hi,
I just wanted to share this:
I went to my local whole foods last night looking for a few random ingredients and accidentally stumbled upon organic cacao butter; I remembered seeing (and drooling over) this recipe, so I decided to grab a one lb. bag ($10.99) thinking it was
a) there, and
b) cheaper than at amazon.
They had 2 different brands, and I grabbed the one that came in chunks (the other one was one solid block).
I thought that was the end of that story, until this morning when I actually looked at the receipt and realized that the charge for it was only $8.99.
Do whith that information what you will (I know not everybody has a whole foods nearby); for myself, I’m going back tonight after work and getting maybe 2 more lbs which I will keep in the fridge till about Christmas, since I think this bark will make for delicious presents for a some very special people.
Would love to try this recipe but can not find the swerve sugar especially the confection. Is there a different brand that can be used?
You can try other brands of erythritol, I know there are some powdered ones, but they may give you a cooling sensation like mint.
It looks and sounds amazing. What an inspiring story, too.