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Cranberry Orange Chocolate Coconut Bars

Course: Dessert
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
This is another great twist on the nutty chocolate coconut bar that goes in a new taste direction. It makes an excellent holiday treat and offers the exceptional nutrition of raw cranberries in a delicious tart and sweet dessert that is a serious favorite around here. If you freeze fresh organic cranberries in season (October through December) you can easily keep them year 'round in the freezer and use them in this recipe any time of the year. Just take out the desired amount of berries and thaw them in a sealed container in a cold water bath before use. (Don't get them wet, set the sealed container in the cold water). Then pulse-process them in the food processor until they are well chopped.
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Ingredients

  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup almond butter
  • ¼ to ½ cup cranberries
  • 1 to 2 Tbsp. raw unfiltered honey
  • 1 tsp. organic or homemade orange extract or 1 Tbsp orange zest
  • ⅛ tsp. salt
  • ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • ½ cup pecans

Instructions

  1. Melt the coconut oil in the top of a double boiler. Add the cocoa powder, almond butter, and honey. When the mixture is well combined, add salt and orange extract or zest, and stir well.
  2. Chop the pecans in a food processor until they are coarse but small bits. Scrape them out of the food processor, put in the cranberries, and chop the cranberries to the same consistency.
  3. Add the coconut, pecans, and cranberries to the double boiler and mix well. Line a glass loaf pan with parchment paper and spread the mixture evenly across the bottom. Chill in refrigerator or freezer until firm. Then cut slices just as you would slice a loaf of bread (across the short width of the pan) to make the individual mini cranberry bars. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keeps for several weeks if in a sealed container and chilled. Freeze for longer storage.

Recipe Notes

Servings: Makes one pan or about 14 - 16 bars depending how thick you cut them