Chocolate quinoa bark is a simple two-ingredient confection that pairs melted dark chocolate with puffed quinoa for an easy, crunchy homemade treat. The standout feature is its minimal ingredient list and 30-minute chilling time for a restaurant-quality result.
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Puff the quinoa: Heat a wide skillet or pan that is at least 1-inch deep over medium to medium-high heat. (Note: different pots will heat and puff the quinoa differently, so you may need to experiment with yours to find the right temperature so that the quinoa pops but does not burn—I find that non-stick surfaces do best over medium-high heat, while stainless steel works best over medium.)
Test your pot's temperature: Drop a small pinch of quinoa into the pan. It should pop within a few seconds. If this does not occur, adjust your pot's heat or wait a bit longer, until the test quinoa pops as described. Discard the "test" quinoa.
Sprinkle a few tablespoons of quinoa over the pan's surface. Add only enough to coat the pan in a single layer, without crowding or overlapping the quinoa grains. As soon as the quinoa begins to pop (it may happen immediately), lift from the heat and shake the pan to agitate the grains. Continue shaking the pan off the heat, then as soon as the popping sound almost stops, pour the grains into a bowl or rimmed baking sheet (if you leave them in the pot, they may burn).
Repeat, toasting the quinoa in batches until you have made the desired amount. If the quinoa tastes or smells burned, it has been overheated or left in the pan too long. Discard, as it will cause your chocolate bark to taste bitter.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water), or melt it in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stopping to stir the chocolate between each. When only a few small pieces of chocolate remain, remove from the heat (or microwave) and stir until smooth, letting the residual heat finish melting it completely. Fold in the puffed quinoa.
To make chocolate bark shapes: coat a cookie cutter of any shape with cooking spray, place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Pour the chocolate and quinoa into the cookie cutter, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt, if using. Alternatively, you can spread the chocolate in a single layer on a parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. Gently remove the chocolate from the cookie cutters or, if making a single sheet, break the chocolate into pieces of the desired size. Enjoy immediately.
Store finished bark in an airtight container at room temperature for several days, or refrigerate for extended storage.
wide skillet or pan (at least 1-inch deep) · heatproof bowl (for double boiler method) · cookie cutters (optional, for shaping)
Heat a wide skillet (at least 1-inch deep) over medium or medium-high heat. Test the temperature with a pinch of quinoa—it should pop within seconds. Add quinoa in single-layer batches, shake the pan as soon as popping begins, and pour into a bowl when popping nearly stops. Discard any burned quinoa.
Use bittersweet chocolate that is 60% to 65% dark. The exact percentage depends on your preference for chocolate intensity.
Yes. Store the finished bark in an airtight container at room temperature for several days, or refrigerate for longer storage.
Burned quinoa will make the entire batch taste bitter, so discard it immediately and start fresh with a new batch.
No. You can spread the chocolate mixture in a single layer on parchment or wax paper and break it into pieces of any size once set.
