Learn How to Make the Base Recipe
This is one of our base recipes. These dark chocolate covered fruit bites are a great midday pick-me-up or tasty after-dinner sweet treat. This recipe uses ingredients that are sweet, salty, and creamy – all important elements of a satisfying treat!
Must-Know Cooking Skill
For recipe success, learn how to:
Culinary Tips for Making the Base Recipe
The fruit and nut mixture gets quite sticky, so you may have to wash your hands a few times between rolling the fruit bites. Using a portion scoop also helps keep your hands a little cleaner.
If the chocolate starts to solidify while dipping the fruit bites, simply reheat it in the microwave for ~30 seconds.
If using a microwave to melt the chocolate, heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each round of heating.
Sprinkle the fruit bites with flaky sea salt while the chocolate is still warm, otherwise it won’t stick.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Dried Fruit: use any dried fruit of your choice. What fruits are good dipped in chocolate? Any kind that you like! Apricots, blueberries, cherries, dates, figs, mangos, pineapples, prunes, and raisins are all good options.
- Nut Butter: use any nut or seed butter of your choice – almond, cashew, peanut, pecan, sunflower, walnut, etc.
- Chocolate: use dark or semi-sweet chocolate for best flavor and nutrition. We don’t recommend using milk or white chocolate, as these are not generally healthy options. You could, however, use them as a decorative drizzle on top.
- Flavor Extract: use vanilla, almond, coconut, orange, peppermint, or any other natural extract. Use a smaller amount for everything except vanilla.
- Spices: use cinnamon, pumpkin spice, apple pie spice, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, or allspice. For stronger spices, use less.
Base Recipe Variations
Remember that this is a base recipe, so the goal is for you to customize it to your taste!
Don’t like salty with your sweet? Simply leave off the sea salt at the end!
Don’t have chocolate chips on hand? Try dusting the fruit bites in cocoa powder!
Want a vegan chocolate covered fruit recipe? Use vegan chocolate chips!
Want a nut-free chocolate bite? Use either sunflower or soynut butter, or leave out the nut butter.
Need some chocolate fruit bite recipe ideas?
Use these recipe variations for inspiration, then have fun exploring other flavors, ingredients, and textures!
Chocolate Covered Fig Bites
Dark Chocolate Covered Raisin Bites
Dark Chocolate Covered Date Bites
Equipment Recommendations
We recommend using a food processor for this recipe, although a high speed blender may also work. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender as you go.
A portion scoop is a great alternative to a tablespoon measure that can be used to portion the fruit mixture, and will leave your hands a little cleaner.
For an environmentally friendly option, consider using a reusable silicon baking mat instead of parchment or wax paper.
Is dark chocolate covered fruit good for you?
For sure! We are big dark chocolate fans here at To Taste, so this recipe is a great way to incorporate that love of chocolate with some healthy fat, fiber, and protein. The featured ingredients in this recipe are dried fruit, nut butter, and dark chocolate.
Dried Fruit
Dried fruit contains carbohydrates, vitamins, and antioxidants. The sugar in most dried fruit is naturally occurring and is paired with fiber and other plant compounds, making it a healthier option than refined sugars and sweets. For optimal nutrition, choose unsulphured and unsweetened varieties.
Nut Butter
Nut butter – almond, cashew, peanut, or whatever variety you enjoy – contains plant-based protein and healthy fats. These nutrients help you feel satisfied. Choose natural versions with as few ingredients as possible (i.e. nuts and salt). Refer to our ingredient guide for more direction.
Dark Chocolate
Cocoa is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The darker, the better. You will receive the most nutritional benefits by consuming dark chocolate with more than 70% cocoa solids.
Serving Suggestions
Serve chocolate covered date bites as a tasty after-dinner treat, or as a midday pick-me-up! The protein, fat, and fiber will help keep you full and satisfied.
Storage Tips
Store dark chocolate covered fruit bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week for best quality.
You can also store them in the freezer for up to one month; however, texture and flavor might be slightly affected after thawing.
Want some more healthy recipes?
Try out these other base recipes, then have fun customizing them to your taste!
Trail Mix Base Recipe
Energy Bites Base Recipe
Dark Chocolate Covered Fruit Bites Base Recipe
Ingredients
Base Recipe
- 14 ounces dried fruit with no added sugar
- 2 Tablespoons nut or seed butter
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
- Flaky sea salt
Mix-ins to YOUR taste
- ½-1 teaspoon flavor extract
- ¼-1 teaspoon spice(s)
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine dried fruit, nut butter, water, and optional mix-ins. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Using a spoon or portion scoop, scoop fruit mixture into your hands and roll into 1-inch balls. Place on a baking sheet or cutting board lined with parchment/wax paper or a silicon baking mat.
- Melt chocolate over low heat in a small sauce pan or microwave in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals (stirring between each).
- Using a fork, dip fruit bites in melted chocolate. Let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl, then place back on lined baking sheet or cutting board.
- Sprinkle chocolate-covered fruit bites with flaky sea salt. Place in refrigerator until chocolate is set (~30 minutes). Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Enjoy!
This Post Has 6 Comments
I am making these again tomorrow. Delicious!
So glad you enjoyed them!
Will surely try these healthy recipes- appreciate the detailed description
Hope you enjoy them!
Any idea of the calories and nutrition in these?
We are working on getting this info added for all of our recipes, but its tricky with base recipes because it depends on the ingredients you chose when making it to your taste. Once you decide on your ingredients, you can enter it in Cronometer to see the nutrients for your variation 🙂