Chocolate covered cranberries are insanely easy and nutritious thanks to fresh cranberries, raw toasted nuts and dark chocolate. Perfect protein treat that is made in minutes.
Chocolate covered cranberries are an awesome way to have a chocolate snack bursting with nutrition, including protein, fiber and disease-fighting properties. And the recipe could not be easier to throw together. All you need is a bowl and spoon, no special equipment is necessary.
Ingredients
1. Cranberries. Fresh cranberries are essential for this recipe. And do not slice them open until they are encased in chocolate. Nutritionally, cranberries are called a 'superfood' because they have so many nutrients not found in other foods and are terrific at blocking disease and detoxing the body with their antioxidant content. They are even said to lower blood pressure.
2. Almonds. Almonds do not need to be skinned for this recipe. Nutritionally, they are full of healthy fiber, fats, protein, magnesium and vitamin E. They also target and help issues such as blood pressure and cholesterol, and help balance blood sugar. They are also great at supporting weight loss.
3. Chocolate. For the chocolate in these clusters, I melted 60% cacao chocolate chips by Enjoylife and I added a little coconut oil to retain shine. Look for a high quality dark chocolate that has at least 60% cacao and very few other ingredients.
Tools Needed
- Measuring cup, spoon to stir
- Glass measuring cup, to melt chocolate
- Parchment paper
Steps to Make
Step 1: First prepare. Rinse the fresh cranberries, dry them. Do not cut them. Then, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Optionally, you can roast almonds if you want a crispy texture by spreading them on a cookie sheet and baking at 350 F for ten minutes.
Step 2: Add the cranberries and almonds to a dry bowl.
Step 3: Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a pyrex measuring cup in a microwave at 60 second intervals.
Step 4: Pour the melted chocolate over the cranberries and almonds in the bowl.
Step 5: Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture onto the parchment paper lined pan with space between them.
Step 6: Let the chocolate clusters set for 20 minutes at room temperature or speed it up by refrigerating for 10 minutes. Store chocolate covered clusters in the refrigerator for a week or freeze for three months.
Substitutions
This recipe is easy to customize. Here are ways to swap out ingredients.
Fresh cranberries. You can use dried cranberries instead. Since they are shrunken, use 1 ½ cup instead of the 1 cup of fresh cranberries. Also read the label and choose dried cranberries with no added sugar and few additives.
Chocolate. You can use white chocolate or milk chocolate, or your favorite dark chocolate. You can also use chocolate chips or chop up a chocolate bar.
Almonds. Walnuts or cashews can also be used. You won't need to skin either.
Recipe Tips
Do not cut the cranberries. The moisture inside could seize or harden the chocolate. I did cut them for the video and I was lucky but don't copy that - do as I say, not as I did. Also rinse the cranberries, but then dry them completely for the same reason.
Use whole almonds, retain the skin for fiber. And be sure they are dry, do not rinse prior to using in the recipe. You can roast or not, that's personal preference. I like the softer bite without roasting them first.
Use a spoon to scoop and form clusters. Gather 2 tablespoons of mixture per cluster.
Option to Remove Almond Skins: I don't remove the skins from my almonds (called blanching), but they do have a slightly bitter flavor so if you want to here is how. Begin by boiling the nuts for 1 minute only. Bring the water to a boil, toss in nuts and after 1 minute, drain and rinse them in cold water. Then pinch each nut and they will pop out of the skin. This method works especially well with larger nuts such as almonds, but it works with peanuts too. Make sure the skinless almonds are completely dry before adding them to the melted chocolate.
How to Store
Keep this treat in the refrigerator until ready to serve to prevent melting.
This is a long lasting treat when stored correctly. Put set clusters in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two weeks.
For long last storage, put the container in the freezer for three months however the surface will become moist during the thawing process.
FAQS
What is The Healthiest Way to Eat Cranberries
Raw! That's why they are so healthy in these Cranberry Chocolate Almond Clusters.
Do You Need To Remove Seeds From Cranberries?
No the seeds inside cranberries are actually full of fiber and are easy to digest.
Other Cluster Recipes
Chickpea Chocolate Clusters
Blueberry Chocolate Cashew Clusters
I invite you to keep up with me on: Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Food Gawker | Twitter
Don't miss a thing, subscribe here to get recipes delivered to your inbox!
If you try my recipes, please leave a comment and rating below and tag me on your Instagram or Facebook post with @greensmoothiegourmet and #greensmoothiegourmet so I can see and share your remakes!!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Covered Cranberries
Equipment
- measuring cups
- spoon to stir
- parchment or wax paper
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 cup cranberries fresh cranberries, whole
- ¾ cup almonds use raw almonds, toast them or not prior to making clusters
Instructions
Prep
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Rinse the fresh cranberries and set aside perhaps overnight to dry. Or use a towel to thoroughly dry so the chocolate doesn't clump up (called seizing).
- Optional: Toast the almonds to make them snappy by baking them on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for ten minutes.
Make Clusters
- Add the cranberries and almonds to the a bowl.1 cup cranberries, ¾ cup almonds
- Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a pyrex measuring cup in a microwave at 60 second intervals.1 ½ cup chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- Pour the melted chocolate over the cranberries and almonds in the bowl.
- Spoon overflowing tablespoons of mixture onto the pan. Use a spoon to scoop and form clusters. Gather 2 tablespoons of mixture per cluster.
- Let the chocolate clusters set for 10 minutes on the counter or speed it up by refrigerating for 10 minutes. This chilling will dull them though so if you want them shiny for one day, just let them set at room temperature.
Storage
- Store set clusters in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two weeks. For long last storage, put the container in the freezer for three months however the surface will become moist during the thawing process.
Treva
You list coconut oil ingredients but don't tell when to add it in the instructions. Do you melt it with the chocolate?
Dee Dine
Yes! Add the tablespoon of coconut oil to the chocolate and melt together. It creates a shiny surface on the chocolate.