Dark Chocolate Almond and Blueberry Clusters

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you’ve been having a good week. I remember office-life and how hard it was to concentrate at work in these last few weeks of the year. You’re almost there! Almost vacation time. Yay!

To further distract you, I have another totally awesome holiday treat that you should probably make this weekend. And guess what? This one is kinda, sorta healthy! Yay! 

These clusters are made with heart-healthy, protein-packed raw almonds, antioxidant-powerhouse blueberries and a nice, heavy coating of good-for-you dark chocolate. Basically, these are a superfood wrapped in junk food clothing (which is pretty much my favorite kind of food).

I chose dried blueberries because I love their antioxidant powers and their tangy taste, but you can easily sub in whatever dried fruit makes you happy—dried cherries or cranberries would make for an especially festive treat! You could also leave out the dried fruit altogether and mix the almonds with raw peanuts and cashews to make a mixed nut cluster. Yum!

If the health benefits of these guys didn’t sell you, the ease of them should—you can make two dozen of them in about 15 minutes with ingredients that you probably already have kicking around in your pantry. These are the perfect sweet treat for last-minute gifts. Pack them between layers of parchment paper in a nice box with a pretty bow, and you’ve got a gift that will wow most people on your list. They don’t need to know that it took you less time to make their gift than most folks spend in the shower everyday.

I added just a tiny touch of sea salt to the top of each of these almond blueberry clusters, because there is really something about a little bit of salt that just sets off chocolate and almonds. Plus, I think the sea salt looks like a pretty little dusting of snow—fitting, right?

Skip the sea salt if you’re using salted nuts (which I don’t recommend—you have no way of controlling the salt content) or if salted sweet foods just aren’t your bag. Trust me though, it doesn’t taste salty, the salt just helps to make the flavor of the clusters multi-faceted.

If you’re wondering, these suckers are headed into my holiday gift tins along with bags of Cheddar Cheese Straws, Rolo Turtles, Spritz Cookies, and a few other yet-to-be-determined cookies. And maybe a batch of fudge. Because I just don’t know when to quit.

Enjoy! Have an awesome weekend.

Continue to Content

Dark Chocolate Almond and Blueberry Clusters

Yield: 24

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

These Dark Chocolate Almond and Blueberry Clusters make a great addition to a holiday gift tin or a dessert buffet. Nobody will suspect they are healthy!

Print

Ingredients

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 cups raw, unsalted almonds
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened dried blueberries
• Sea salt, optional

Instructions

1. Fit a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan filled with 1" of water over medium-high heat. Add in the chocolate, and heat, stirring frequently, until completely melted—about 5 minutes.
2. In the meantime, mix together the almonds and blueberries in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. When chocolate is melted, pour into almond mixture and toss until almonds and blueberries are mostly coated.
4. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the mixture onto waxed paper, forming into a cluster shape. Repeat with remaining mixture. If desired, sprinkle each cluster with a small pinch of sea salt.
5. Let cool and harden for about 15 minutes at room temperature, or transfer to fridge and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 clusters Serving Size: 1 cluster
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 142Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 26mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gProtein: 3g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.