Viral Chocolate Date Bark (Easy TikTok Recipe!)

Chocolate Date Bark is the latest and greatest social media sensation! Made with sweet Medjool dates, creamy peanut butter, salty peanuts, crunchy cereal, and rich chocolate … this viral dessert recipe mimics the taste and texture of a chocolate candy bar all while being a healthier alternative to the real deal. This salty sweet treat is easy to make, nutritious, and such a fun recipe!

Love the sound of this recipe? I bet you’ll love Peanut Butter Crunch Cups just as much.

What is date bark?

Date bark is a healthy dessert recipe that has gone crazy viral on social media, especially TikTok, over the past few weeks!

The original creator Lina from That Health Junkie first made a video of this sweet treat and from there, hundreds of other creators have followed suit. Heck maybe even thousands!

The recipe itself is a play on another trend I have seen on the internet for years already … date snickers. This concept involves stuffing Medjool dates with peanut butter, chopped peanuts, and coating them in chocolate.

Date Crunch Bark is a version of those snickers-stuffed dates! A version that – in my opinion – is so much easier. Instead of painstakingly filling and coating each individual date, here you just sort of layer everything in a messy pile. SO simple!

All in all it is a chewy, crunchy, and creamy treat that is supposed to mimic those mix of textures and tastes that you typically get in a candy bar. Such as a snickers! Only this version is full of mainly natural sugar and way less added sugar.

Now I’m not going to sit here and tell you that it tastes exactly like a real snickers bar … we all know that would be a lie! But I do think that this viral trend could satisfy that sweet craving for a candy bar in a way that makes you feel your best and fits into a healthier diet.

Why You’ll Love This Viral Date Bark Recipe

Besides being a better-for-you version of a chocolate candy bar that has taken the social media universe by storm – similarly to Strawberry Yogurt Clusters and Cottage Cheese Ice Cream – this snicker date bark is:

• Easy To Make: This healthier treat requires essentially 3 simple steps: smash, layer, and chill. It will take you at most 20 minutes of active prep work to have a good-for-you sweet tooth satisfier ready to go for the whole week.
• Salty Sweet Perfection: I mean! Is there a better combination than peanut butter and chocolate? Throw in lusciously sweet dates and even saltier peanuts and you have the salty sweet treat combo of your dreams.
• Nutritious: This crunchy bark is loaded with healthy ingredients … Medjool dates, dark chocolate chips, natural peanut butter, and peanuts. I like to use low sugar chocolate for an even healthier twist and to keep things even more aligned with my goals!
• Fun To Try: I absolutely love trying all the unique, fun, and different recipes that I find on the internet. I actually think it is one of my favorite things about social media! That it can open me up to recipes I couldn’t even imagine. This bark is definitely one of those and it is worth a try!

Now as a major sweet tooth myself I have of course tried my hand at most of the viral sweet treat recipes, but I love the savory ones equally as much. You have to check out my Smash Burger Big Mac Tacos or Grinder Salad Sandwich as a main course dinner to this dessert recipe!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Easy chocolate date bark is made with only a handful of healthy and simple ingredients! 6 to be exact.

I love the short ingredient list required for this sweet treat almost as much as I love how good it tastes. Let’s get into that list:

• Medjool Dates: The base of this viral snickers date bark recipe is sweet Medjool dates! Medjool dates are sort of like nature’s candy, so they make for a beautiful base here and are absolutely the star of the show. They are large, dark, and taste like caramel!
• Peanut Butter: Next you will need natural peanut butter! For creamy, nutty goodness. You could also use other nut butters! Like almond butter or cashew butter.
• Peanuts: Salty peanuts add the perfect crunchy texture and salty-sweet taste to this candy-like TikTok date bark. Alternatively, any chopped nuts could be used in this healthy treat. Perhaps crunchy almonds, walnuts, or cashews.
• Cereal: I wanted to add even more wonderful crunch to my take on this viral recipe. This Peanut Butter Corn Cereal is the perfect choice!
• Chocolate Chips: The best part in this healthy dessert recipe is the chocolate. Duh! I used milk chocolate chips, as milk chocolate is my chocolate of choice. But dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or even white chocolate would do the trick!
• Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is a vital addition to the melted chocolate here. It makes it more pourable and spreadable. It also adds a nice and smooth glisten or sheen! Just make sure to use refined coconut oil, unrefined or virgin coconut oil will make your entire treat taste like coconuts.

Now grab all those natural ingredients and let’s go make some snicker dates that turn out pretty dang close to the real thing!

Equipment

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• Measuring Cups / Spoons
• Small Baking Sheet
• Sharp Knife
• Parchment Paper
• Glass Jar
• Double Boiler

How To Make Date Snickers Bark

The social media popular chocolate date bark is an incredibly easy sweet treat to make! You simply layer the chewy dates, creamy peanut butter, crunchy peanuts and cereal, and rich chocolate.

Place in the fridge to set and you’ll have a healthier alternative to candy bars to satisfy your sweet tooth all week long in under an hour.

Step 1: Prepare dates. First slice the Medjool dates down the middle and remove the pit. Spread the pitted dates out on a parchment paper lined small baking sheet.  Smash the dates with a glass jar into a thinner layer. I recommend spraying the bottom of the jar with oil to prevent sticking as best as possible.

Step 2: Add toppings. Next drizzle the peanut butter on top of the dates, spreading it evenly.  Add the cereal pieces and peanuts on top of the peanut butter.

Step 4: Melt chocolate. Then melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together in a double boiler until smooth.  Alternatively, you can add the ingredients to a microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave using 15 second intervals and stirring between each one.

Step 5: Chill. Pour the melted chocolate on top of the date bark. Spread it evenly.  Add a sprinkle of flaky salt or sea salt.  Then place the bark in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Step 6: Slice. Remove from the fridge and cut the bark into date bars using a sharp knife.

Step 7: Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Variations & Dietary Adaptions

I think this chocolate bark is incredibly scrumptious as is – with its wonderful combination of chocolate, peanut butter, sticky dates, and flaky sea salt. But as always there is room for variations and adaptions for this delightful treat to meet your personal preferences or needs!

• Vegan: This chocolate crunch bark is pretty much naturally vegan and plant based! Just make sure you are using dairy free chocolate and you will be set.
• Nut Allergy: Have a pesky peanut allergy? No worries! You can still enjoy this easy treat. Swap in a seed butter of your choice and skip the chopped peanuts. Add a nut free crunchy alternative like more cereal, granola, or seeds.
• Fillings: Now I kept things relatively healthy in this nature’s candy recipe, but if you want to up the decadence I have plenty ideas how to do so. I think some caramel sauce or Nutella would be excellent additions to or replacements of the peanut butter filling. YUM.
• Crunch: The crunch in this bark is of upmost importance. Here are some additional ways to add it in:
  • Flax seeds, chia seeds
  • Popcorn
  • Different nuts – Pecans, walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios
  • Different cereal – Rice Krispies would be perfect!
  • Granola
  • Chocolate chips

Expert Tips

• Use big, plump dates for this recipe! They will have the most delicious natural sweetness and flavor. Plus they’ll provide the best chewy, base texture for the viral chocolate bark. It has to be Medjool dates too!
• Grease the glass jar before smashing the dates! Unfortunately, smashing these sticky dates is going to be a slightly messy and difficult process no matter which way you slice it. Applying cooking spray to the bottom of the jar will prevent some of the sticking. But even with the greasing, just go slow! I think squishing each individual date is the best way to do it, rather than trying to squish multiple into each other at once.
• Do not skip the coconut oil in the chocolate! Adding coconut oil to the chocolate chips when melting has multiple benefits. First, it will thin out the mixture making the melted chocolate easier to pour and spread on top of the date bark. Second, it will help the melted chocolate harden quicker and more effectively. Third, it helps the hardened chocolate achieve a smoother, glossier appearance.
• Use parchment paper! I highly recommend lining the baking sheet you use with parchment paper. This will prevent any of the bark ingredients – melty chocolate or messy peanut butter – from getting on to the actual tray. Therefore, there will be less mess for you to clean up. No scrubbing or scraping necessary! You’ll just have to toss the parchment paper. I am all about little ways to make my life easier, like this!

FAQs

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More Healthy Desserts

• Chocolate Tahini Brownies
• Mixed Berry Protein Popsicles
• Single Serve Peanut Butter Cookie
• Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
• Air Fryer Cinnamon Peaches
• No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites
• Easy Dark Chocolate Bark
• Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Connect With Me!

If you make this delicious treat or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

Love this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating! I love to see and it helps me continue to develop delicious recipes for this blog.

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