Dark Chocolate Bark With Sea Salt

Dark Chocolate Bark With Sea Salt is the kind of treat that looks impressive but takes less than 10 minutes to make. Just two ingredients, good dark chocolate and flaky sea salt, deliver that perfect sweet and salty contrast in every bite. If you love easy homemade bark, my Dark Chocolate Orange Bark With Almonds is another quick favorite worth keeping in your rotation.

This recipe is as versatile as it is simple. You can keep it classic with just chocolate and salt, or build on it with nuts like in the Dark Chocolate Nut Clusters, a drizzle of white chocolate like in the Cranberry Bars, or dried fruit like in the Chocolate Bark With Figs. The quality of your chocolate matters most here, and I use the same couverture-grade chocolate in this bark that I use in my Flourless Chocolate Cake.

• Dark Chocolate: The chocolate is everything in this recipe, so choose wisely. I tested this recipe with store-bought chocolate chips, a grocery store chocolate bar, and couverture-grade chocolate. The couverture won every time. I recommend Valrhona, Callebaut, or Guittard for the smoothest melt and deepest flavor. If you use chocolate chips, know that most contain stabilizers that prevent them from melting as smoothly. A 70% cacao or higher gives you that bold, slightly bitter contrast that makes the sea salt topping really land.
• Flaky Sea Salt: Do not substitute table salt or kosher salt here. Flaky sea salt, like Maldon or Jacobsen, sits on top of the chocolate rather than dissolving into it. That distinction is what gives you the satisfying crunch and visual appeal in every piece. I tested with fine salt and the result was flat and overly salty. A light, even sprinkle right after spreading the chocolate is the move - before it sets.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Variations

• Fruit - top the chocolate with other dried fruit like apricots or cherries.
• Nuts - add nuts like cashews, pistachios, almonds, or pecans.
• Other Toppings - toffee, shredded coconut, peppermint bits, or sprinkles work nicely.
• Flavors - you can change up the flavor by adding a ¼ teaspoon of an extract like rum, almond, lemon, or orange.

Recipe Tips

• Toast Any Nuts (if using) - Toasting the nuts adds both flavor and texture. You can either toast them in an oven set at 350℉ for 8-10 minutes or on the stovetop in a pan set over low heat. Make sure to watch the almonds while toasting as they will burn quickly.
• Melt The Chocolate Properly - While I prefer melting chocolate in the microwave, most chocolatiers will advise you to place the chocolate in a pan set over boiling water (a double boiler) and slowly melt the chocolate. Both work equally well.