These vegan double chocolate cherry chunk bars are amazing. Rich, perfectly sweet, tart, chewy, creamy, chocolaty (obviously), slap-my-hand-to-make-me-stop-eating-them delicious. A chewy, chocolaty crust—made from raw almonds, raw walnuts, medjool dates, cacao, and puffed millet—is topped with a rich ganache/mousselike layer of chocolate cream and fresh cherry chunks. The final touch? A delicate drizzle of coconut butter.
Is there any more delicious combination than cherries and chocolate? It's hard to think of anything that could top that tart, sweet + decadent mixture of ingredients.
With such a fool-proof flavor pairing, I figured this recipe would turn out tasty but after just one bite of these habit-forming bars, it's clear that "tasty" is a gross understatement. These bars are amazing.
Rich.
Perfectly sweet.
Tart.
Chewy.
Creamy.
Chocolaty (obviously).
Slap-my-hand-to-make-me-stop-eating-them delicious.
The base of these bars is made from a combination of raw almonds, raw walnuts, medjool dates, cacao, and puffed millet. The mixture is pushed into a pan to form a thick, chewy, and sturdy crust. The next layer is made from melting together (nearly) equal parts coconut cream and dark chocolate to form a ganache/mousse like layer of chocolate cream. Fresh cherry chunks are folded into the chocolate cream to add texture, and the mixture is spread on top of the crust. Another heaping pile of cherry chunks are sprinkled on top, and then the bars are popped in the freezer to set. After a cool 45 minutes, the bars are sliced and garnished with a delicate drizzle of coconut butter.
These are the perfect summer dessert bars, and they're nearly fool-proof. Chilled, dense, and creamy chocolate bars accented with bright red cherry chunks. Does it get any better?
Vegan Double Chocolate Cherry Chunk Bars
Ingredients
For the crust
- ¾ cup raw almonds
- ½ cup raw walnuts
- 1 ½ cups packed, pitted Medjool dates
- 1 cup puffed millet
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons raw cacao
For Chocolate Ganache Layer
- 1 ⅓ cups coconut cream*
- 1 ½ cups dark chocolate chunks or chips
- ⅔ cup fresh cherries, pitted and cut into eighths
Toppings
- 1 ¼ cups fresh cherries, pitted and cut into eighths
- ¼ cup coconut butter (optional, for garnishing)
Instructions
For the Crust
- Add the almonds, walnuts, pitted dates, puffed millet, and cacao to a food processor. Pulse 10-15 times and then let the mixture process for 2-3 minutes or until a large ball forms.
- While the mixture is processing, line a 9x13 jelly roll pan with parchment paper, leaving extra parchment on all sides so that you can lift the bars out later.
- Scoop the crust mixture into the pan and begin pushing the mixture evenly across the pan with your fingers. Press into an even layer and transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes to set.
For the Chocolate Ganache Layer
- While the crust is setting, add the coconut cream and dark chocolate to a double-boiler over low heat. Whisk the mixture together until the chocolate is melted and you have a smooth mixture. Fold in the cherry chunks and let the mixture cool for a few minutes.
To Assemble
- Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the chocolate ganache layer on top. Use a spatula to evenly spread the mixture across the crust. Return the pan to the freezer for 10 minutes to set slightly. Then, drop the cherry chunk topping evenly over top and return the pan to the freezer for 45 minutes to completely set the bars.
- Remove the bars from the freezer, and use the parchment paper to lift the bar out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut the bar into squares.
- If desired, melt the coconut butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Transfer to a Ziploc baggie, snip off the corner, and drizzle the bars with coconut butter.
- You can store the bars in the refrigerator or freezer. I recommend storing them in the freezer and removing them 10-15 minutes before you're ready to eat them so that the ganache layer has time to soften.
Notes
These look amazing, Ashley. Nothing better than cherries and chocolate together!
Thanks, Matt!!
You have out done yourself....these look amazingly delicious! Great photo's.
Thank you!!! :)
cherry and chocolate is a great combo. yum!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Ashely! I am a major chocoholic snob (I might add) and I totally LOVE these double (dark) chocolate cherry chunk bars. Mine are not as pretty as yours but are certainly as delicious. I made a small pan and shared them with my other chocoholic friends. We love them!
A few of my recipe notes FYI: I didn't have enough prunes or figs (instead of dates) so I used a variety of dried fruit in the crust and it worked very well. I also used brown rice crispy cereal instead of puffed millet and that worked well too. Raw cacao can be very expensive and hard for some people to find so unsweetened cocoa works very well too. For those who aren't vegan, any kind of milk or cream can be substituted for the coconut cream in the ganache. For vegans who don't have coconut cream, then rice milk or almond milk will work too.
I love the fresh cherries in the bars and I'm so glad they are in season and on sale right now! Perfect timing. Thanks, Ashley; this recipe is such a delicious gift. Love it!
Hi Susan! You're so welcome, and thank YOU for your incredibly kind compliments about the recipe! I'm so happy to hear that you and your other chocoholic friends enjoyed them so much. Also, thank you for your recipe notes; it's always so helpful to know what adjustments can be made, and it's tricky for me to test everything, so I really appreciate you taking the time to comment with your tweaks to the recipe. I hope you continue to enjoy these bars throughout cherry season!
Could I substitute almond flour & coconut flour for millet??
Hi Amber! I would substitute puffed rice or puffed quinoa for the puffed millet since it's there to add a crunch. You could also omit it and the crust will hold together just as well.
WOW! These look amazing! I wish I could eat one right now!
Thanks so much, Harriet!