This Dark Chocolate Granola Bark is the kind of dish that leaves you coming back for seconds. Made with old-fashioned oats, dark chocolate, coconut and pumpkin seeds, this sweet treat is satisfying, wholesome and delicious.
I’ve been loving oats lately. It’s been unusually chilly in San Francisco this week and there’s something so comforting about a steaming bowl of porridge on a cold morning.
Oats have also been doing wonders for my GI health. As many of you know, I have ulcerative colitis, which means that my large intestine is particularly delicate and sensitive. For other ulcerative colitis sufferers, oats can be irritating and off-limits, but for me, old-fashioned oats actually seem to help.
IBD and Oats
I looked up the research on IBD and oats, and unfortunately, there’s not much of it to go by [1]. Only two studies have looked at the effects of oat bran in people with ulcerative colitis, and both of them were small and low quality [1].
The first one showed that adding 60g of oat bran per day over 12 weeks might help reduce pain and reflux in people who reported GI symptoms at entry [1]. The other showed that adding 135g oat bran per day to bread for 3 weeks increased stool output in ulcerative sufferers with ileostomies (poop bags).
If you have IBD, it’s best to gauge your individual response before you decide to include or exclude oats.
Why Oats Are Good For You
Numerous studies suggest that oats offer health benefits for the general population:
- Oats are a rich source of beta-glucan, a viscous, soluble fiber, that has been shown to help reduce cholesterol and boost satiety in some people [2,3].
- Eating oats daily may help improve post-meal blood sugar response and cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes [4].
- Oats are a high fiber food with 16g of fiber per cup. High fiber intake has been shown to help protect against colorectal cancer, alleviate constipation, and promote microbial health in the gut [5].
Are Oats Gluten-Free?
Oats are considered a gluten-free grain, however, they are often contaminated with gluten-containing grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. If you have Celiac Disease or are particularly sensitive to gluten, look for oats that are labeled ‘gluten-free’. According to US food labeling laws, products labeled ‘gluten-free’ must contain less than 20ppm gluten.
That said, some Celiac disease sufferers find that they can’t tolerate oats, even if they’re labeled gluten-free. Oats contain similar proteins to gluten which occasionally can precipitate a reaction in Celiac sufferers.
Dark Chocolate Granola Bark
This Dark Chocolate Granola Bark recipe is a product of my current obsession with oats and my love of all things chocolate-laced. Better still, it’s incredibly easy and thrown together with just a few household ingredients.
Substitutions
- Dried fruit: I’ve made this recipe with both cranberries and chopped dried apricots, but you can use whatever you have. Dried cherries, blueberries, figs, and goji berries also work.
- Pumpkin seeds: If you don’t have pumpkin seeds on-hand, you can use raw sunflower seeds, or chopped nuts instead. I recommended going for raw or dry-roasted seeds/nuts instead of anything heavily seasoned to keep the same flavor profile.
- 70% dark chocolate: Dark chocolate tends to be richer in antioxidants and polyphenolic compounds, and lower in sugar, than milk chocolate. However, you can use milk chocolate in this recipe if you prefer. The end result will be a bit sweeter.
That’s all from me for now. Happy noshing!
Dark Chocolate Granola Bark
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 35 pieces 1x
- Category: snacks, dessert, gluten-free, post-workout, pre-workout, whole grain, vegetarian, vegan, high fiber
- Cuisine: American, Australian
Description
Offering a combination of sweet, crunchy and savory flavors, this granola bark is the kind of dish that leaves you coming back for more. Made with a combination of old-fashioned oats, dark chocolate, coconut and pumpkin seeds, this sweet treat is both satisfying and wholesome.
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil such as canola oil
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup dried fruit (ideally unsweetened)
- 2 cups 70% dark chocolate
Instructions
- Line two 10in x 15 in (25cm x 38cm) baking trays with parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C.
- Chop the dried fruit (as needed) and set aside.
- Add the oats, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, vegetable oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt to a large mixing bowl. Mix until well-combined.
- Pour the oat mixture onto one of the baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Spread the oat mixture into a single, even layer on the baking sheet. Insert the oat mixture into the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until just golden at the edges. Allow the granola to cool and sprinkle in the dried fruit.
- Break the dark chocolate into chunks and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave. (Time varies, but I recommend heating in 30-second bursts and stirring in between.).
- Pour the melted chocolate onto the second lined baking sheet. Spread the chocolate into a thin, even layer with a spatula.
- Sprinkled the granola on top of the melted chocolate. You will probably have more granola than you need – store the remaining granola in an air-tight container.
- Place the granola bark in the fridge for at least an hour or until completely hard.
- Break into bite-size pieces and enjoy!
Notes
Raw pumpkin seeds can be substituted for raw chopped nuts
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 116.21 kcal
- Sugar: 5.78 g
- Sodium: 19.62 mg
- Fat: 6.97 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.02 g
- Trans Fat: 0.01 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.25 g
- Fiber: 2.06 g
- Protein: 1.88 g
- Cholesterol: 0.3 mg
Craving more healthy eats and treats? Check out my recipe page here.
References
[1] Thies, F., Masson, L., Boffetta, P., & Kris-Etherton, P. (2014). Oats and bowel disease: A systematic literature review. British Journal of Nutrition, 112(S2), S31-S43. doi:10.1017/S0007114514002293
[2] Ho HV, Sievenpiper JL, Zurbau A, et al. The effect of oat β-glucan on LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and apoB for CVD risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials. Br J Nutr. 2016;116(8):1369–1382. doi:10.1017/S000711451600341X
[3] Rebello CJ, O’Neil CE, Greenway FL. Dietary fiber and satiety: the effects of oats on satiety. Nutr Rev. 2016;74(2):131–147. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuv063
[4] Li X, Cai X, Ma X, et al. Short- and Long-Term Effects of Wholegrain Oat Intake on Weight Management and Glucolipid Metabolism in Overweight Type-2 Diabetics: A Randomized Control Trial. Nutrients. 2016;8(9):549. Published 2016 Sep 7. doi:10.3390/nu8090549[5] Song M, Garrett WS, Chan AT. Nutrients, foods, and colorectal cancer prevention. Gastroenterology. 2015;148(6):1244–60.e16. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2014.12.035
[5] Crosara Teixeira M, Braghiroli MI, Sabbaga J, Hoff PM. Primary prevention of colorectal cancer: myth or reality?. World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(41):15060–15069. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i41.15060
[6] Pinto-Sánchez MI, Causada-Calo N, Bercik P, et al. Safety of Adding Oats to a Gluten-Free Diet for Patients With Celiac Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Clinical and Observational Studies. Gastroenterology. 2017;153(2):395–409.e3. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2017.04.009
