Crispy chocolate, whole espresso beans, and toasted hazelnuts combine in this holiday-ready crispy espresso bean bark. Enjoy easily tempered chocolate that snaps and shines for gift-worthy chocolate bark with a little buzz!
One of my top three favorite chocolate-covered sweet treats are chocolate covered espresso beans. Of course, I would never turn down a chocolate peppermint pretzel, raisin, strawberry, almond, peanut, etc. but espresso beans are just rare enough in a dessert spread to make me shovel a bunch in my mouth and then worry I've over-caffeinated for the evening.
I had a fleeting thought to make them at home, then quickly snapped out of it because who has that kind of patience?
Instead, I present crispy espresso bean bark. With lots of crispy chocolate, whole coffee beans, and some toasted hazelnuts thrown in for good measure, you can enjoy several perfect flavor combinations at once (chocolate + hazelnut, chocolate + coffee, coffee + hazelnut). No tedium of dipping individual espresso in sight.
Key Points
A simple recipe hates to see me coming - you know I can't not be in the details.
This coffee bean bark uses a handful of ingredients and at base can be straight-forward: melt chocolate, spread it out, and add toppings. However being intentional about some of the ingredients and steps really makes this treat a breeze to prep and more tasty and impressive than ever.
- Use a sweeter chocolate... Use a semi-sweet or lower percentage dark/bittersweet chocolate, not a hopped-up dark chocolate. No other ingredient brings sweetness (and espresso beans can lean bitter) so having a sweeter chocolate is important.
- ...and temper it. I get into this quite a bit below but it the extra snap, glossy sheen, and handleability is worth it.
- Toast the nuts. With so few ingredients, making sure each one is optimized is big! Toasted nuts have a much richer flavor than raw that makes an impact here.
- Prep before starting. Tempered chocolate hardens more quickly that untempered chocolate, so you'll want your espresso beans and nuts at the ready once you pour out the crispy chocolate mixture.
Coffee Bean Bark Ingredients
The two bowls of chocolate are for a reason, but they're the same chocolate. Most of it is chopped while a portion is grated. This is necessary to seed chocolate, which is a form of tempering to create a nice shine and a snappy texture (more on this below).
- Chocolate: I like to use a chocolate in the 55-60% range or so, which is semisweet or a lower dark chocolate on the cusp of bittersweet. A blend of a few varieties works just as well! I don't recommend anything very dark as it's the only ingredient providing sweetness.
- Espresso beans: My big secret is that I use decaf beans so everyone can enjoy espresso bean bark without messing up their sleep.
- Hazelnuts: I'll never tire of the chocolate + hazelnut combo. I find these whole hazelnuts most affordable at Trader Joe's, and I toast them at home even though they say they're roasted. I've used almonds in chocolate bark, too - just a personal preference.
- Crispy rice cereal: While not 100% necessary, you'll want to add this to the melted chocolate for a light and airy crispness if, like me, you're a fan of Crunch bars.
- Flaky sea salt: This is optional but zhuzhes espresso bark to be a little extra fancy.
Easy Recipe Steps
Melt the chocolate.
Melt the chopped chocolate in the microwave until it just loses shape, then stir in the grated chocolate until smooth and melted.
Stir in the crispies.
Right away stir in the crispy rice cereal.
Spread out chocolate and press in toppings.
Spread the crispy chocolate mixture onto a parchment-lined pan, then press the hazelnuts and espresso beans into the top surface. Don't be shy - really make sure they're nestled in there so they stay put when slicing once cool.
Tempering Chocolate for Bark
I recommend tempering chocolate when making espresso bark as the chocolate turns out a little shinier, extra snappy, and all-around a little more professional in appearance. It also won't immediately start melting and softening in your hands.
There are a few ways of doing it, but forever a student of America's Test Kitchen, I follow their lead, which I document in the recipe card below. Done in the microwave with no thermometer needed, their sort-of shortcut method works like charm.
Can you simply melt chocolate however you please and make this recipe? Yes! But if you have some extra time, I find the payoff of tempering worth it.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Bars vs. chips - Chopped bars of chocolate melt more easily than chocolate chips, which contain stabilizers, so bars are recommend for this bark recipe. Especially so if you're tempering the chocolate, as grating chocolate chips would be a no-go.
- Mise en place for this one - Tempered chocolate sets more quickly than untempered chocolate, so prepare your parchment-lined sheet and have your hazelnuts and espresso beans ready to go once the bark has been spread out.
- Espresso beans - These dark-roasted coffee beans usually call out very complementary dessert flavors like cocoa and molasses. Use your favorite kind - the decaf beans I like to bake (well, no-bake) with are Counter Culture Slow Motion.
Did you enjoy this recipe? I’d love for you to leave a star rating and a comment review in the recipe card below!
Crispy Chocolate Espresso Bark
Ingredients
- 12 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (55-60%) divided
- ¾ cup crispy rice cereal
- ½ cup toasted hazelnuts roughly chopped
- 2-3 Tablespoons whole espresso beans or to taste
- Flaky sea salt optional
Instructions
- Toast hazelnuts (if needed): Heat oven to 350°F and place whole hazelnuts on a rimmed sheet pan. Roast for 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant and they become lightly golden. Immediately remove toasted hazelnuts from the hot pan to a plate to cool completely.
- Prepare: Line a pan with parchment paper. Finely chop 9 ounces of the chocolate, then grate the remaining 3 ounces with the fine grating or zesting side of a box grater. Keep these two textures separate. Roughly chop the toasted hazelnuts and get out your espresso beans as things move quickly once the chocolate is melted.
- Temper the chocolate: Add the 9 ounces of finely-chopped chocolate to a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at half-power in the microwave for 20-second bursts, stirring thoroughly after each burst. Keep going until the chocolate just begins to lose shape, at which point reduce the cook time to 10 seconds. Stop right as the chocolate turns smooth, then stir in the grated chocolate. Keep stirring as it integrates and melts smoothly, putting the bowl back in the microwave for just a few seconds at a time only if it needs a little extra help.
- Assemble the bark: Stir the crispy rice cereal into the melted chocolate, then use a spatula to spread the chocolate mixture onto the parchment-lined pan in an even layer roughly ½-inch thick (or a little thinner). Quickly scatter hazelnuts and whole espresso beans across the surface, pressing down on them so they sink into the soft chocolate and set in there. Work quickly before the chocolate hardens. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if you want.
- Set and slice: If you have room in your fridge you can chill the bark for a few minutes to speed up the process, otherwise let the espresso bark sit out at room temperature until it has solidified completely. Slice pieces with a sharp knife. Tempered bark stores nicely at room temperature in an air-tight container, but you can also keep it in the fridge if you prefer.
Notes
- Chocolate: If you prefer the taste of dark chocolate, by all means use that! Keep in mind the chocolate is the only ingredient bringing sweetness here and espresso beans can lean bitter, so I prefer something in the 55-60%-ish range to offset.
- Espresso beans: Decaf beans work if you'd rather.
- Work quickly! Tempered chocolate sets more quickly than untempered chocolate, hence the need to have all of your ingredients prepped before beginning.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer
lili renarde says
oh wow! that just sounds perfect 🙂 definitely going to try that out in the next few days! Thank you for sharing this recipe. Love your blog!
lili xx
Alyssa says
Thank you so much Lili! 🙂
Mary Frances says
Espresso, chocolate, almonds, and sprinkles, uh heck to the yes! I love how thick you make your bark, that is my kind of treat. Me and this whole batch will be in the corner of the closet if you need us, thank you very much 😉 Fantastic job Alyssa!
Alyssa says
Hahaha I would probably be there with you and the bark, Mary Frances. Thanks!
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
I smiled at your comments about 'committing' to the espresso beans, Alyssa! I've done this so many times with different ingredients - bought a big bag of something and then found it really hard to use it all up!
Just love this bark - I love choc bark generally and think it always ends up looking really impressive even though it was so easy to make. This one has a bit of a luxury feel to it - perfect for a classy summer dessert with coffee! 🙂
Alyssa says
Haha yes Helen, I know what you mean! I've been diligently working through a bag of chia seeds too. Bark has become one of my new favorite things to make. You said it - everyone always loves it and it's so much easier to make than it looks. Thanks. 🙂
Dani @ House in Tillford says
Yummy! I can see myself making a batch of these to snack on throughout my work day!
Alyssa says
Thanks Dani! That's a great idea...I need to make another batch to bring with me to work, too. A great afternoon snack!
Stephanie @ The Glamorous Gourmet says
Good Lord this looks divine! My husband adores chocolate-covered espresso beans so I must make this for him - thanks for sharing and I'm so happy to discover your blog. If you like food, wine, travel & entertaining please swing by The Glamorous Gourmet sometime - Cheers:)
Alyssa says
Hi Stephanie, thanks so much for stopping by! I bet you (and your husband!) would love this bark. I'm a big fan of food, wine, travel, AND entertaining so I'll be checking out your blog for sure! 🙂
Cooks with Cocktails says
Wow your bark looks so amazing but you had me when i read espresso and chocolate, two of my favorite combinations. Love your pictures!
Alyssa says
Thank you so much! 🙂 Espresso and chocolate are two of my favorites too, whether in drinks, desserts, or candy!
Cakespy says
My choco-meter is buzzing at the sight of this tastiness.
Alyssa says
Yes for sure! All the good stuff is going on here. 🙂 Thanks!
Annie @Maebells says
I think we are soul sisters. This has all of my favorite things, and I am so with you...individually dipping espresso beans in chocolate is just not how I roll. This bark is happening like asap, genius!
Alyssa says
We definitely have similar taste buds, Annie!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
I love this! I'm always sneaking one of those little boxes of chocolate covered espresso beans into my cart when I'm at Trader Joe's. But they definitely are pricey, especially since they only last me about 2 days, haha! Can't wait to make this : )
Alyssa says
Haha I love those!! But yeah, they disappear almost immediately. Too good!
marcie says
I love chocolate bark, and this one sounds especially delicious with the almonds and whole espresso beans! Talk about a pick-me-up! Pinned. 🙂
Alyssa says
Definitely a pick-me-up, Marcie! That's a good enough excuse for me to bring some to work as an afternoon treat! 🙂