Easy Cinnamon White Chocolate Date Bark Recipe
This White Chocolate Date Bark Recipe is a delicious, easy-to-make treat. Made with gluten-free ingredients like cashew butter, dried apricots, pumpkin seeds, coconut, and sea salt, it’s a healthier take on a candy bar. The toasted coconut and pumpkin seeds add an extra layer of flavor, and it comes together in minutes!
Why You’ll Love This White Chocolate Date Bark Recipe
- Quick to Make: You can whip this up in just a few minutes—perfect for busy days.
- Rich, Fall-Inspired Flavors: The combination of dried apricots, toasted coconut, and pumpkin seeds brings warmth to every bite.
- Gluten-Free and Clean Ingredients: Made with nutrient-dense ingredients for a satisfying treat.
- Candy Bar Satisfaction: All the flavor and texture of a candy bar without the refined sugars or artificial ingredients.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here is everything you need to make the best-tasting cinnamon white chocolate date bark recipe:
Medjool dates: You can use another date type, such as Deglet Noor or Halawi. You may need to add a few extra dates to make up for the difference in sweetness.*
Pumpkin seeds: You can use another type of nut, such as almonds or walnuts. You can also use sunflower seeds.
Cashew butter: You can use another type of nut butter, such as almond or peanut butter. You can also use tahini, a paste made from ground sesame seeds.
White chocolate chips: You can use another type of chocolate, such as chopped chocolate, melting wafers, or chocolate chunks. You can also use carob chips, a good vegan alternative to chocolate.
Coconut: You can omit the coconut.
Cinnamon: You can omit the cinnamon.
Coarse sea salt: You can use another type of salt, such as table salt or kosher salt. You can also use a pinch of sugar or brown sugar to add sweetness.
*I have not tested this substitution.
How to Make My White Chocolate Cinnamon Date Bark Recipe
Step 1: Make the Date Layer
Slice 12 pitted medjool dates in half and place them side-by-side, in four rows of six date halves, on a sheet of parchment paper. Cover with a second sheet of parchment paper and roll them out to about 1/8″ thickness using a small rolling pin.
Step 2: Toast the Coconut & Seeds
Add butter to a frying pan over medium heat. Add the shredded coconut and salt. Stir until lightly toasted. Transfer to a bow to cool.
Add another teaspoon of butter to the frying pan over medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and salt. Stir until lightly toasted. Transfer to a bow to cool.
Step 3: Cashew Butter & Apricots
Spread the cashew butter on the smashed date halves. Then roughly chop the dried apricots and sprinkle them on the peanut butter layer. Sprinkle the toasted pumpkin seeds. Leave out a few seeds to garnish on top. Then add a dusting of cinnamon over all the layers.
Step 4: Melt the Chocolate
Add the white chocolate wafers (or chips) and coconut oil to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 20-second intervals in the microwave. Remove the bowl from the microwave after each interval and gently stir.
NOTE: Microwaving the chocolate for over 20 seconds at a time could cause the chocolate to overheat and become thick, clumpy, and impossible to melt again to a smooth consistency.
Step 5: Add the Chocolate
Pour the melted white chocolate over the bark and gently spread with a spatula. Be sure to cover all the apricots, nuts, and the date layer.
Step 6: Finishing Touches
Sprinkle coarse sea salt, another dusting of cinnamon, and a few of the chopped apricots over the chocolate.
Then sprinkle the toasted coconut and a few more toasted pumpkin seeds.
Transfer the bark and the parchment to a baking sheet and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set. Or, you can place the bark in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes until the chocolate sets. Then either break apart or cut the bark into smaller pieces to enjoy!
Cinnamon White Chocolate Bark Recipe Notes
Choosing Dates: Medjool dates work best for this recipe due to their natural sweetness and chewy texture. If you use other date varieties, you may need to adjust the sweetness.
Rolling Out Dates: Rolling the dates between two sheets of parchment paper makes them easier to work with and creates a uniform layer for the base of the bark.
Toasting Ingredients: Toasting shredded coconut and pumpkin seeds enhances their flavor and texture. Make sure not to over-toast; they should be light golden in color.
Cashew Butter: You can substitute cashew butter with almond butter or any nut or seed butter of your choice.
Chocolate Melting: Be cautious when melting white chocolate to prevent overheating. Use short intervals in the microwave (about 20 seconds) and stir in between. Overheated chocolate can become clumpy and challenging to work with.
Dietary Considerations: This recipe is dairy-free and vegan, making it suitable for those with dietary restrictions. Be sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips or wafers.
Do you love homemade chocolate treats? Check out more of my easy and delicious date bark recipes:
BEST Easy Cinnamon White Chocolate Date Bark Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 medjool dates
- 2 tablespoons cashew butter
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (or wafers)
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Slice 12 pitted medjool dates in half and place them side-by-side, in four rows of six date halves, on a sheet of parchment paper. Cover with a second sheet of parchment paper and roll them out to about 1/8" thickness using a small rolling pin.
- Add butter to a frying pan over medium heat. Add the shredded coconut and salt. Stir until lightly toasted. Transfer to a bow to cool.
- Add another teaspoon of butter to the frying pan over medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and salt. Stir until lightly toasted. Transfer to a bow to cool.
- Spread the cashew butter on the smashed date halves. Then roughly chop the dried apricots and sprinkle them on the peanut butter layer. Sprinkle the toasted pumpkin seeds. Leave out a few seeds to garnish on top. Then add a dusting of cinnamon over all the layers.
- Add the white chocolate wafers (or chips) and coconut oil to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 20-second intervals in the microwave. Remove the bowl from the microwave after each interval and gently stir. NOTE: Microwaving the chocolate for over 20 seconds at a time could cause the chocolate to overheat and become thick, clumpy, and impossible to melt again to a smooth consistency.
- Pour the melted white chocolate over the bark and gently spread with a spatula. Be sure to cover all the apricots, nuts, and the date layer.
- Sprinkle coarse sea salt, another dusting of cinnamon, and a few of the chopped apricots over the chocolate. Then sprinkle the toasted coconut and a few more toasted pumpkin seeds. Transfer the bark and the parchment to a baking sheet and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set. Or, you can place the bark in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes until the chocolate sets. Then either break apart or cut the bark into smaller pieces to enjoy!
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