Cranberry-Carob Bark

A real chocolate craving does not disappear just because cocoa is not part of the elimination phase, and carob meets it honestly instead of pretending to be something it's not. It is its own bean, roasted into something deep and faintly sweet, doing its own job rather than standing in for cocoa's. You stir it together, pour it onto a sheet, and 30 minutes later you have a real treat, made from real ingredients.

The bark leans on coconut oil and coconut milk for steady fat, tart cranberries cutting through the sweetness, and carob itself is a source of dietary fiber, which supports a gut lining working toward calm. The honey is a light hand here, just enough to round out the carob's natural bitterness, nothing more.

Make the top of this one pretty before it freezes. Scatter the cranberries and coconut flakes so the red and white sit against the dark carob, and when it is finally solid, break off 1 piece and actually let yourself have it slowly. A small, unhurried pleasure is still part of the practice.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons carob powder
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 tablespoon dried cranberries
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut flakes

This recipe is already Core, built on carob rather than cocoa, so keep the carob as written. The source offers almonds or pecans as an add-in for nut eaters, and those are left out here, since nuts are excluded on the elimination phase. The bark is complete and satisfying without them.

Method

• Stir the carob powder, melted coconut oil, coconut milk, cinnamon, and honey together until smooth.
• Pour the mixture onto a parchment-lined sheet and scatter the dried cranberries and coconut flakes over the top.
• Freeze until solid, then slice. Keep the leftovers in the freezer, since the coconut oil base softens at room temperature.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*