One of the easiest treats to put together this Christmas! With just two ingredients of gluten-free chocolate and pomegranates, you can easily come up with the heavenly Chocolate Pomegranate Clusters!
The Christmas-colored, vibrant red hues of pomegranates, along with the richness, earthiness of chocolate (to further up the color variety, you can use dark, white, and the regular brown-colored chocolates), create eye candies!
Some say that holidays are the time to make the perfect excuse for munching on chocolates. When people are presented with the prospect of a healthy diet, it is always thought that there’s a lot of sacrifice to be made, just like ditching the chocolate.
However, a good kind of chocolate has a load of health benefits! In fact, cocoa reduces the risk of heart disease. Meanwhile, flavonols, which are prevalent in dark chocolate, have powerful antioxidant effects, reducing cell damage implicated in heart disease. You just have to be careful in choosing your chocolate. Get the one without the nasty commercial sugars and you’re in to enjoy the yummy taste and the nourishing goodness of chocolate.
Pomegranate brings in the tart that complements the sweetness and richness of the chocolate. Yet, it’s another bounty source of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins that are even medicinal for reproductive health and prevents common chronic diseases.
This Chocolate Pomegranate Clusters Recipe is surely healthy and fresh, and you know what you’ve put in. Dig into this 2-ingredient match made in heaven!
Chocolate Pomegranate Clusters
Equipment
- Mini muffin pan
- Mini muffin cups or liners
Ingredients
- 1 cup chocolate chips gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free
- 2 pomegranates
Instructions
- Prepare a large bowl filled with water. Cut the pomegranates into quarters and soak them in water for 5 minutes. Start breaking the pomegranates apart underwater, leaving you with only the arils.
- Transfer the arils into a plate lined with paper towels and gently blot with more to dry. Replace wet paper towels with new ones and leave the arils on the counter for about an hour or two to air-dry.
- Line a mini muffin pan with 20 mini muffin liners or cups.
- When the arils are completely dry, gently heat the chocolate chips in the microwave for two to three, 10-second intervals, removing each time to knead. You’re looking for a smooth texture and pipeable consistency. Transfer the chocolate to a piping bag and snip off a bit of the tip.
- Pipe some chocolate into the bottom of the muffin cups and sprinkle a layer of pomegranate arils onto each one. Repeat the same process until the cups are heaping and the arils are your last layer. Harden in a cool and dry place. Package for gifts or serve and enjoy!
Notes
- The most important thing in this recipe is to make sure that the pomegranate arils are completely dry. Otherwise, the chocolate will not stick to them and the clusters will fall apart.
- For added colors and fun, do 10 clusters with white chocolate and the other 10 with dark chocolate. Or, combine white and dark chocolate in some clusters.
Nutrition
Did you do this recipe? Let us know your thoughts through the comments section down below!
