Dark Chocolate and Cherry Almond Clusters

I tried this recipe for a chance to win a Vitamix (!!) through the Food & Nutrition magazine. It ended up being so good I had to share it on here. This is super quick and delicious, combining chocolate with cherries and almonds. The chocolate is dark so it's basically all good for you (hehe). Seriously though, the prep for this takes 5 minutes, then you pop it in the fridge for an hour and you're done! The only downside is that the cherries I found were pretty expensive. However, they were organic and all the way from California so that might have had something to do with it. They were delicious, though, so worth every dollar! Warning - they might look small, but these babies are rich so don't underestimate them. You will probably get your sweet fix after 1-2 of them. I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Recipe is by Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD

Prep: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1:05hr

Servings: 5-7 clusters, depending on size

Ingredients

1/4 cup of cherries - washed, pitted, and chopped
1/4 cup of chopped raw almonds - I used leftover sliced almonds and chopped them roughly up
1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips - you could use dark or milk chocolate chips, your choice!
optional: 1/4 tsp of fine sea salt

Materials

measuring cup
bowl for mixing
small pot
rubber spatula
baking sheet
aluminum foil or parchment paper

Directions

Mix cherries and almonds in small bowl.
Melt chocolate chips in a small pot over low height or microwave for 30 second intervals until melted.
Pour melted chocolate into bowl with cherries and almonds. Mix together until it is all evenly covered in chocolate.
Scoop the mixture onto baking sheet, making about 2x2 inch sized clusters.
Place in fridge for an hour.