No-Bake Dessert · Make-Ahead

70-Calorie Pecan Chocolate Bark — Easy No-Bake Christmas Treat

Name: 70-Calorie Pecan Chocolate Bark — Easy No-Bake Christmas Treat
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 24 pieces
Cuisine: Modern Holiday
Ingredients: Dark chocolate; Pecan halves; Coconut oil; Sea salt; Cinnamon

Pecan pie is the holiday classic, but a slice can push past 400 calories before you reach the whipped cream. This pecan chocolate bark keeps the cozy pecan-and-chocolate pairing at about 70 calories a piece — no oven, no crust, no butter. You toast the pecans, spread dark chocolate, and let it set, and it keeps a week in the fridge so you can make it well ahead. An easy, low-calorie Christmas dessert that still feels like a treat.

~70 kcal / pieceNo-bakeMake-ahead 1 week24 pieces

Pecan chocolate bark broken into pieces on a dark slate board, overhead view

Dark chocolate pecan bark with toasted pecans, broken pieces

Modern Holiday · 15 min

A Lighter Pecan Pie, By the Piece

Dark chocolate and toasted pecans, no crust and no butter — about 70 calories a piece, set and stored in minutes.

24 pieces

yield

15 min

total

70 kcal

piece

protein

Ingredients

200 g dark chocolate (70 percent)100 g pecan halves1 tsp coconut oilPinch of sea salt1/2 tsp cinnamonOptional: 1 tsp maple sugar

Step by Step

How to make it

Toast the pecans

Spread the pecan halves on a tray and toast at 170C / 340F for 6 minutes until fragrant, or dry-pan them for 3 minutes. Toasting wakes up the oils so they taste like pecan pie, not raw nuts.

Melt the chocolate

Melt 200 g dark chocolate with 1 tsp coconut oil over a gentle water bath, stirring until glossy. The coconut oil keeps the bark from snapping too hard and helps it set shiny.

Spread thin

Pour the melted chocolate onto a lined tray and spread it to a thin, even layer — thinner means more pieces and fewer calories each. Aim for a sheet about 3 mm thick.

Scatter pecans

Press the toasted pecans, a pinch of sea salt and cinnamon into the warm chocolate. Space them so every piece gets a pecan; this is where the pecan dessert identity lives.

Chill to set

Refrigerate the tray for 20 minutes until the chocolate is fully set and snaps when bent. Setting cold keeps it glossy and makes clean breaks.

Break and store

Snap the sheet into 24 rough pieces and store in the fridge up to a week. Make-ahead friendly — it is the easiest Christmas candy to have ready early.

Nutrition per serving

kcal

protein

fat

carbs

fiber

Make It Yours

Tips & Swaps

Thin equals more, lighter pieces

Spread the chocolate to 3 mm; a thin sheet breaks into 24 pieces at about 70 kcal each instead of a few heavy ones.

Toast for pecan-pie flavor

A quick toast is what makes this read as pecan dessert rather than plain chocolate — do not skip it.

Make a week ahead

The bark keeps a week chilled, so it is the ideal make-ahead Christmas dessert to clear off your holiday to-do list early.

FAQ

Questions, Answered

Is pecan chocolate bark low calorie?

At about 70 kcal a piece it is a low calorie Christmas dessert — dark chocolate and a thin spread keep the calories down versus a 400-plus-calorie slice of pecan pie.

Can I make this no-bake Christmas treat ahead?

Yes. The bark keeps up to a week in the fridge, so it is a genuinely make-ahead Christmas dessert you can clear off your list early. No oven required.

Is this an easy Christmas candy to make with kids?

Very. Toast pecans, melt chocolate, scatter and chill — no baking, no hot sugar. It is the easiest Christmas candy for little hands to help press the pecans in.

Can I use milk chocolate instead?

You can, but dark chocolate (70 percent) keeps the sugar lower and the pecan flavor forward; milk chocolate makes it sweeter and a touch higher in calories.