About six months ago I fell in love with pistachios.
I was eating so many that my thumb got a blister on it from shelling so many.
Note to self, buy the unshelled. But that seems like cheating.
Unless you dump the pistachios onto melted dark chocolate along with caramels, Oreos, and sea salt.
I love making bark because it’s fast, easy, foolproof, and you can use up your odds and ends.
Anything from the last bits in a bag of pretzels to the remnants of the butterscotch chips to random Easter candy you found stashed away. Everything tastes better smorgasboard-style on top of bark.
For the bark I used lightly salted pistachios, diced caramels, Oreos, and a sprinkling of sea salt for a salty-and-sweet effect.
I love salty-and-sweet treats and I find that with dark chocolate, a pinch of salt goes a long way to enhance and round out the flavor.
The chocolate is Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Pound Plus Bar. It melts so smoothly, evenly, and it’s dark enough without being bitter or too intense. It makes for a smooth, mellow, bark-eating experience. Use your favorite chocolate from uber dark to milk.
The bark is a texture lover’s dream. The smooth, rich chocolate that melts in your mouth contrasted with the slightly salty pistachios and crunchy Oreos.
The caramels are buttery, creamy, and chewy. There are so many flavor and texture combinations in every bite and the more you eat, the more you want.
I gave some of the bark away because it was far too dangerous to keep in my house.
It makes great hostess gifts or gifts for friends, teachers, and neighbors. If you can manage to part with some or don’t eat it all first.
Pin This Recipe
Pistachio, Salted Caramel, and Oreo Dark Chocolate Bark
Bark is fast, easy, foolproof, and you can add whatever odds and ends are lurking in your pantry and this bark is a texture lover’s dream. The smooth, rich chocolate that melts in your mouth is in contrast with the slightly salty pistachios and crunchy Oreos. The caramels are buttery, creamy, and add chewiness. There are so many flavor and texture combinations in every bite and the more you eat, the more you want. Customize the bark based on your favorite toppings and what you have on hand. It makes great hostess gifts or gifts for friends, teachers, and neighbors.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dark chocolate (1 pound; I used TJ’s Dark Chocolate Pound Plus Bar)about 20 small caramel squares, unwrapped and diced small (if you can find salted caramels I recommend them, but regular may be used)6 to 8 Oreo cookies, roughly chopped about 3/4 cup shelled, lightly salted pistachios (unsalted may be substituted)
- generous pinch of sea salt for sprinkling, optional and to taste
Instructions
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper; set aside. Before beginning to melt the chocolate, have all the ingredients chopped, prepped, and ready to go so that they’re ready to be added while the chocolate is hot and melty.
- Coarsely chop the chocolate or break into chunks to encourage smooth melting. Place chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high power to melt, about 2 to 3 minutes, stopping every 15 seconds to check and stir until it can be stirred smooth. Be careful not to scorch it; or use a double boiler.
- Pour melted chocolate onto parchment and with a spatula or offset knife, smooth into a large rectangle, about 10×15-inches, and about 1/8-inch thick; just eyeball. Reserve 1 to 2 tablespoons in the bottom of the bowl for final chocolate drizzle; set aside.
- Evenly sprinkle with caramels, Oreos, pistachios, and sea salt to taste.
- Evenly drizzle with reserved 1 to 2 tablespoons chocolate; optional but helps ‘glue’ the toppings down and adds visual appeal.
- Allow chocolate to set up for at least 3 hours at room temp, or in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
- After chocolate has set, break into pieces or chop with a knife. Bark will keep airtight at room temp for many weeks and in the fridge or freezer for many months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
48Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 60Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 32mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g
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This looks so yummy. D:
Pistachio + Dark Chocolate is a favorite combination of mine. Glad you discovered this delicious nut :)!
Thank you for the comment and the tweet today! So nice of you, Brandon :)
Love the pop of color the pistachios give.
I read somewhere that buying shelled is best for snacking as the shelling makes you feel fuller quicker/keep track of what you’re eating.
I hope that’s true so I can eat more decadent things like this bark! :)
I’ll go with your theory and logic!
Beautiful pictures! Loving this flavor combo! :)
Oh wow this looks absolutely incredible! I totes need to try this! It’s comforting how you say that bark is foolproof…I have a tendency of being a complete idiot in the kitchen and always manage to screw something up somehow haha! But with this it’s kinda as if the more jumbled it is the better the final product will be. Amazing pictures of it too Averie, I love how you always show the full view, cross sections and the sheer variety of yummy stuff included in the recipe via mouth watering pics!
Thanks for noticing my photography angles and all the compliments in all your comments tonight – so appreciated!
Totally love this… salty sweet chocolately combo. I love pistachios too definitely need to mix them in with some sweet dessert action! Pinned
Thanks for pinning, Krista!
Oh boy, if I’m not careful I can easily finish a bag of pistachios all by myself (thumb blisters and all) even though I buy the shelled ones to prevent me from doing just that haha. This bark sounds incredible – it has everything I love and more – pinning :)
Sounds like you can relate with the bag finishing and blisters too boot…at least you understand :) Thanks for the pin!
I have loved pistachios since I was like 7. Totally got it from my parents. I don’t mind shelling them except when I’m baking. It seems like it takes forever just to get half a cup.
Yes it does! For baking, I cheat and use the shelled ones. But for just snacking, I shell them myself as built in portion control since it takes longer to work for them :)
HOLY PISTACHIO!! MUST. HAVE. THIS. NOW! This bark looks so good! i love the way it looks too. I recently discovered how good pistachios were too, you just inspired me to use them more
Thanks, Keisha! If you try this, LMK!
Yes but the shelled ones somehow taste better, worth a few thumb blisters ;-)
Yes they totally do – and I agree :)
just want to complement you on your wonderful blog. your recipes and pictures look so yummy!!! i don’t know how you come up with soooo many ideas everyday!
What a lovely compliment and thanks, Gina! I don’t know how I come up with stuff some days either…ha! But the ideas keep coming!
Dark Chocolate, pretzels, oreos, and salty pistachios? A combo well done!
this bark looks out of this world amazing. I am afraid I would eat the whole thing and not share. Not nice of me but seriously who wants to share this goodness. It looks divine and love the rich caramel against the salty pistachios! genius
MUST. HAVE. THIS. NOW!
Sadly, I just ran out of pistachios. So I guess a trip to the store is order, because this bark looks ah-mazing and I must have it!
This looks delicious!!! I’ll definitely make this recipe some time next week. :D
This bark looks to die for, love the salty-sweet flavors!
I love that you ate pistachios until your fingers blistered. And this bark is just GORGEOUS! Every piece and layer is so beautifully distinct.
Thank you for noticing. It’s the details :) You know how that goes!
You know I loved pistachios too, but haven’t eaten them in months. I’m back to my standard peanut butter, but I’ve gotten really lazy and buy the freshly ground stuff at the coop instead of making my own. So sad. So lazy, but it’s SUMMER!
This is kind of off topic, but you link to your saltine cracker recipe and last week, a friend of mine brought that stuff to FOUR potlucks in a single week! She used mahtzo crackers instead, but same thing. The first time, I resisted, but eventually my willpower was gone and it was…a bad scene. That stuff is truly crack!
Oh I’m so glad to hear that she made it FOUR TIMES. In a week. Omg that is the midwest and the potlucks I remember. Thanks for sharing that story :) And you being back to storebought/freshly ground PB. Hey, it’s the easiest route and no food proc to clean out, right!
Pistachios are my dad’s favorite nut too! I remember while I was growing up, he’d eat a small bowl almost every night while watching baseball or basketball on TV, and he taught me how to pry open those little shells to make me feel grown up. Come to think of it, maybe he just taught me so his fingers wouldn’t hurt from doing it all himself! ;) I’m absolutely loving your latest bark creation! Sweet, salty, chocolaty, caramely, cookie-y (I think I’m making up words at this point)… So many good things. Definitely pinning!!
Thanks for the fun story and the pin!
Oh boy! These look superb! Agree with you on the whole pistachio thing – yum!
Where do you get your pistachios? The ones I get from the grocery are more brown than green, yours looks so pistachio green! Looks yummy!!!
Trader Joe’s!
You fell in love with pistachios about the time I fell in love with salted
caramel. I suspect we both have had a long long long love affair with chocolate.
This is SOOOOOOOOOO decadent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was so good and yes, long affair with chocolate, for sure :)
Ohmygosh this bark looks like heaven. But really, you had me at pistachios.
Thanks, Denise! Glad you’re a fan of them, too!
just saw your comment at my blog.
that’s wild that you have a white chocolate brownie too.
hmm
same recipe? or
Well I’ve got these white chocolate and lime bars https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/04/coconut-lime-white-chocolate-bars.html
And then I have an upcoming recipe that’s a white choc and citrus bar as well. Not the same recipe as yours though! I drummed it up in my own head and it’s summery so was waiting another week or so to post it :)
Yummo! My favorite ingredients are the pistachios and caramels. Pistacios can be such a pain to shell!
Yes the sure can be!
Oooooooh this bark is so beautiful, Averie! I love everything you used (what a fantastic way to clean out the pantry) and the green of the pistachios just pops against the chocolate. I hope your fingers have recovered from the blisters ;) I’m sure it was worth it to eat this delicious bark.
LOL doing much better and I cheated and used shelled for the bark. Time and finger saver :)
Maybe I’m crazy, but I swear they taste better if you shell them yourself (blisters and all). GREG
I TOTALLY AGREE, Greg! Yes, they do!
IN LOVE WITH THIS!! Can’t wait to try!
I’ve been in love with pistachios for years and buy bags of it during every shopping trip. I love that you incorporated it this way!
Oh MAN. My mom makes a pistachio cranberry bark every year at Christmas, and this looks so much like it, just even more desserty. Amazing! Maybe we should try this for Christmas this year as well!
I love the idea of pistachio cranberry. The crunchy/chewy contrast AND the color contrast, must be just perfect around Xmas!
Yes, please! I need to make it ASAP! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning, Anna!
Wow, this bark has all my fav ingredients!!
Delicious! Averie your recipes are 100% my taste!
Thanks, Ilona!
Yes to all things pistachio! This is brill.
I made a gf pistachio almond cake a few weeks ago and it took one hour to shell the pistachios! Hopefully all that “work” made up for all the slices I enjoyed. :D
LOL and I cheated and bought shelled for this bark because I just didn’t have the time or thumb endurance :)
This bark looks amazing! I can’t wait for some family get together as an excuse to make this. If I made it for myself, it’d be gone before you could say “boo”.
I can relate!
This bark would just not be safe around me. I make it a point to eat pistachios every day. Have you tried the salt/pepper kind? Heaven.
And having pistachios in chocolate with Oreos and caramel…wow.
I try NOT to eat them every day…LOL. It’s way too easy for me to seriously eat like 3/4 cup in no time. So a few times a week, I make up for all the days I didn’t eat them in one sitting :) And yes most any flavor, so good!
Whoa. This looks seriously awesome! This reminded me that I have some pistachios sitting around left over from another baking project, PLUS I have some caramels, so this is *definitely* happening!! Yum!
Oh wow, love a good pantry cleanout session! Have fun :)
I love the lighting in these photos, Averie! Ugh yes pistachios can be such a pain to shell sometimes but they are totally worth it. And this bark looks amazing, I love how easy it is to make and feels totally gourmet!
I love how easy it is to make and feels totally gourmet! = YES That is exactly what I wanted to say but didn’t say quite so succinctly!
And the lighting, you know, it’s so hit and miss in my shooting area and sometimes the sun will go behind a cloud or not, and just the total nuances can really effect the images I get. Thanks for the compliments on these!
I’m drooling. Seriously. This is pure salty and sweet heaven! I recently fell in love with pistachios too and I cannot buy them or I’ll eat all of them! Pinned!
I just told another commenter that I have to try to NOT eat them all and forget about them in the cupboard because they’re dangerous for me, too. Like a cup at a time, no biggie :)
This is one delicious-looking chocolate bark! I love the pop of color from the pistachios. :)
Part of the fun of pistachios is the shelling! I love how they add a salty crunch to this bark. Plus, they give a pretty pop of green!
Haha, the blisters! That is a sure sign of a pistachio lover. At least there will be no evidence from eating an entire batch of this … except maybe some chocolate on the mouth ;) Salted caramel, Oreos, and pistachios – does it get any better? Love this combo Averie!
Pistachio blisters…ahh, sounds like you may be able to relate :) But worth it!
My sister and I made your cowboy bark (she is obsessed with bark recipes) and LOVED it. This is next to try, and everything I love is in this one! Pinned :)
Thanks for trying the Cowboy Bark with your sister and for LMK you loved it! And thanks for pinning!
Is there a support group for our blistered thumbs? I love pistachios because it takes so long to eat them, it’s built-in portion control. Yet, I still eat the entire bag…
Love this bark! Pinned!
I know, right! Built-in portion control, kind of. Unless you just get faster at it and eat the whole bag in no time like I can do :) Thanks for pinning!
I’m a huge pistachio fan, too! But I buy them unshelled – they always chip my nail polish lol! This bark is gorgeous!!! And your photos are swoonworthy :)
Thanks for the photo compliments and buying them ready to eat as to not ding your nail polish, girl, very smart thinking and love your priorities :)
OH how I wish I was on your too much to keep in the house distribution list!!! This bark looks so good. I love to store bark in the fridge so it keeps that snap. Pistachios are so good I love to mix them with craisins and snack away.
Another person just told me about a holiday cranberry/pistachio bark she makes. Sounds delish! And I wish you were on my distribution list, too. God I give away so much food – I have to! Although my daughter really loved this bark and I kept a stash for her in the freezer :)
Looks delicious. My kids would go crazy over this because I don’t buy pistachios very often. The cost is well much higher than some of the other nuts. So of course it’s a huge treat. This would be like a double bonus!
Have a beautiful Monday!
They are definitely pricier than other nuts so yes, when you have them, they’re appreciated even more, totally agree!
This bark looks amazing, Averie! I love the addition of pistachios and oreos. Looks delicious and easy to whip up!
Super easy, yes! That’s the beauty, right :)
I am obsessed with pistachios and dark chocolate, so I obviously would LOVE this bark! It looks soooo, soooo good :)
I REALLY cheat with pistachios because I buy a huge bag from Costco and keep then in the freezer. I think I would go buy caramels and ores just to make this! I love all your bark recipes–so much going on and multiple cravings satisfied. And–no baking( just patiently waiting for it to set). Pinned!!
Thanks for pinning and love your Costco/freezer idea. TJ’s does sell them unshelled (which is what I used for the bark). But I think the shells slow down the rate of rapid fire consumption for me :)
This just sounds so amazing!!
I TOTALLY feel you on the pistachio thumb blister – I really need to find some shelled pistachios as I love them too!
You are the bark queen Averie! Oreos, caramel, pistachios AND chocolate? I died. Pinned!
I almost didn’t admit that but glad I did b/c you did the same thing it sounds like. Okay I don’t feel quite so odd now. LOL Thanks for pinning :)