Date, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate "Snickers" Bark

Not quite health food, but definitely health food adjacent

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Still in Comfort Food Mode

LA feels strange—pockets of the city untouched by the fires carry on as usual, but most people I know and see are still reeling. At the grocery store yesterday, I saw two people recognize each other with delight—neighbors who had been evacuated. I overheard them sharing their evacuation stories and giving updates on mutual friends. Thirty minutes later, as I was checking out, they were still in the same spot, deep in conversation, their groceries forgotten.

Later that evening, I saw my cousin. Her husband had evacuated with their two kids, and they’d just been allowed back into their house. Ninety percent of the homes in their neighborhood were gone, but theirs miraculously remained—reeking of smoke, with a half of an avocado meant for dinner still on the counter. Animals had nibbled on it, most likely desperate for anything to eat in the fire-scorched landscape.

So yes, I’m definitely still in comfort mode—turning to easy, feel-good food that makes people happy, like this quick, no-baking-required sweet treat.

For the uninitiated, chocolate (or candy) bark is a freeform candy made by spreading melted chocolate and mix-ins, cooling it, then breaking it into shards. The name comes from the way the chocolate pieces resemble tree bark.

I’ve seen countless variations on social media and caved last week, finally creating my own version. It hit all the notes: chocolate, chewy caramel-like dates, creamy peanut butter, and salty peanuts. It’s made with real ingredients that don’t leave you in a sugar coma. Sort of “Snickers”-inspired, it’s decadent, delicious, and ridiculously easy to make. There’s also some fiber and protein from the dates and nut butter — depending on your debate skill you might be able to convince yourself it’s health food.

It’s also wildly customizable. My next batch will most definitely be almond butter with pistachios -- tahini would also be good. I like melting a bit of coconut oil into the nut butter so it firms up when chilled, but you can skip it if you don’t have coconut oil. Add different nuts, toss in pretzels or coconut flakes, or sprinkle on candy or marshmallows to make it kid-friendly.

One last note: I’m giving you amounts in the recipe below, but just know there’s a lot of flexibility here—you can adjust to your taste. Use more or less chocolate/nut butter, add more or fewer nuts (or skip them entirely). The ratios are very forgiving, so feel free to experiment!