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If I had to pick my all-time favorite candy bar, the Chunky Bar would probably be it. The combination of dark velvety chocolate, chewy raisins and crunchy nuts can still make my mouth water. But it comes at a high WW Points price! So imagine my delight when with raisins and nuts, I was able to create a low-sugar tasty treat that was extremely satisfying and super fast to make. Like a homemade Nestle Chunky Bar only lighter and healthier and perfectly portion-controlled.

I chose toppings that appealed to me, but this is one recipe where you can get creative and make it your way. Topping choices are limitless.

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Nestle Chunky Candy Bar Broken in Half
Nestle Chunky Candy Bar

(Image source: WikiMedia)

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Walnuts, toasted (optional) and chopped – you can use whatever combination of nuts you prefer.
  • Sliced almonds, toasted (optional) and chopped – you can use whatever combination of nuts you prefer.
  • Dried cranberries, chopped – Choose whatever dried fruit you like best.
  • Raisins, chopped – Choose whatever dried fruit you like best.
  • Semisweet chocolate chips – I used Ghirardelli.

WW Points & Nutrition

According to my calculations, each chocolate cluster with fruit and nuts has just:

Old WW Points: 2 PointsPlus

By comparison, Nestle’s king size Chunky candy bar has a serving size of 1 with 340 calories and 19g fat with 17 WW Points!

How to Make Fruit and Nut Chocolate Clusters, Step-by-Step

Step 1: Chop Dried Fruit and Nuts

Optionally, you can also lightly toast the nuts before chopping. Toasted nuts give a deeper flavor and color and will also help make the nuts crunchier.

To toast nuts, simply add them to a dry non-stick skillet over medium heat until rich golden brown—about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir frequently to ensure they toast evenly. The nuts will give off a toasty warm fragrance when done.

Chopped Raisins, Dried Cranberries and Nuts on a blue cutting board with knife.
Chopped Raisins, Dried Cranberries and Nuts

Step 2: Melt Chocolate Chips

Add 2 ounces of the chocolate chips to a microwave (affiliate link) proof bowl and heat at 50% power for 30 seconds. Remove bowl from the microwave (affiliate link) and stir.

Overflowing bowl of chocolate chips on wood cutting board.

Return to microwave and heat for another 15 to 20 seconds at 50% power. Remove bowl and stir in remaining chocolate chips and continue to stir until melted.

Chocolate melting in bowl.
Stirring Chocolate Until Completely Melted

If necessary, heat in microwave at 5 second intervals and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Step 3: Form the Chocolate Clusters

Drop 1 teaspoon of chocolate onto sheet pan lined with parchment and spread into a 2- to 3-inch wide circle with the back of a spoon.

Quickly repeat to make 12 chocolate circles.

Chocolate Candy Clusters with dried fruit and chopped nuts on parchment paper.

Sprinkle fruit and nuts over the top of the chocolate circles and press lightly to ensure the toppings stick to the chocolate.

Cool until firm (about 45 minutes), or refrigerate for 20 minutes to enjoy sooner!

Fruit and Nut Chocolate Clusters with Raisins and Dried Cranberries on a small ceramic plate.
Fruit & Nut Chocolate Clusters

Recipe Variations

  • Cranberry-Pistachio: Substitute all, or part, of the walnuts and almonds with pistachios
  • Apricot-Almond: Substitute dried apricots for the cranberries and almonds for the walnuts
  • Apple-Peanut: Substitute dried apples for the cranberries and peanuts for the nuts

The fruit and nut combinations literally are endless…

Vary the fruit toppings to your liking: dried mangos, dates, cherries, apricots, cranberries, raisins and prunes would all taste great.

Some of our favorite nuts include: walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts and pistachios and you could even use pumpkin or pomegranate seeds.

Please note that your calories and WW Points may vary based on different fruit and nut combinations used.

For another easy, no-bake treat that only requires a microwave, check out these Crunchy Chocolate Cornflake Candy Clusters – a kid-approved family-favorite dessert!

Chocolate Cornflake Crisps on white serving plate.
Crunchy Chocolate Cornflake Candy Clusters

If you’ve made these low sugar Fruit and Nut Chocolate Clusters, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked them. And stay in touch on PinterestFacebookInstagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

low sugar fruit and nut chocolates on pottery plate
4.78 from 9 votes

Low Sugar Fruit and Nut Chocolate Clusters Recipe

This quick and easy candy is basically a low-sugar version of the more traditional nut clusters found in most chocolate candy assortments. The deep rich chocolate provides the perfect light, yet satisfying, perfectly portion-controlled ending to any dinner, or makes an elegant addition to any holiday platter.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 2 minutes
Total: 7 minutes
Servings: 12
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Ingredients 

  • 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted (optional) and chopped
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional) and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon dried cranberries, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon raisins, chopped
  • 3 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)

Instructions 

  • Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Add nuts to a non-stick skillet and dry roast for just a couple of minutes (optional).
  • Chop nuts and fruit. Add to a single bowl, or keep items separate if your prefer.
  • Add 2 ounces of chocolate chips to a glass bowl and microwave at 50 percent power for 30 seconds. Remove bowl and stir chocolate.
  • Microwave at 50 percent power for another 15-20 seconds. Remove bowl and stir in remaining ounce of chocolate chips.
  • Continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. If necessary, return to microwave for 5 second intervals.
  • Drop 1 teaspoon of chocolate onto parchment paper and spread into a 2-3 inch circle with back of spoon. Quickly repeat with remaining chocolate to make a total of 12 chocolate disks.
  • Sprinkle fruit and nuts over the top and press lightly so the toppings stick to the chocolate.
  • Let cool until chocolate firms (approximately 45 minutes) or refrigerate for 20 minutes if you can’t wait.

Notes

Serving size: 1 fruit and nut chocolate cluster
WW Points: 3
Check the WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app.
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
2 PointsPlus (Old plan)
Variations:
  • Cranberry-Pistachio: Substitute all, or part, of the walnuts and almonds with pistachios
  • Apricot-Almond: Substitute dried apricots for the cranberries and almonds for the walnuts
  • Apple-Peanut: Substitute dried apples for the cranberries and peanuts for the nuts
The fruit and nut combinations literally are endless…
Vary the fruit toppings to your liking: dried mangos, dates, cherries, apricots, cranberries, raisins and prunes would all taste great.
Some of our favorite nuts include: walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts and pistachios and you could even use pumpkin or pomegranate seeds.
Please note that your calories and WW Points may vary based on different fruit and nut combinations used.

Nutrition

Serving: 1chocolate cluster, Calories: 65kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 0.4mg, Sodium: 1mg, Potassium: 76mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 4IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @simplenourishedliving or tag #simplenourishedliving!

Source: Naturally Sweet: Bake All Your Favorites with 30% to 50% Less Sugar (affiliate link) by America’s Test Kitchen

More WW-Friendly Sweet Treats

If you enjoyed this recipe, here are more WW-friendly sweet ideas to try:

About Brenda Garrison

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4.78 from 9 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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6 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These sound delicious …wondering if I could mix everything together into one bowl & them drop by teaspoonful onto parchment? I like the idea of it all being coated with chocolate