This Valentine’s day, feel good giving your sweetie antioxidant-rich pomegranate and mood-enhancing dark chocolate together in this delicious heart-shaped easy-to-make treat that’s good for your mind and body.

Pomegranate Dark Chocolate Hearts 

These adorable treats make the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. They taste delicious and are good for your heart and health. They also promote feel-good chemicals that get you in the mood for love, but what makes them so great.

A quick backstory on our two star ingredients:

Dark Chocolate + Pomegranate: Perfect Together

Here’s a bit of romantic culinary lore you can share when you present your Valentine’s gift. Beyond the impressive health benefits dark chocolate and pomegranate provide, they’re both legendary aphrodisiacs.  

Dark Chocolate

Legend has it that the emperor Montezuma II binged on cocoa beans before visiting his harem. When you eat chocolate, the good feelings come directly from the cocoa ingredient. ⁽³⁾ Standard milk chocolate contains about 30% cocoa, while premium dark chocolate usually has more like 70%.

Some of chocolate’s aphrodisiac reputation undoubtedly comes from the pleasure you get by simply eating it. On the physiological side, scientists attribute dark chocolate’s enhancing properties to three feel-good chemicals…

Dark chocolate is rich in L-arginine, PEA (phenethylamine), and theobromine.

L-arginine increases nitric oxide and promotes blood flow, increasing desire, sensation, and satisfaction.

PEA encourages the production of serotonin, which enhances feelings of joy and contentment. The brain naturally releases PEA when you’re in love, causing the feeling of euphoria.

Theobromine works with the central nervous system to cause feelings of stimulation and excitement. ⁽¹⁾

Pomegranate

Pomegranates’ aphrodisiac reputation originated in ancient Greece when Aphrodite supposedly planted the first pomegranate tree on the island of Cyprus. Pomegranates have smooth red skin similar to an apple. Inside, they burst with plump deep red seeds.

Pomegranates have symbolized fertility, vitality, love, and passion throughout history. Their abundance of seeds and juicy pulp have naturally formed these associations.  

Pomegranates are loaded with antioxidants that help fight inflammation and aging. Some studies show that pomegranate juice increases salivary testosterone for both men and women, which positively affects mood and genital health. _⁽²⁾

Ingredients:

· Seeds from 2 pomegranates

· 8 oz of high-quality dark chocolate

· Sea Salt

Instructions:

1. Sprinkle a single layer of pomegranate seeds across 6 heart-shaped (or similar) silicone mold sheets.

2. Melt the dark chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave on high for 2 minutes.

3. Pour the melted chocolate into a piping or plastic bag. Snip off the end, so a small amount of chocolate can stream out. 

4. Across the pomegranate seeds, pipe a pattern of chocolate.

5. Layer more pomegranate seeds, then more chocolate, than a few pomegranate seeds on top

6. Use a wooden skewer to complete the heart shape.  

7. Pinch a bit of sea salt on each pomegranate chocolate heart.

8. Refrigerate for at least one hour before packaging or serving.

Nutrition Info: 

Serves: 8 | Serving Size: 1 Chocolate Heart |  Per Serving: 170  Calories, 10g Fat, 20g Carbohydrates, 13g Sugar, 3g Fiber,  2g Protein

Sources:

Recipe inspired by This Healthy Table Pomegranate Dark Chocolate Bites
1. tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/16070658.2008.11734163
2. endocrine-abstracts.org/ea/0028/ea0028p313?crsi=662497590&cicada_org_src=healthwebmagazine.com&cicada_org_mdm=direct
3 . senioroutlooktoday.com/3-aphrodisiac-effects-of-dark-chocolate/