OUR PEPPERMINT BARK IS EASY, FESTIVE & ONLY FOUR INGREDIENTS
The essence of a perfect holiday treat is something that’s easy to make, tastes great, and looks appropriately festive. Peppermint bark checks every box and then some. If you've never made peppermint bark at home before, now is the time to start. It couldn't be easier to make: with just a few ingredients, you can make a batch with only 10 minutes of prep time. Plus, by making it at home, you can take some liberties in creating your own ideal bark. Share it with your friends and family as the sweetest homemade food gift or holiday dessert, or keep it all to yourself (we won’t blame you). Keep reading on for all of my top tips on how to make the best peppermint bark possible:
What Is Peppermint Bark?
Peppermint bark is a holiday treat made with two types of chocolate—either semisweet or dark and white—and chopped candy canes. Williams-Sonoma is basically famous for their bark at this point, and for good reason—it's delicious—but this peppermint bark is so easy to make that once you try it, you can't really justify paying for it.
What People Are Saying:
"Super easy & very tasty! I just broke it up with my hands and it broke great! Perfect amount of peppermint.” - ceasley
"First attempt and very pleased with the results... Will definitely make this again." - GoldTeepee
How To Make Peppermint Bark
INGREDIENTS
- Semisweet & White Chocolate: I suggest using quality bars of semisweet and white chocolate that you enjoy eating. The chocolate is the primary character here, so you want to choose a quality one, and the bark melts very well compared to morsels.
- Peppermint Extract: Just a little bit of peppermint extract adds the perfect amount of minty, peppermint flavor. Be careful not to add too much—otherwise, you risk this bark venturing into toothpaste territory.
- Candy Canes: Crushed candy canes not only perfect the minty vibe, but turn this bark into a holiday treat dream. That being said, you can get creative. Switch up the candy canes for your favorite colorful version, and add on your favorite candy if you want this bark to be extra sweet (hint: take inspiration from our favorite chocolate bark recipes).
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
First, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, we can move on to melting our chocolate. You have two options here: you can melt your chocolate in the microwave or on the stovetop. The easiest way to melt chocolate—especially this much—is using a double boiler on the stovetop. Double boiler sounds fancy, but it's not. It just means you place a glass bowl on top of some simmering water so that the steam melts the chocolate. You just want to avoid getting water in the bowl—the chocolate will seize! First, add the semi-sweet chocolate, and stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted.
Once melted, stir in the extract, then pour into the prepared baking sheet. Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate into an even layer in the pan. Then, refrigerate until set—around 20 minutes.
While that layer is chilling, you can melt the white chocolate. Same process here: melt the white chocolate over a double broiler, stirring occasionally until melted.
Once melted, pour the white chocolate over the set semi-sweet chocolate. Then, use a spatula again to spread it into an even layer.
Then, sprinkle your chopped-up candy canes on top before refrigerating until set.
Once set, use your hands (or a sharp knife) to break up into pieces.
The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.
Recipe Tips
- Melt your chocolate in the microwave. If you really don’t want to use a double broiler, then you can use the microwave. Place the chocolate chips or baking pieces in a large heatproof bowl and microwave on low in increments of 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir between each increment. We're using a lot of chocolate pieces, so you'll want to keep stirring to make sure the ones on the bottom get melted, not burnt.
- The best pan size for peppermint bark. We use standard-sized half sheet pans in this recipe, which are 13" x 18". If you don't have that size, you can use sheet pans that have slightly different dimensions. As long as each measurement is within 2" of the half sheet pan dimensions, the recipe will work completely fine.
- How long does peppermint bark take to set? Once you pour the melted chocolates onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle the bark with candy canes, you just need to refrigerate the bark for 20 minutes, or until it's firm. If you're in a real rush, you can pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes.
How do I break it up? Once the bark has completely set, for a more rustic look, break it apart with your hands. If it is too thick to break with your hands, the flat side of a meat mallet should do the trick. For cleaner cuts (hello gift basket!), use a sharp knife that has been dipped in hot water.
Peppermint Bark Variations
There are plenty of ways you can get creative with this peppermint bark recipe. Switch up the chocolate layers if you prefer to have your semisweet chocolate on top, or mix up the toppings—like Oreos or pretzels. Or, change the whole thing up and turn to another seasonal classic like our salty-sweet caramel apple bark. You can really go crazy here—the options are endless! Check out all of our favorite bark recipes for inspiration.
Storage
Store peppermint bark at room temperature for a few days, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Alternatively, you can freeze peppermint bark for up to 6 months.
Made This?
Let us know how it went in the comments below!
Yields: 12 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 12 oz.
semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 12 oz.
white chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 tsp.
peppermint extract
- 8
candy canes, crushed
Directions
- Line a 13" x 18" baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill the bottom of a large pot with 3” water and bring to simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, then place a large heatproof bowl on top. Add semi-sweet chocolate and stir occasionally until chocolate has melted. Stir in extract. Pour into prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes.
- Over the same pot of barely simmering water, place another large heatproof bowl. Add white chocolate and stir until melted. Pour over set semi-sweet chocolate then top immediately with candy canes. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes.
