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Peppermint Bark is the easiest holiday treat! Semi-sweet and white chocolate are flavored with a hint of peppermint, beautifully swirled together, and topped with a flurry of crushed candy cane pieces. This recipe is no bake, requires just 4 simple ingredients, and makes the perfect edible gift or addition to any cookie plate.
Why you’ll love this Easy Peppermint Bark:
- Easy Recipe – This no-bake treat is incredibly easy to make and requires just 4 basic ingredients.
- Classic Holiday Treat- Nothing says Christmas like the classic peppermint chocolate combination, and this chocolate bark looks extra festive with beautiful chocolate swirls and crushed peppermint pieces.
- Homemade Gift – Divide your homemade peppermint bark into festive tins or boxes, add a ribbon or gift tag, and gift it to loved ones for an easy, delicious holiday gift from the heart.
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found at the bottom of this post.
- Semi-Sweet & White Chocolate – Use baking bars (like Baker’s or Ghirardelli) rather than semi-sweet and white chocolate chips. Chocolate chips have stabilizers added to keep them intact when they are heated (this is why you still see chocolate chip shapes after you’ve baked them into cookies). This means they don’t melt as nicely for things like this recipe. So, use baking bars or melting wafers instead.
- Peppermint Extract – Peppermint extract (or mint extract) adds a nice, subtle peppermint flavor to this chocolate bark. You can add it to both types of chocolate, just one, or leave it out if you just want chocolate bark with peppermint pieces on top.
- Candy Canes – Crushed candy canes are a must for decorating the top of this holiday treat! Add unwrapped candy canes to a ziploc bag and whack it with a rolling pin to crush them up. You can also find crushed candy cane bits in stores during the holiday season.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Dairy-free – Use your favorite dairy-free chocolate bars to make this recipe dairy-free. Remember that baking bars or melting wafers will melt more smoothly than chocolate chips.
- Candy Canes – Any peppermint candies will work – doesn’t need to be candy canes!
- Chocolate – Feel free to use dark and white chocolate, semi-sweet and white chocolate (this is what I use), or milk and white chocolate. You can even swirl dark and milk chocolate together if you don’t like white chocolate.
- Peppermint – Add the peppermint extract to both types of chocolate, to just one kind, or skip it if you just want the mint taste coming from the candy cane pieces.
How to Make Homemade Peppermint Bark:
Step 1: Chop Chocolate. Chop your semi-sweet and white chocolate. It needs to be finely chopped to melt quickly and evenly, without burning or seizing.
(The chocolate in the photo above is not chopped as finely as it should be for melting – it’s just a pretty photo of chopped chocolate that I wanted to use. See the white chocolate photo below for a better size of chopped chocolate pieces for melting.)
Step 2: Melt Chocolate. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in a microwave safe bowl, in 15-20 second intervals for the white chocolate, and 25-30 second intervals for the semi-sweet chocolate.
Stir between each microwave interval, and once the chocolate is mostly smooth, stop heating it and stir vigorously – the residual heat from the bowl will finish melting the chocolate!
Step 3: Assemble Bark. Pour the semi sweet chocolate onto a foil-lined baking sheet, and spread it evenly into a thin layer. Pour the white chocolate over the top of the semi-sweet, and spread it out evenly.
Then, use a toothpick or a butter knife to make swirls in the chocolate, working quickly before it sets. Sprinkle crushed candy cane pieces on top, and let it harden in the fridge or on the counter.
Serving + Storing:
Once it’s completely set, break the peppermint bark into any size pieces you like! Break it into smaller pieces than pictured to stretch the yield. Add it to holiday tins with a bow on top for a great gift to give neighbors, teachers, or friends.
Or, add it to cookie plates, with my Frosted Sour Cream Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, and my easy Homemade Toffee!
Store in an airtight container in the fridge, with wax paper in between layers of the bark. It keeps in the fridge for 2-4 weeks, or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
You can store this at room temperature, but it can become melty if it’s very warm in your house, or if direct sunlight reaches your kitchen counters.
Expert Success Tips:
- Melting Chocolate – Don’t heat chocolate in the microwave longer than 25-30 second bursts at a time (for milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate), or longer than 15-20 second intervals for white chocolate. White chocolate can burn or seize up more easily, so it requires shorter bursts of heat.
- Crushing Candy Canes – The easiest way to do this is to add your unwrapped candies to a ziploc bag and whack them with a rolling pin. I find that the candy canes become sticky if you try to break them up using a food processor.
FAQs:
You can halve this recipe. If you want to double it, just be careful melting the chocolate. Make sure you have your two pans lined and ready so you can work quickly before the chocolate sets.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-4 weeks.
Yes! Freeze in an airtight container, with parchment or wax paper between layers, for 1-2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or enjoy from frozen.
More Christmas Treat Recipes to Love:
- Black Forest Chocolate Truffles
- Best Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Pretzels
- White Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow
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Double Chocolate Swirled Peppermint Bark
Ingredients
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped, Use a good quality baking bar like ghirardelli or baker's – 339 grams
- 12 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped, Use a good quality baking bar like ghirardelli or baker's – 339 grams
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp peppermint extract, more or less to taste
- 12 mini candy canes, crushed, Or 2-4 full size ones
Instructions
- Prep: Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Unwrap your candy canes and add to a ziploc bag. Smash them with a rolling pin to crush them up. Finely chop your chocolates.12 mini candy canes, crushed
- Melt the Chocolate – Stovetop: You can melt the chocolate on the stovetop, or microwave (see below). Use a double boiler or make your own by setting a heatproof bowl over a pot with about an inch of simmering water – the bowl should not touch the water – test this out first. Keep the heat on low, and add the chocolate to the bowl while it's set over the pot of water. Stir the chocolate frequently, scraping the bottom of the bowl. Once just a few lumps of chocolate remain, remove the bowl from the pot and stir vigorously to use the residual heat to melt the remaining chocolate. Repeat for both types of chocolate.12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped, 12 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
- Melt Chocolate – Microwave: You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave, in a heat-safe bowl. Use 15-20 second intervals for the white chocolate (I find it to be a little more heat sensitive) and 25-30 second intervals for the semi sweet, stirring between each interval. Once the chocolate is almost completely melted (in either method), remove it from the heat and vigorously stir – the residual heat of the bowl will melt any remaining lumps.
- Add the Peppermint Extract: Stir 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract into each bowl of chocolate. Taste, and add a bit more if desired. I sometimes go up to 1/2 tsp in each.1/4 to 1/2 tsp peppermint extract, more or less to taste
- Assemble the Peppermint Bark: Reserve a spoonful or two of semi-sweet chocolate for adding on top of your peppermint bark, if desired (this can help you create more dramatic swirls). Pour the melted semi-sweet chocolate onto your prepared baking sheet, and spread it into an even layer (it won't cover the whole cookie sheet, but it'll cover a lot of it). Pour the melted white chocolate on top, and spread it over the semi-sweet. Use a butter knife or toothpick to create swirls in the chocolate. Add any remaining melted chocolate, if desired, in small spots here and there, and swirl it into the white chocolate for an extra dramatic look (this is what I did!).Sprinkle your crushed candy canes on top. Let it set up at room temp (or use the fridge to speed this up!) until completely hardened.
- Serve + Store: Break into small pieces once completely set. Enjoy! Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Place peppermint bark in layers, with wax paper between each layer. This lasts for 2-4 weeks in the fridge, or 1-2 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
