Indulge in this festive, fun, and delicious Christmas treat – Peppermint Bark. This easy peppermint bark recipe is perfect for dessert or gifting!
My parents always made Christmas special, always. I remember one Christmas Eve right before bed I put a note on the Christmas tree that challenged Santa to use his magic. My challenge you might ask… deliver a tube of chapstick in a black tube. I know, how crazy!?!? But, that’s what my creative little mind came up with to test his magic knowing full-well the stores were closed by this point.
On Christmas morning, I raced down the hall to see if my wish had been granted. And there, in the exact place I left the note was a tube of chapstick in a black tube. I was enthralled.
The truth is, I really have never stopped believing in Santa. Sure, maybe he’s not that jovial, rosy-cheeked fella we see in Coca-Cola ads, but Santa is just as real as love, faith, and innocence. We can’t see any of those things, but we all know they exist.
Christmas is such a magical time of year. The magic may not be the same for each and every person, but we should all work hard to find a little Christmas magic.
Another way to make this season extra magical is with delicious food! Amen?! I just don’t think you get much more Christmas-y than the combined flavors and scents of chocolate and peppermint.
And, that is exactly what you get with my delicious and super-easy Peppermint Bark. Filled with rich chocolate flavor and crisp, refreshing peppermint, my Peppermint Bark recipe makes for the perfect dessert, special treat, or a great homemade gift for family and friends.
What is peppermint bark made of?
I’m sure everyone’s peppermint bark recipe is a little different, but my particular recipe for this classic holiday treat features only 4 very simple ingredients – peppermint candies, dark chocolate candy melts, white chocolate candy melts, and peppermint oil. It’s that simple. I just think when you can make peppermint bark that is so delicious and with simple ingredients, why overcomplicate it, ya know?!
Just grab a pan, follow my simple instructions, and top it with a sprinkle of crushed candy canes or hard candies of any kind. And, enjoy! It’s that simple!
How do you keep peppermint bark from separating?
The main issue with peppermint bark is that the layers often separate. There are a couple of things that can cause this. For instance, different types of chocolate often have different fats in them and these fast don’t hold on to one another very well. That’s why I choose to use candy melts here. Sure, there’s better tasting chocolate out there, but what good is peppermint bark if it all falls apart? Plus, I’m not sure it’s worth spending tons of cash on the fancy chocolate when we’re just going to cover up most of the flavor with peppermint oil anyway.
The other issue is more about allowing that first chocolate layer to firm up completely before adding the white chocolate layer. When that happens, the layers don’t really meld together, and that white chocolate layer just sort of sits on top of the chocolate layer and makes it much more likely to spilt.
So, do your best to add the white chocolate on top of the chocolate before it sets completely to allow those layers to sort of meld together and hold on to one another. Just be gentle when you spread that white on top as it can often pull some of the regular chocolate up with it.
How long will peppermint bark keep?
Freshly homemade peppermint bark right off the baking sheet will last for about two weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. I do recommend separating layers with parchment paper to keep them from sticking to each other.
If you store them in the refrigerator, you can enjoy these for even longer – three weeks to be exact. And, you can make them last the longest by storing them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months. However, I’ve never had these goodies last that long once everyone sees them out on a cookie tray!
Tips for perfect peppermint bark:
Don’t scorch it, but if you do… If you accidentally end up scorching the chocolate and it seizes up, all hope is not lost. Add 2 teaspoons of vegetable shortening per 12-ounce package of candy melts and stir until smooth.
H20 is a no-go: Water is your worst enemy when it comes to melting chocolate and candy melts and will make it seize up. Be sure your bowls, utensils, and everything else that touches the chocolate is completely dry.
Get the right chocolate: Candy melts are a candy coating product made by Wilton – among others. They are not chocolate chips, not melting chocolate, and not almond bark. While they may be a bit harder to find, they are worth the effort. I always buy mine at Walmart or my local craft store.
Oil, not extract or flavoring: Peppermint oil is different than peppermint extract. Extract often has water and alcohol in it, which may make your candy melts seize up. Go for the oil instead.
Recipe Card
Peppermint Bark
Ingredients
- About 8-ounces (by weight) peppermint hard candies
- 2 (12-ounce) packages dark chocolate candy melts*
- 2 (12-ounce) packages white candy melts
- peppermint oil**
Instructions
- Unwrap the peppermint candies and place them in a zip top bag. Place the bag with candies between a dish towel and crush with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer. Be sure to break up candy, but do not completely crush. The big chunks of peppermint make the bark so pretty.
- Line a cookie sheet (or the counter) with a large sheet of waxed paper.
- Melt the dark chocolate candy melts in a large bowl in the microwave using 30 second intervals. Stir frequently. To prevent scorching, stop heating them when things are mostly melted but a few chunks of chocolate remain. Stir until they have all melted completely.
- Spread the chocolate on the waxed paper in a thin layer that measures about 10-inches by 24-inches. Work quickly as the candy melts firm up pretty fast.
- Once the chocolate is nearly set, but not cmpletely, melt the white candy melts in the microwave using 30 second intervals stirring between each. Have patience when melting. If this stuff scorches, you'll be sorry.
- Once melted, add several drops of the peppermint oil and stir well. Taste and add more peppermint oil if necessary. It's strong stuff, so start with a little. You can always add more.
- Pour the white candy melts over chocolate layer and spread thin. Work quickly so the chocolate layer won't melt through.
- Top with crushed peppermint candy, being careful to use the chunks and not the finely crushed powdery stuff.
- Allow to set. Then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Kiersten
Does this store well? Looking to get a jump on Christmas goodies but would hate for them to go bad. Thanks!
Yes, in an airtight container it stores very well!
Hennie
Help! I used those Lindt chocolate bars & they didn’t firm.. should I redo with candy melts? Or do you think it will harden in the fridge? The almond bark is perfect and the bottom chocolate layer is soft. Ugh such a shame because it is so beautiful!
The chocolate bars are too soft to work in this case. Refrigerating will certainly help, but you might end up with a little white stuff on the chocolate. It’s called bloom and is completely harmless and won’t effect the flavor or texture.
Tracy Ann
Do you put your chocolate in the fridge to set up? I did and my dark and white chocolate separated when I cut it. No matter, more to much on! But I would like to make it right for gifts. Thanks for the recipe!
I don’t. If the chocolate hardens completely before you spread the white chocolate over it, it will easily separate. If you find the separation to be a problem, I often place my entire bark (uncut) on a large baking sheet into a barely warm oven and allow the chocolate to just barely melt. Then remove and allow it to firm back up before cutting or breaking. This allows the two chocolate to melt together and bit and keeps it from separating.
Katherine
Why do you use candy melts, i.e., fake chocolate? It’s s full of hydrogenated oils and other things that are not good to put in the human body. Some don’t even have that much cocoa in them Why don’t you use real chocolate? And someone suggested using paraffin. That is notmeant for human consumption either.
Well, frankly, because it’s easy and because not everyone wants to fool with tempering chocolate. I realize this might come as a surprise to you, but it IS possible to scroll by something you don’t agree with without commenting and being rude.
Katherine
I was just asking a question. You must not have confidence in your ability to make healthy food or you wouldn’t have thought it was rude to question your methods.
I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, but I strongly feel you could have worded your comment better so as to not sound offensive – starting by leaving the term “fake chocolate” out, perhaps. That said, my response is still the same. Many folks don’t have the skill or time to temper chocolate and this is a short cut. If you’re new here, that’s what I do. I give millions of families quick and easy recipes to help them get delicious food on the table without a lot of hassle. And in reply to your comment about my abilities, I’m pretty confident there. I think the literal millions of folks who come back to my site each month combined with a national best-selling cookbook and the hundreds of brand partnership I have each year are a testament to that.
Glenda Archambo
I am so sorry to read that someone made such a rude comment to you. Helping people and having it appreciated hopefully is not a thing of the past. I appreciate that you posted easy recipes. I for one can temper chocolate but sometimes prefer not to. I am not going to be eating the so called “fake chocolate” every single day, so who cares. God bless you!
Thanks so much, Glenda. Unfortunately, it’s something that is becoming more common. It’s so frustrating to see folks complain so much about the thousands of free recipes I share, but it is what it is. And yes, everything in moderation, right!?! 🙂
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I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my
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I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny?
I’m not very internet savvy so I’m not 100% sure.
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. Kudos
Donya
Stacey, this was a sweet, heartfelt post and I loved it. We’ve become friends via blogging, being foodies and loving our Southern roots. I think if this had not happened, our paths still would have crossed and we’d be buddies. From me and my boys, Merry, Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Thanks, Donya! I agree. I think our paths would have crossed and I’m so thankful they did! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Jan Paul
Is the peppermint extract supposed to go in the almond bark?
Yes, mix it into the the white bark with the peppermint pieces.
Tessa A♥
I’m not a fan of chocolate and mint mixed together. But I received a gift of white chocolate and mint…..I LOVE white chocolate! And since I do I decided to try the white chocolate mint. I love it! I may have a sooner visit to the dentist than I intend. I love how this recipe looks. It is pretty. I can’t wait to try it.