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This easy to make chocolate peppermint bark recipe is perfect for gifting to family and friends during the holidays. Made with a little peppermint extract and two kinds of chocolate, this peppermint bark gets topped with crushed candy canes for an easy no bake festive treat.
Every Christmas I always have a long list of cookie recipes I plan on baking – from my Grandma’s Russian Tea Cakes, to my favorite Raspberry Rugelach recipe, and of course some No Chill Drop Sugar Cookies make for a wonderful cookie platter.
But this year my plans changed a little bit. My. Oven. Broke. Broke!! What wonderful timing. It happened days before Thanksgiving. I was able to bake my Old Fashioned Apple Pie and Salted Honey Parker House Rolls at work, thank goodness. So Thanksgiving wasn’t totally ruined. But I realized I was going to have to rethink all my Christmas baking plans. So my brain went to Christmas no bake treats. Like Chocolate Covered Oreos! Or maybe some Chocolate Fudge (no candy thermometer required!), or Buckeye Balls, Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe…the list goes on and on!
And what’s better than making peppermint bark around the holidays? It’s such a classic, easy, (and no bake!) Christmas candy. I mean, my microwave and stovetop still worked so I knew I was in business.
This peppermint bark recipe, I adapted from Food Network, that was attempting to recreate the famous Ghiradelli Peppermint Bark (the bark that started it all) but I preferred a little less peppermint extract. I combined both dark chocolate, and white chocolate in this peppermint bark recipe and topped it with some crushed candy canes. Yup, who needs an oven this time of year? Not me! Not when I now have the best peppermint bark to enjoy.
Ingredients Needed
Ingredient Notes
- White Chocolate– Use a kind of white chocolate that has cocoa butter in it and not one that contains palm oil, or it may not bond to the dark chocolate.
- Peppermint extract – I added this for more peppermint flavor, but you could always omit this.
- Candy Canes – I used this crushed peppermint crunch, but you can use peppermint candies, or a few candy canes crushed up.
How To Make Peppermint Bark
- Microwave the semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave safe bowl until melted. I do this by heating the chocolate for 30 seconds, and then stirring it. Then microwaving in 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until it’s all melted. Stir in ½ teaspoon peppermint extract.
- Pour the chocolate onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out into a thin layer, using a spatula about 10 to 12 inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
- Microwave the white chocolate until smooth. I microwave the same as I did for the semi-sweet chocolate, first for 30 seconds, then in 15 second intervals after that until smooth. Stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon peppermint extract.
- Pour over the chilled, hardened semi-sweet chocolate layer. Spread it out to an even thin layer with a spatula.
- Sprinkle on the crushed candy canes. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Then using your hands, break the bark up into pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe Tips
- Line your baking sheet. You want to line your baking sheet so you can easily peel off the bark after it’s hardened. I prefer parchment paper but you can also use wax paper or tinfoil.
- Microwave for small amounts of time. Your chocolate needs to be melted in stages, and stirred in between. Sometimes it looks like the chocolate isn’t melted yet and holds it shape, so make sure to stir.
- Pour the white chocolate after the dark chocolate has hardened. You want to wait for the dark chocolate to be hardened first so the white chocolate peppermint bark layer sets right on top and doesn’t mix.
- Sprinkle on the candy canes before the chocolate sets. You want to sprinkle on the candy canes before the white chocolate has time to set.
- Use High Quality Chocolate. Because you aren’t baking this, and simply melting the chocolate you want to invest in good chocolate. I don’t recommend chocolate chips as they won’t melt quite the same. I love and recommend Ghirardelli.
Peppermint Bark Variations
- Sprinkles: You can replace 1/2 of the candies with sprinkles instead.
- M&M’s: Use M&M candies instead of the peppermint candies or replace with half.
- Milk Chocolate: Replace the dark chocolate with milk chocolate.
- White chocolate bark: Use all white chocolate bark.
- Triple chocolate: Make a layer of dark, milk and white chocolate.
- Oreo cookies: You can add in some crushed Oreo cookies like I did with my White Chocolate Oreo Easter Bark.
Recipe FAQ’s
Peppermint bark will last for 2 weeks at room temperature, in a covered container. Or you can store it in the fridge and it will last for up to 3 weeks.
I don’t recommend it as the peppermint candies will become sticky when the chocolate thaws.
More Recipes To Try
Chocolate Peppermint Bark
Ingredients
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate roughly chopped
- 16 ounces white chocolate roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract divided
- 1/4 cup crushed candy canes about 3-4 candy canes
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or wax paper, or tin-foil also work). Set aside.
- Microwave the semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave safe bowl until melted. I do this by heating the chocolate for 30 seconds, and then stirring it. Then microwaving in 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until it’s all melted. Stir in ½ teaspoon peppermint extract.
- Pour the chocolate onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out into a thin layer, using a spatula, into about 10 to 12 inch circle, 1/4 inch thick.
- Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
- Microwave the white chocolate until smooth. I microwave the same as I did for the semi-sweet chocolate, first for 30 seconds, then in 15 second intervals after that until smooth. Stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon peppermint extract.
- Pour over the chilled, hardened semi-sweet chocolate layer. Spread it out to an even thin layer with a spatula. Sprinkle on the crushed candy canes. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Then using your hands, break the bark up into pieces. STore in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Video
Notes
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, at room temperature, or in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
- Freezing: I do not recommend freezing as the candy would become sticky.
- White Chocolate– Use a kind of white chocolate that has cocoa butter in it and not one that contains palm oil, or it may not bond to the dark chocolate.
- Peppermint extract – I added this for more peppermint flavor, but you could always omit this.
- Candy Canes – I used this crushed peppermint crunch, but you can use peppermint candies, or a few candy canes crushed up.
Jess says
I love that this recipe only takes 4 ingredients! Easy peasy!
Heather says
yay!
Anjali says
I couldn’t believe how simple this was to make because it looked so fancy when it was done! It turned out perfectly and was a fun treat to share with friends this past weekend.
Heather says
thank you!
Jessica Formicola says
Chocolate and peppermint is one of my favorite holiday flavor combos! Making this for my cookie trays for sure!
Heather says
I cannot wait to hear what you think!
Kathryn says
This is my all-time favorite homemade holiday treat! This beats all the store-bought stuff. Awesome recipe!
Heather says
Thanks for your sweet feedback, Kathryn!