Peppermint Bark

24 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Refrigerate 30 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Peppermint Bark is sweet layers of dark and white chocolate topped with crushed peppermint candies and broken into pieces. EASY to make and no baking required!

Who doesn’t absolutely love making Holiday Treats? Today, everyone is in the kitchen working away, sipping on Eggnog while baking Award Winning Gingerbread Cookies and making Pretzel Turtles.

Peppermint Bark Pieces in stack

Peppermint Bark is a no-bake recipe that’s incredibly easy to make, has a short prep time, and is the perfect project to keep the kids entertained during the holiday season. Layers of chocolate topped with peppermint candy is one of the most popular treats out there. Plus, there’s a lot of different flavor combos you can go with too.

For this recipe, the bottom layer is a sweet dark chocolate or milk chocolate, and the top is a peppermint flavored white chocolate. If you have kids they’ll love to help sprinkle the candy cane bits on top! You can even make this classic holiday treat any time of the year!

With this recipe you want to use either parchment paper or a nonstick foil-lined baking sheet, like a cookie sheet, to make the chocolate easier to lift off of the pan later. You can even use a thin coating of coconut oil on the bottom to prevent the chocolate from sticking to the pan.

If you have extra melted dark chocolate, drizzle decoratively on top before you refrigerate. You’ll make this one of your go-to holiday desserts! If you love this recipe try Peppermint Oreo Balls, too! It’s a great way to use up more of that crushed peppermint candy.

Peppermint Bark Collage of prep steps

How to Make Peppermint Bark

The process to make Peppermint Bark is so EASY, anyone can do it! Note: repeat steps 1 and 2 twice before moving on to step 3. 

  • Step 1 – Melt: First, melt the dark colored chocolate; then the white chocolate is melted separately in microwave/heatproof bowls. Peppermint extract is mixed into the dark chocolate. Use a microwave-safe bowl to melt the chocolate. If you don’t want to use a microwave, you can also melt the chocolate in a double boiler on the stove.
  • Step 2 – Pour: As soon as the dark chocolate is melted, pour it into the baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, after the white chocolate has melted, pour that on top of the hardening dark chocolate.
  • Step 3 – Decorate: Finally, top the chocolate with crushed peppermint candy! Layer mini candy canes on top of bark before it sets for a more Christmas decorative look. If you use candy canes, cut each piece around so you have one per square. Be sure to use up all the candy cane dust for the most flavor.
  • Step 4 – Cut: After the chocolate has completely cooled and hardened, break the bark into pieces. Then it’s ready to eat! 

More Peppermint Bark Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called Bark?

Peppermint Bark is essentially a very large and thin candy bar. When it is broken up into smaller pieces, they are not uniform in shape and resemble pieces of bark that have fallen off a tree. 

How do you cut Peppermint Bark?

Pull the parchment paper up (use an offset spatula to help) and hold the peppermint bark in your hands. Make sure it’s had enough time to harden in the cookie sheet, this step is important! Carefully break into large pieces and place in an airtight container. You can also cut the bark into squares using a sharp knife, being careful not to crack the chocolate into small pieces with too much pressure.

How do you keep Peppermint Bark from separating?

Allow the candy to come to room temperature before before trying to cut or break the bark. This gives the chocolate a chance to settle and come together instead of separating. Make sure not to let the dark layer get too cold before adding the white chocolate layer, this creates too much of a separation between the layers.

Can you change up the layers? 

Sure! Put the melted white chocolate down first, and then the dark chocolate layer with the peppermint candy on top. This would be a fun way to make two batches and have contrasting pieces when served. 

Does Peppermint Bark contain allergens? 

This depends on several factors and whether the chocolate has dairy, which is a common dietary intolerance in the USA. Additionally, it is important to be aware that many people have serious allergies to artificial red food coloring found in most common peppermint candy. So, if you’re going to take some to a party, consider using peppermint candy with a natural red color. 

What is the the secret to the best Peppermint Bark ever? 

The secret to the best Peppermint Bark ever is quality chocolate. Use real peppermint candy made with peppermint oil, and chocolate that hasn’t been diluted with artificial flavors or fillers like palm oil. This is especially important with the white chocolate. While it costs a bit more, the best Peppermint Bark is made with real food ingredients! Bonus points if the chocolate is fair-trade certified. 

Peppermint Bark Pieces in baking pan

Key Ingredients in Peppermint Bark

  • Dark Chocolate – The dark chocolate layer gives a deep flavor to this candy from the processed cacao seeds in which the cocoa butter is removed either partly or in full. This recipe uses dark, semi-sweet chocolate, but you can also use milk chocolate. For best results, be sure to find a real chocolate that doesn’t have artificial vanillin flavoring. 
  • White Chocolate – White chocolate comes from the cacao seed as well. It is the cocoa butter that is processed out of the cacao seed and gives a rich, buttery flavor. Try to avoid white chocolate cut with palm oil as the flavor and quality won’t be as good.
  • Peppermint Candy – This recipe uses crushed candy cane pieces made with mint flavor, but you can use any of the traditional red and white colored peppermint candies to crush and use here. Some grocery stores even sell pre-crushed peppermint candy.
Peppermint Bark in serving dish

Variations on Peppermint Bark

  • Key Lime Pie Bark: Leave out the milk chocolate and use all white chocolate with a teaspoon of lime extract, then top with chopped candied lime zest for a key lime pie bark.
  • S’mores Bark: Leave out the peppermint extract and top with crushed graham crackers to make a fun s’mores bark!
  • Salted Caramel Chocolate Bark: Leave out the peppermint extract and candy canes entirely and instead drizzle with salted caramel sauce. Then use a rubber spatula to make a swirl pattern for salted caramel chocolate bark.
  • White Chocolate Peppermint Bark: This Peppermint Bark recipe uses a mix of dark chocolate and white chocolate chips. For an all white chocolate peppermint bark, sub the dark for more white chocolate. Add the same amount of peppermint extract, and crushed peppermint candies or candy canes to add some natural red color to the bark.

How to Store Peppermint Bark

  • Serve: Peppermint bark will keep in an airtight container on the counter for about 1 ½ – 2 weeks.
  • Store: If it’s really hot, wrap tightly and store the bark in the refrigerator.
  • Freeze: You can freeze peppermint bark when wrapped tightly and put in an airtight container. Thaw the bark in the refrigerator to avoid condensation on the chocolate.

More Christmas Dessert Recipes

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Peppermint Bark

Peppermint Bark is sweet layers of dark and white chocolate topped with crushed peppermint candies. EASY to make and no baking!
Yield 24 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients
 

  • 30 peppermint candies , crushed
  • 1 1/2 pounds semi-sweet dark chocolate
  • 1 1/2 pounds white chocolate
  • 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Instructions

  • Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper and melt the dark chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments in a glass bowl until fully melted (stirring each time, about 90 seconds).
  • Pour the dark chocolate onto the baking pan and spread, then melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments until fully melted then add in the peppermint extract.
  • Pour the white chocolate chips over dark chocolate chips carefully and evenly, then top with the crushed candies, pushing them in slightly before cooling the pan in the refrigerator until fully hardened (about 30 minutes).

Video

Notes

You can use chocolate chips, or melting chocolate to make the melting easier.
Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 260mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Keyword: peppermint bark

Photos used in a previous version of this post.

Easy Christmas Peppermint Bark
4 Ingredient Peppermint Bark
Peppermint Bark Candy in holiday tin

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. I would recommend the bark be made on a cookie sheet vs the 9X13 pan. Mine came out so thick I could not even break. Next time I will also use more white chocolate, as it didn’t cover the dark as well as I thought and it all mixed together. Still tasted good.

    1. Actually, I used peppermint extract for this recipe. Not too sure how it adjusted to oil. Sorry about that. Enjoy!

  2. I love how festive & pretty this bark is! Chocolate & peppermint is the best combination! I love giving this as gifts!

  3. Peppermint bark is one of my favorites this time of year! Although I have never attempted making it myself – I will have to give it a try!

  4. I made this last night with my kids and it’s great! We used peppermint white chocolate for that layer, so we didn’t add any extra peppermint and it turned out perfect! Thank you!