Festive Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe From Only 3 Ingredients! (2024)


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Festive Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe From Only 3 Ingredients! (1)

I love making gifts for people – especially for the holidays when buying tons of gifts can be such a budget buster.

My top gift of choice: cookie tins! I make a variety of cookies for the tins and love to include this delicious and easy peppermint bark recipe!

It’s a fabulous friend/neighbor/teacher/mailman/other person giftidea!

Want the Recipes for Other Cookies in Our Cookie Tins?

Festive Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe From Only 3 Ingredients! (2)

Grab our FREE Christmas Cookies mini recipe book!

Other ideas to include in the tins along with the peppermint bark and cookies would be:

  • Fudge
  • Spice Packets or Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
  • A small ornament (I usually include one in our tins)
  • A small gift card

Our Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe

This delicious and classic recipe tastes oh-so-good and combines two of my favorite flavors: chocolate and peppermint. No wonder I love it so much!

Holiday peppermint bark looks incredibly festive. The colors are such a perfectmatch for the season, that peppermint bark makes a gorgeous gift (even if you just wrap it up all by itself).

Make this with dark chocolate and peppermint candy-infused white chocolate, then top it off with crushed candy cane pieces. You’ll never want to buy store-bought peppermint bark again!

Festive Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe From Only 3 Ingredients! (3)

The Simple Process for Making Easy Peppermint Bark

You’ll make the dark chocolate bottom layer first by heating it in a double broiler. and spreading it into a (wax paper lined) 8×8 pan.

The dark chocolate will begin to firm up a bit while you prepare your white chocolate.

I have found that it works best to add the white chocolate layer before the dark chocolate layer as fully hardened.

If the dark chocolate fully sets before I add the top layer, then the layers tend to break apart from each other when I’m trying to pull apart the bark.

Instead, if the dark chocolate is still setting, then the layers fuse together much better.

Quickly fold the candy pieces into your white chocolate and then stop mixing, as the heat from the chocolate can start to melt your candy canes and you want to keep them intact.

Then, top everything off with crushed candy cane pieces for a finishing touch. You’re done!

Tips to Make the Process Even More Quick& Easy

If you know me, you know that my life is crazy busy (like any mom’s)! Because of that, I am always looking for ways to streamline and simplify recipes.

These tips from my own experience will help make this recipe even easier for you (especially if you have never made peppermint bark).

  • Not surprisingly, the trick to incredible peppermint bark is to use high-quality chocolate. If you prefer, you can use all dark or all white chocolate for this recipe.
  • The overall process is simple: work your way up from the bottom.

Pro Tip: you could also use the microwave, but you do have to cook in short spurts and stir thoroughly to prevent scorching the chocolate.

Holiday Peppermint Bark Pairs Well With Homemade Hot Chocolate For The Ultimate Holiday Comfort Food!

Holiday peppermint bark is one of those seasonal favorites that everyone seems to enjoy.

If you’ve never made it before, you are in for a very pleasant surprise. This super easy recipe assembles quickly with minimal fuss.

Tell us in the comments below: have you had holiday peppermint bark before? Have you made it before? What other flavors of bark would you like to see from us?

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Festive Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe From Only 3 Ingredients! (4)

Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe

Print Recipe

Peppermint bark is one of those seasonal favorites that everyone seems to enjoy. This super easy peppermint bark recipe assembles quickly with minimal fuss and looks gorgeous and festive.

Servings Prep Time
2 pounds 10-15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30-40 minutes 1 hour
Servings Prep Time
2 pounds 10-15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30-40 minutes 1 hour

Festive Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe From Only 3 Ingredients! (5)

Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe

Print Recipe

Peppermint bark is one of those seasonal favorites that everyone seems to enjoy. This super easy peppermint bark recipe assembles quickly with minimal fuss and looks gorgeous and festive.

Servings Prep Time
2 pounds 10-15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30-40 minutes 1 hour
Servings Prep Time
2 pounds 10-15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30-40 minutes 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 16 oz. high-quality dark chocolate chopped into small pieces
  • 16 oz. high-quality white chocolate chopped into small pieces
  • 1 cup crushed peppermint candy

Servings: pounds

Instructions

  1. Place peppermint candy in a heavy-duty freezer bag and cover with a towel. Pound bag with a meat mallet or rolling pin until finely crushed. Set aside. (This can be done in a food processor, if preferred).

  2. Line a small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. If necessary, dampen the bottom of the outer edges of the parchment paper to hold it in place.

  3. In a double broiler, melt the dark chocolate until smooth. Transfer while warm and melted to parchment paper and spread with a plastic spatula until uniformly thick.

  4. Thoroughly clean double broiler before melting the white chocolate. Once smooth, stir in the crushed peppermint pieces until evenly distributed.

  5. Pour the white chocolate mixture on top of the dark chocolate layer. Spread until evenly distributed over the dark chocolate layer. Top with extra peppermint pieces, if desired.

  6. Place baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Once harden, break peppermint bark into pieces before serving or storing.

Recipe Notes

  • The “secret” to outstanding peppermint bark is to use high-quality chocolate.
  • If you prefer, you can use all dark or all white chocolate for this recipe.
  • You can just as easily use the microwave for this recipes as the double broiler. When using the microwave, be sure microwave for no more than 1 minute at a time and stir well each time to prevent scorching the chocolate.

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Festive Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe From Only 3 Ingredients! (2024)

FAQs

What is peppermint bark made from? ›

What is peppermint bark made of? It's just three simple ingredients: white chocolate, peppermint oil, and peppermint candies! If you have extra candy canes lying around, crush 'em up and use those instead.

How do you get peppermint bark to stick together? ›

The trick for chocolate peppermint bark layers that stick together is to add the white chocolate layer before the semisweet layer is completely set.

What is Christmas bark made of? ›

This Christmas Bark recipe is the easiest treat you'll make this holiday season! Made with pretzels, candy canes and salty peanuts, this sweet and salty chocolate bark has just a handful of ingredients and is sure to delight the entire family! Perfect for cookie plates and dessert tables – a must make for Christmas!

What can I use instead of parchment paper for peppermint bark? ›

Silicone Pad

Silicone baking pads, often referred to by the brand name Silpat, are a great replacement for parchment paper. Just drop one onto your baking sheet, and whatever you cook or bake on it will come right off. There's no need to grease your pan, and there's very little to clean up afterward.

What happens if my dog eats peppermint bark? ›

Can dogs eat peppermint candy? If your dog eats peppermint candy such a candy canes, peppermint bark, or peppermints, it might just cause an upset stomach. But it could also be life-threatening.

Who made the original peppermint bark? ›

The origins of peppermint bark are unclear. Williams Sonoma introduced its version and popularized it in 1998, though the confection existed as early as 1966 in the United States.

How do you keep peppermint bark layers from separating? ›

Spread the peppermint-flavored white chocolate into a lined pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes (I find 11 is just about perfect). You don't want it to set for too long and completely harden, or else the layers will separate.

How do you keep peppermint bark from splitting? ›

Be sure to let the bark chill until it's completely set. If you try to break it before the layers are totally firm and bonded together, it can come apart. The final tip is to let your finished bark come back to room temperature before you break it up.

How long is peppermint bark good for? ›

A: Peppermint bark has a shelf life of 1 year.

Why is peppermint bark so good? ›

The cooling, refreshing taste pairs perfectly in nearly every wintertime treat: cookies, co*cktails, and even cheesecake. Most of us can agree, however, that peppermint bark is the best minty dessert of all time. What's not to like? It's chocolatey, crisp, crunchy, and super festive.

Why is it called peppermint bark? ›

The name "bark" or "candy bark" doesn't exactly explain itself, does it? Barks like this peppermint bark are called that because of the way the chocolate candy breaks into craggy pieces that resemble the layers and borders of tree bark. Also, many barks are made with dark chocolates, so the color is similar, too.

Can I use parchment paper for bark? ›

In many cases, wax paper and parchment paper can be used interchangeably. They're both great for wrapping food for travelling or display. They can be used to cool chocolate-coated sweets and for making chocolate bark.

What can I use if I don't have peppermint extract? ›

Peppermint Extract Substitutes

If you can't find peppermint extract, there are a few substitutions that work just as well. For 1 teaspoon peppermint extract, substitute: 1/4 teaspoon peppermint oil (make sure it is edible) 1 tablespoon peppermint schnapps.

Do you need parchment paper for bark? ›

You'll need parchment paper to make the recipe work properly; don't try to replace it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. The bark looks attractive either cut or broken into ragged pieces.

Why do they call it peppermint bark? ›

The name "bark" or "candy bark" doesn't exactly explain itself, does it? Barks like this peppermint bark are called that because of the way the chocolate candy breaks into craggy pieces that resemble the layers and borders of tree bark. Also, many barks are made with dark chocolates, so the color is similar, too.

What does peppermint bark taste like? ›

The peppermint shards are plentiful but not stabby or unpleasant to eat. We really liked Choceur's dark chocolate peppermint bark as well, but the white chocolate version stood out as a must-buy product. It's creamy and melts in your mouth. It doesn't just taste like sugar; it tastes like good white chocolate.

What are tree barks made of? ›

However, a tree's armor, called bark, is not made of heavy metal. Its outer layer, which we see, is composed of dead cells that become filled with a corklike substance and air. The inner bark, called Phloem, contains living cells and transports food from the leaves to other parts of the tree, including the roots.

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