Follow this 4-ingredient recipe to make easy peppermint bark at home! We teach you the simple microwave method for making delicious homemade peppermint bark!
I love the combination of chocolate and peppermint. Adding white chocolate into the mix makes it out of this world! It’s the perfect combination of semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, peppermint flavor, and crunchy peppermint candies!
If you are looking for more holiday treats, make sure you try our Christmas Cake Mix Cookies, Grinch Christmas cookies, Christmas sprinkle pudding cookies, and peppermint hot chocolate recipe! You might also want to check out our ever-growing list of Christmas Cookie Recipes and Cookie Bar Recipes.
Easy Peppermint Bark for the holidays
You are going to love just how easy it is to make homemade peppermint bark at home. I am going to share my super simple tip for melting chocolate quickly to make tasty peppermint bark that you can enjoy during the entire holiday season!
This recipe for easy peppermint bark is also wonderful for giving as gifts. Because it is so easy and fast to make, you could easily whip up 2 or even 3 batches at a time. Put them in some pretty boxes, and surprise your friends and family with a thoughtful and homemade gift. Or you could surprise your kids and add it to a Christmas Eve Box.
How to make peppermint bark?
So, here is my trick for making peppermint bark in under 15 minutes. The microwave! That’s right, I use the microwave to melt my chocolate. It’s less work than a double boiler and it is faster! Plus, clean up is a breeze because I use the same bowl for both types of chocolate.
- Start by sprinkling some crushed candy canes on a lined cookie sheet (I used wax paper).
- Melt your semi-sweet chocolate (you could also use dark chocolate) in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time. Stir after each cook time until your chocolate is melted. This takes about 60-90 seconds.
- Mix a little bit of peppermint extract into your melted chocolate. This gives it an extra layer of chocolate peppermint flavor that you will love!
- Spread your chocolate over the crushed candy pieces. The candy pieces might get mixed in with the chocolate a bit. That’s perfect! It gives it a lovely crunch!
- Next, rinse out your bowl and melt the white chocolate.
- Add some peppermint extract to the white chocolate, too.
- Carefully spread the white chocolate onto the semi-sweet chocolate. Spread it out with the back of a spoon until it is covering the darker chocolate. If a little bit of semi-sweet chocolate mixes into your white chocolate, that is okay. It adds to the look!
- Sprinkle more crushed peppermint candies on top of the white chocolate.
- Now for the hard part, let it set! Depending on the temperature in your house, this could take 2-4 hours. But it is completely hands off. You don’t want to put in the fridge. Just leave it on the counter.
- Once your peppermint bark is set, break it up with your hands into pieces.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
How do you keep peppermint bark from separating?
The trick to preventing your peppermint bark from separating is to not let the first layer of chocolate fully set before adding the white chocolate. You want to melt them back to back and let them set together.
How do you break up chocolate bark?
Carefully break them into 3-4 inch pieces using the wax paper the bark is sitting on. I like to fold the wax paper over the bark and break it. Remove the pieces as they are broken off and keep breaking until you reach the center.
Food safe gloves can also be used if you have them, to prevent the chocolate from melting on your hands. The beauty of making homemade peppermint bark is the pieces are not all supposed to match. They are like snowflakes – no two are alike!
How Long Will homemade peppermint bark keep?
This easy peppermint bark will last at room temperature (in an air-tight container) for two weeks.
Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe
Follow this 4-ingredient recipe to make easy peppermint bark at home! We teach you the simple microwave method for making delicious homemade peppermint bark!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy (approximately 8 candy canes), divided
- 8 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, broken into pieces
- 8 ounces white baking chocolate, broken into pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, divided
Instructions
- Line a rimmed cookie sheet with a piece of wax paper.
- Sprinkle 1/2 of the crushed peppermint candy onto the wax paper.
- Place the semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave safe bowl.
- Cook in 20 second increments, stirring each time, until the chocolate is melted.
- Mix in 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract.
- Spread the melted semi-sweet chocolate over the crushed candy on the cookie sheet, making a rectangle.
- Rinse out the microwave safe bowl and melt the white chocolate using the same method.
- Stir the remaining 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract into the melted white chocolate.
- Slowly pour the melted white chocolate over the semi sweet chocolate.
- Use the back of a spoon to carefully spread the white chocolate over the semi-sweet chocolate.
- Sprinkle the remaining crushed peppermint candies over the white chocolate.
- Let the peppermint bark sit at room temperature until fully set, about 3 hours.
- Once the peppermint bark is set, break it into pieces and store in an air tight container, up to 2 weeks.
Notes
It's important to use a quality baking chocolate in this recipe. Unfortunately, chocolate chips will not melt well, so we do not reccomend them.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
2 piecesAmount Per Serving Calories 280 Total Fat 20g Saturated Fat 12g Trans Fat 0g Unsaturated Fat 7g Cholesterol 1mg Sodium 13mg Carbohydrates 20g Net Carbohydrates 0g Fiber 6g Sugar 6g Sugar Alcohols 0g Protein 5g
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