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Home » Dessert » Peppermint Bark Recipe

Published: October 23, 2019 Last Modified: October 23, 2019 By Sara 57 Comments

Peppermint Bark Recipe

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Peppermint Bark Recipe | Chocolate Bark | Christmas Bark #christmas #chocolate #candycane #peppermint #candy #dessert #dinneratthezoo

This recipe for classic peppermint bark is layers of white and dark chocolate topped with crushed candy canes. A holiday favorite that’s quick to make and perfect for parties and gift giving.

When the holidays roll around I make all kinds of peppermint desserts including peppermint patties and peppermint brownies. Peppermint bark is also a huge hit, and it takes just minutes to put together.

Peppermint Bark Recipe | Chocolate Bark | Christmas Bark #christmas #chocolate #candycane #peppermint #candy #dessert #dinneratthezoo

A gift tin full of peppermint bark made with crushed candy canes.

Sometimes you just need a quick and easy treat for the holidays, and this classic peppermint bark is my go-to recipe. Peppermint bark only has a handful of ingredients, doesn’t require any baking and the recipe can be easily doubled or tripled to feed a crowd. I make countless batches of peppermint bark every holiday season!

How do you make peppermint bark?

Peppermint bark is made with just 4 ingredients – semisweet chocolate, white chocolate, peppermint extract and crushed candy canes. The first step is to melt your semisweet chocolate. You can melt your chocolate in the microwave or use a double boiler on the stove. The chocolate gets spread into a thin layer on a sheet pan, then goes into the fridge to set up. After that, you simply add a layer of white chocolate flavored with peppermint extract and your crushed candy. Break or cut your peppermint bark into pieces and serve.

A sheet pan of melted semisweet chocolate.

Tips for the perfect candy

  • You can use crushed candy canes or crushed peppermint candies, whichever you prefer.
  • I find that the easiest way to crush the candy is to place it in a resealable bag, then use a meat mallet or rolling pin to break it into small pieces.
  • This recipe only has 4 ingredients which means quality really counts. Use the highest quality chocolate you can find, and look for white chocolate that contains real cocoa butter and not just palm oil. My favorite brand is Guittard.
  • Use an offset spatula to easily spread the chocolate into a thin even layer.
  • Don’t have peppermint extract? You can omit it or use peppermint oil. If you choose to omit it, your bark won’t be quite as minty tasting.
  • Peppermint bark can separate if you’re using white chocolate that does not contain cocoa butter, and instead contains an ingredient like palm oil. Fats like palm oil and coconut oil are incompatible with the cocoa butter that’s in the dark chocolate, so the two won’t bond together

A layer of white chocolate and crushed candy canes on top of semisweet chocolate.

How long does peppermint bark last?

This candy can be stored for up to 2 weeks at room temperature and up to 3 weeks in the fridge. I wouldn’t recommend freezing chocolate bark, because when it thaws the candy pieces will become sticky.

A sheet pan of peppermint bark cut into pieces.

Peppermint bark variations

This is a basic recipe for this classic holiday treat, but you can absolutely customize it to your liking. I often make changes to the recipe, some of my favorite variations include

  • Sprinkle Bark: Reduce the amount of crushed candy canes by half and add a few handfuls of holiday sprinkles.
  • Milk Chocolate Bark: Substitute milk chocolate chips for semisweet chocolate chips.
  • Snow Bark: Use all white chocolate instead of semisweet.
  • Triple Layer Bark: Start with a layer of white chocolate, add a layer of semisweet chocolate, and finish with another layer of white chocolate and crushed candy canes.
  • M&M Bark: Add a handful of holiday M&M’s, either in the classic or mint flavor.

A stack of peppermint bark pieces on a plate.

I like to package up my peppermint bark in pretty gift tins and give it away to friends, family and teachers around the holidays. It’s always such a big hit!

More Christmas candy recipes

  • Crock Pot Candy
  • Rocky Road Fudge
  • 50 Irresistible Christmas Candy Recipes
  • Christmas Crack
  • Microwave Caramels

Peppermint Bark Video


A gift tin full of peppermint bark made with crushed candy canes.
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4.91 from 20 votes

Peppermint Bark Recipe

This recipe for classic peppermint bark is layers of white and dark chocolate topped with crushed candy canes. A holiday favorite that's quick to make and perfect for parties and gift giving.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Chill Time 30 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 16
Calories 276kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semi sweet chocolate
  • 16 ounces white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 3/4 cup crushed candy canes

Instructions

  • Place the semisweet chocolate chips in a medium bowl and microwave for 30 second increments until melted. Stir until smooth.
  • Spread the chocolate into a roughly 9″x 13″ rectangle on a piece of parchment paper. Place the chocolate in the fridge for 15 minutes to set.
  • Place the white chocolate chips in a medium bowl and microwave for 30 second increments until melted. Add the peppermint extract and stir until smooth.
  • Spread the white chocolate over the semisweet chocolate layer. Top with candy canes. Let harden in the fridge for about 20 minutes, then break into pieces and serve. 

Nutrition

Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 201mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1.4mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DinnerAtTheZoo or tag #dinneratthezoo!

This post was originally published on November 14, 2018 and was updated on October 23, 2019 with new content.

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    Comments

    1. Katrina says

      December 13, 2021 at 2:33 pm

      5 stars
      I rlly loved this so much. I might have put in 2 tbsp of peppermint extract but it was still good. The one thing is that my white chocolate won’t stick to the chocolate on the bottom can you help me with that.

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 14, 2021 at 9:41 am

        Try breaking it at room temperature instead of straight from the fridge!

        Reply
    2. Ali says

      December 11, 2021 at 5:02 pm

      5 stars
      Wow was this yummy! I had found the red and green stripped mints so it came out very festive.

      Reply
    3. Liana says

      December 9, 2021 at 8:07 pm

      Hi! When I poured my white chocolate on top of the semisweet chocolate, the semisweet instantly melted and mixed with the white chocolate. How can I avoid this?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 10, 2021 at 8:18 am

        Cool the white chocolate for a few minutes before you pour it on so it’s lukewarm!

        Reply
    4. Charles says

      November 15, 2021 at 3:30 pm

      Amazing! My dish towel caught fire while I was making these (my fault, I forgot the stove was on) but overall a nice experience. Really loved the results.

      Reply
      • Cherie says

        December 19, 2021 at 3:18 pm

        Lol!! Sounds like my kitchen this fine Sunday! Good luck. Merry Christmas!🎁

        Reply
    5. Ann says

      December 22, 2020 at 2:46 pm

      5 stars
      I made this today for the first time and found it to be an excellent recipe to start with, since it was simple and easy. I did add my own variations and it turned out extremely well. In my variations, I added 1/2 tsp of Peppermint extract to both the dark chocolate and white chocolate. If I had seen the post earlier about using mint chocolate chips, I would have gone that way, but I didn’t. I will suggest, though, if you are looking for a white chocolate made with cocoa butter, go with Baker’s Premium Baking Bar White Chocolate. Also, on the heating time in the microwave, you can do this white chocolate in 30 sec increments for the first 2 or 3 times, since the pieces are bulky. Also, on a different variant, I mixed my crushed candy canes into the white chocolate before spreading it on the dark chocolate and I left my dark chocolate in the fridge until I was ready to apply the white. I, also, left the final set time in the fridge for about an hour before breaking into to pieces. Flavor wise this is excellent Peppermint Bark candy. Thank you for the recipe.

      Reply
    6. Anna says

      December 19, 2020 at 6:49 am

      Does this melt quickly?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 19, 2020 at 9:27 am

        I wouldn’t leave it out in the heat but it should be fine at cool room temperature.

        Reply
      • Anna says

        December 23, 2020 at 11:25 am

        5 stars
        would do if left in the sun

        Reply
    7. Jenny says

      December 5, 2020 at 7:17 pm

      5 stars
      I made this last year for gifts and it was a real hit so making it again this week. I got some cute tins to put it in! Can’t wait to get started!

      Reply
    8. Danielle Perry says

      December 2, 2020 at 3:03 pm

      My semi sweet chocolate is not hardening properly and my white (ghirardeli brand) is separating….is this a timing issue or could it be a problem with the milk chocolate? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 2, 2020 at 4:57 pm

        What brand of semi sweet and is the white chocolate separating when you melt it or when you spread it onto the dark chocolate?

        Reply
        • Morgan says

          December 14, 2020 at 6:21 pm

          Hi Sara, I wanted to add that I also had this problem. The white chocolate separated from the semisweet chocolate quite a bit, after melting the white chocolate, spreading it over the dark chocolate, adding peppermint pieces and chilling in the fridge. It wasn’t a brand issue – I used Guittard semisweet chocolate wafers and Guittard “choc-au-lait” white chocolate chips (I couldn’t find their white chocolate in wafers). Do you have any advice on how to keep the layers from separating?

          Reply
          • Sara says

            December 15, 2020 at 9:08 pm

            Hi, I just looked up “choc-au-lait” and unfortunately the second ingredient after sugar is palm oil. The palm oil products will not bond well with the cocoa butter in true chocolate. That may have been the issue. Another thing you can try is letting the bark sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before you break it so that the chocolate is less brittle and therefore less likely to separate.

            Reply
      • Mary says

        December 4, 2021 at 11:51 am

        5 stars
        I don’t know what I did wrong but my chocolates wouldn’t stay together. I am sure it is something I did wrong.

        Reply
      • Shewinked says

        December 12, 2021 at 6:34 pm

        3 stars
        My semi-sweet and white chocolate separated too. The next time I made it I added a teaspoon of canola oil to both chocolates when melted. I also used high quality chocolate. Last, I did three layers…white, dark, and then white again. It came out perfect.

        Reply
    9. Carolyn says

      December 27, 2019 at 11:14 pm

      Adding a TB of coconut oil to both layers of melted chocolate makes for a smoother bark. Also, bulk peppermint candy is cheaper than candy canes.

      Reply
    10. brenna says

      December 22, 2019 at 6:37 pm

      what if you dont have a microwave how can you make this thanks

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 22, 2019 at 9:39 pm

        You can melt the chocolate over low heat on the stove.

        Reply
    11. Colleen says

      December 18, 2019 at 10:46 am

      Hi. These can be safely mailed, right? Any tips?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 18, 2019 at 11:25 am

        Yes it can be mailed! I’d recommend tightly packing it into a container so that it can’t move around a lot during shipping and get broken into small pieces.

        Reply
    12. Julie says

      December 17, 2019 at 5:11 pm

      My white chocolate is separating from the semi sweet when I try to break it. Any repair ideas?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 17, 2019 at 9:37 pm

        What kind of white chocolate did you use?

        Reply
    13. Stacy says

      December 15, 2019 at 5:54 pm

      I sometimes drizzle a little corn oil into the chocolate to change the consistency of the chocolate if it is too thick or too much like frosting. It also adds a little. shine and gloss to the chocolate as well.

      Reply
    14. Carolyn Kibbey says

      December 10, 2019 at 10:32 am

      I can’t fine white chocolate without palm oil. Nor can I find the particular chocolate you recommended. Help!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 10, 2019 at 1:41 pm

        Did you look at the bars of white chocolate, such as Ghirardelli white chocolate baking bars? They’re sold in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips.

        Reply
    15. Mindi says

      December 9, 2019 at 5:03 pm

      When I melted the white chocolate and then added the peppermint extract, it turned into instant frosting!!! ??? What am I doing wrong?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 9, 2019 at 9:46 pm

        What brand of white chocolate are you using?

        Reply
      • TheCakeGirl says

        December 15, 2019 at 5:01 am

        You need to use an oil based peppermint extract. I got mine on Amazon or at Trader Joe’s. Often times extracts have water in them which seized the chocolate which is such a bummer. Or use mint chocolate chips instead.

        Reply
    16. Elizabeth says

      December 3, 2019 at 2:28 pm

      This was the best recipe! Thank you!!

      Reply
    17. Stacy Kirby says

      December 2, 2019 at 8:56 pm

      I spread my melted chocolate on parchment paper on a cookie sheet approx. 11 in. by 8in. square. Then I lift the parchment off the cookie sheet and into the fridge. You have more freedom that way without having to contend with a large pan. I crack up small peppermint candies or crush candy canes for the sprinkles. They are always a crowd pleaser!

      Reply
    18. Kirsten says

      November 4, 2019 at 8:19 pm

      What is considered a serving? I need to make a very large batch and am wondering how I can do that.

      Reply
      • Sara says

        November 5, 2019 at 8:45 am

        A serving is approximately a 2.5 inch square! You can double or triple the recipe, just use the largest pan you have to spread it on, or do it on multiple pans.

        Reply
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