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–+ servings
a triangle of peppermint bark with candy canes
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5 from 7 votes

Peppermint Bark Candy

It just isn't Christmas without Peppermint Bark! Layered white chocolate and dark chocolate are topped with crushed candy canes. This famous Christmas candy recipe is so easy to put together, it's a shame to buy it at the store. I will show you just how to make it, with tons of tips and tricks for making it perfect the first time!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time3 minutes
Chill Time30 minutes
Total Time43 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 40
Calories: 107kcal
Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate OR name brand dark chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract not mint
  • 12 ounces white chocolate HIGH QUALITY *
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 3 candy canes finely crushed, to stir into white chocolate
  • 5-8 candy canes coarsely crushed, to top bark

Instructions

  • Start by getting everything prepped and ready to go. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper.
  • Finely crush 3 candy canes. You can do this in the food processor or in a ziplock with a rolling pin. These candy canes are going to be stirred into the white chocolate, so you want to crush them pretty well.
  • Coarsely crush 5-8 candy canes in a ziplock (a food processor will crush them too much). These ones are going to be sprinkled on top of the bark. Set aside.
  • A word about chocolate. Be sure to buy high quality chocolate. Dark or semisweet is fine; I prefer dark. I like to use Ghirardelli, Guittard, or Nestle. If you are using chocolate chips, use 12 ounces. This is 2 cups of chocolate chips. If you are using a bar of chocolate, roughly chop it.
  • Melt your chocolate. In a medium bowl, add 12 ounces dark or semi sweet chocolate. Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Heat for 30 seconds on high in the microwave and stir. Heat for another 30 seconds and stir. Continue after this in 15 second increments, stirring each time. When the chocolate is glossy and mostly smooth, but still has lumps, do not microwave again. Just keep stirring until the final hard pieces melt.
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract and stir well.
  • Pour the chocolate onto the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate into a large rectangle. Mine was about 11x15 inches. The larger your rectangle, the thinner your bark will be. I don't like super thick bark, I like it to be nice and thin (the easier to bite into). Drop the pan on the counter a few times to get out all the air bubbles.
  • Set the pan of chocolate aside to set. You can put it in the fridge if you are in a hurry. Do not add the white chocolate layer until this layer has set.
  • A word about white chocolate. Check the ingredients. If it does not list "cocoa butter" then it is not white chocolate. Most white chocolate chips do not have cocoa butter. It's best to buy a bar. I like the Ghirardelli white chocolate bars.
  • Chop 12 ounces of high quality white chocolate.
  • In a new bowl (or clean and dry the other one very well), add the white chocolate. Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
  • Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Microwave another 30 seconds and stir. After that, heat in 15 second increments until there are still a few lumps. Then stir until the lumps are gone. White chocolate seizes even easier than regular chocolate, so be careful!
  • Stir the finely crushed candy canes into the white chocolate. Pour the white chocolate over the top of the cooled dark chocolate. Use an offset spatula to spread almost all the way to the edge. The heat from the white chocolate might slightly melt the bottom layer, so be careful you don't smear them together.
  • Immediately sprinkle the coarse candy canes on top. Let the bark cool at room temperature or stick it in the fridge. It takes about 30 minutes in the fridge.
  • Once hardened, use a sharp chef's knife to slice the bark into pieces. I don't like to break the pieces apart by hand. As satisfying as it is, the white chocolate tends to separate from the dark chocolate that way.
  • Enjoy! Keep in a sealed container at room temperature.
  • You can freeze the bark for up to 3 months if it is well sealed. You do run the risk of white spots ("bloom") showing up on your chocolate. Thaw in the refrigerator to avoid this (there will be less condensation that way.)

Notes

*Make sure that your white chocolate lists cocoa butter high up on the ingredients!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg