Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Bark

Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Bark is a quick and easy no bake recipe that you can make with just 4 simple ingredients and 15 minutes of prep. This holiday treat is delicious, sweet, minty, and fun to make. It stores well so it is great for gifting to family and friends this holiday season.

This chocolate bark has a layer of dark chocolate, a layer of white chocolate, and is topped with festive candies and peppermints. Make this with the whole family and get the kids involved! Everyone will have fun making this peppermint bark, and even more fun eating it!

Why You'll Love this Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Bark

• A festive Christmas treat. With festive holiday colors of red and green and flavors of peppermint, this bark is the perfect treat to make this Christmas. It's a great dessert to snack on after dinner or to package up and gift to family and friends.
• Quick and easy to make. Although peppermint bark takes some time to make because you have to let the chocolate to set and harden, it really just requires about 15 minutes of actual prep work from you. This is a quick and easy no-bake dessert made with just 4 simple ingredients.
• Turn it into fun kid's activity. Making Christmas bark is even better when you get the kids involved. Turn the decorating process into a fun activity and let the kids add the toppings. It's safe and easy to supervise since there is no baking required. Be sure to leave out some extra m&m's and peppermint candies because the kids will likely be snacking on them!
• Makes a great Christmas gift. This chocolate peppermint bark can last for weeks at room temperature or in the fridge, and months in the freezer, which makes this a great make ahead recipe. This bark is also a great last minute gift idea! You can break it up and package in clear plastic bags tied with string and gift to friends and family.

Ingredient Notes

To make these delicious and festive Peppermint Chocolate Christmas Bark, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

• dark chocolate - make sure to pick high quality chocolate as it forms the bulk of this recipe.
• white chocolate - same goes for the white chocolate - pick high quality chocolate.
• crushed peppermint candy - or crushed candy canes.
• Christmas m&m's - you need those red and green m&m's. Smarties in the same color work too. You can also leave out the m&m's for a simple classic peppermint bark.

You will also need measuring cups, a large sheet pan (half sheet baking pan), and parchment paper.

How to Make the Best Christmas Bark

1. Prep. Line a large half sheet baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Melt dark chocolate. Melt the dark chocolate in a double broiler on the stove or in the microwave until smooth.
   • On the stove: Bring 2 inches of water to a low simmer in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Then, turn the heat to low and place a medium heatproof bowl on the mouth of the pot. Make sure that there is a gap of a few inches in between the bottom of the bowl and the water (You can also place a bowl on a steamer attachment on top of your pot). Add the chocolate and stir constantly as it melts. Stir until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted. This should take a few minutes.
   • In the microwave: Place a medium heatproof bowl of chocolate into the microwave and microwave in 30 second intervals. Remove the bowl at each interval and stir well. Repeat until the chocolate has completely melted. Stir until completely smooth.

3. Spread dark chocolate. Pour the melted chocolate onto the parchment paper and use a rubber spatula to spread it out until it is about ⅓-inch thick. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to slightly harden.

4. Melt white chocolate. Melt the white chocolate in a clean bowl and pour on top of the dark chocolate.

5. Spread white chocolate. Use a spatula to carefully spread out the white chocolate, covering the dark chocolate.

6. Add peppermint. Sprinkle crushed peppermints and m&m's on top of the white chocolate while it is still melted.

7. Chill. Place the sheet pan in the refrigerator for 2 hours (or 45 minutes in the freezer) until the chocolate hardens.
8. Serve. Break the chocolate apart into pieces and enjoy.

Christmas Bark Variations

• Use festive sprinkles. You can also top this holiday bark with anything festive. I often like adding Christmas sprinkles. It's easy to find red and green sprinkles, tree and star shaped sprinkles, red pearl sprinkles, and so on. Get creative!
• Adapt to different holidays. This bark recipe can be adapted to fit almost any holiday - Halloween, Easter, Valentine's Day, etc. Just change the crushed peppermint with a themed candy (ie. cinnamon hearts for Valentine's Day, mini eggs for Easter), and change the colors of m&m's to reflect the theme colors.

Storage and Freezing Instructions

How to Store

Once the peppermint bark has completely cooled and set, you can break it up and transfer it to an airtight container or a sealed plastic bag and store at room temperature for 3-4 weeks. Keep it in a cool area to prevent it from melting. You can also store in the fridge.

How to Freeze

Because this bark is specific to Christmas, you may not want to keep it around until Easter, but if you're making it ahead of the holidays, store it in a freezer-safe airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

More Christmas Dessert Recipes

• 30 Best Christmas Dessert Recipes
• Gingerbread Bundt Cake
• Holiday Yule Log Cake
• Christmas Cupcakes
• Gingerbread House
• Yogurt Fruitcake

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