How to Make Peppermint Bark – Easy Peppermint Bark
Learn the simple steps how to make peppermint bark. Dark and white chocolate sprinkled with crushed peppermints is perfect for the holidays and Christmas.
I am obsessed with peppermint bark. Like truly obsessed. It haunts my dreams and I crave it year-round. It’s so creamy and indulgent and heralds the start of the holiday baking season.
If you need an easy and speedy (sweet) appetizer, dessert for holiday parties or gifting, look no further. This is delicious and simple.
What is Peppermint Bark Made Of:
Basically, it is two kinds of chocolate and crushed candy canes. I also add peppermint extract (related: try homemade peppermint extract). This is a crazy simple dessert that everyone loves. It is always a hit when given as a homemade gift.
How Long Can You Store Peppermint Bark?
Peppermint bark will keep in an air-tight container at room temperature (as long as the room isn’t too warm) for weeks and weeks. I have to keep mine behind a 14-foot barbed wire fence because I will destroy it in a heartbeat.
Helpful Peppermint Bark Supplies
How to Make Peppermint Bark:
Melt your dark/milk/semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Freeze for 15 minutes.
Melt your white chocolate in a double boiler. Spread on top of the cold dark chocolate. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Freeze for 30 more minutes.
Break apart with clean dry hands.
Pro tip: When the bark is fully finished and you’re ready to break it up, beware of projectile candy cane chunks. They fly through the air (with the greatest of ease) and attach themselves to most surfaces. I walked around with two small chunks of candy cane on the front of my shirt like peppermint dingleberries for an hour.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes:
- Since it stores well, you can make it in late November/early December and be ready to roll once the holiday season starts hitting full stride. Keep a few servings of peppermint bark in mason jars for easy grab and go gifts. Slap a bow on that jar and you’re out the door in 30 seconds with the perfect hostess or thank you gift.
- Need to make more or less of the recipe? Click and slide the “servings” number on the recipe card and the ingredients will adjust as needed. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Make ahead, delicious, and coveted by others. Oh, how sweet it is!
Making this recipe or others?
Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #sustainablecooks. I can't wait to see your take on it!
- 16 oz chocolate chips dark, or milk chocolate (I use the one-pound plus bar from Trader Joes)
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- 15 oz white chocolate chips
- 3 regular-sized candy canes
In a double boiler over lowish heat, melt dark/milk chocolate. Once it has melted, add a splash of peppermint extract, stir, and pour over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
- Place candy canes in a Ziploc bag, and crush with a heavy cutting board, rolling pin, or another heavy object.
While the chocolate is in the freezer, clean the double boiler and add white chocolate chips. White chocolate is a notoriously finicky item to melt. You don't want to stir it constantly, or it becomes a pasty lump. Wait until the chocolate is super shiny, and then give it a few gentle stirs.
Pour the white chocolate over the chocolate that has been frozen. You may need to spread it a bit with a silicone spatula.
- Sprinkle with crushed candy canes, and pop it back in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the freezer, and with clean dry hands, start to break it into chunks. The crushed candy canes can be rough on your hands, so take it easy and beware.
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You always have some of the greatest recipes! Sounds so yummy!
Mom of G, thank you. That is a such a kind compliment!
From one Sarah to another, your blog rawks and keeps me laughing, learning and trying. Pretty good, huh? I thought so!
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just recently i have started baking a lot, and I just came up with a fabulous cookie recipe that utilizes peppermint bark, I cannot see spending nearly 5 dollars per bar . I have been trying to find a suitable and delicious replacement. So THANK YOU for this recipe! if you want the cookie recipe let me know!
I want that recipe. YUM!
Error 404 on 11/28 Book Gift Ideas Post when I go to comment. Just FYI.
Yeah, I published that early by mistake. It will be up tomorrow!
I bought some of this once upon a time at my favorite toffee supplier, and they had put crushed chocolate chip cookies in the dark/milk chocolate and crushed oreos in the white chocolate. It was totally insane and delicious. I’m definitely going to try this with your recipe for a cookie exchange next month!
That sounds ammmmmazing!
The ads on your blog make it hard to navigate to the actual content of the blog. Just in this one post, while scrolling, the overstock ad appeared 4 times. Sorry but that just takes away from your blog, in my opinion because it makes it less user friendly. I read lots of blogs with ads (totally understand the need for them) but it being so in your face in your blog makes me not want to visit as frequently. Something to think about!
Hi Jen, thanks for the feedback. Can you tell me how you’re viewing the post (computer or mobile)? When I see the same post on my phone, only one ad shows. So if it is showing up more for other people, it is something I need to get to the bottom of with the ad company.
Always on my phone. Right now, there are 5 – amazon, a car one, one about tomatoes, a breast cancer one and then one that had the option to click x and have it disappear.
I enjoy your blog but it did dawn on me that the ads were always frustrating. The content you put out aligns well with how I like to live my life – i just don’t enjoy having to constantly scroll to get to the “good” stuff. 🙂
Hmmmmm. Last question – what kind of browser is it on your phone (safari, Chrome, etc.)? I honestly have no idea if it makes a difference but I want to give the ad company as much info as I can when trying to nail down what is going on.
I’m on Safari and I see one Ludens cough drop ad and the Amazon “shop related products” (which isn’t an ad but a plug-in I have on my site). So I’m stumped but interested in solving this issue. Thanks for the help!
It’s no biggie and I hope it didn’t across like I was criticizing – more like an observation why I don’t come every day to check out new content.
It’s safari. Just now in the comment area alone, there was a pop up for Lysol, a Nordstrom one and deodorant. I mean, it is possible my phone is trying to tell me i need to shop more at Nordstrom (woooo hoooo) and use Lysol and deodorant more (boooo!) lol. It is just a lot compared to day Frugal Girl, who is similar to your site.
No, no, not at all! I totally appreciate the feedback. I think what I’m going to have to do is fix this in the new site redesign which is scheduled to be finished by the end of January 2018 (so hang tight and please be patient). Rather than try to fix issues, it may be easier to start from scratch. I’m still perplexed at the various number of ads we’re each seeing. I should have been an IT person in another life. This would solve so many of my day to day problems. 🙂
I checked out Frugal Girl’s mobile site and you’re right that I didn’t see many ads in the posts. On the main page at the bottom I saw a bunch of random sponsored stories (like I see on Yahoo news). But it didn’t get in the way of the actual posts.
Sorry, I don’t think I answered – safari.
I am glad you are so receptive to my “ad complaints”. I just think you have a good blog so I didn’t know if it was a turnoff for other folks. Anyway! Enjoy your weekend. 🙂
hits the sweet tooth. delish!!