Candy Cane Peppermint Chocolate Bark
Start a new holiday tradition with Candy Cane Peppermint Chocolate Bark, an easy Christmas candy recipe with just a few simple ingredients! This is one of our favorite Christmas candy recipes.
Each holiday season, our Christmas tradition is to make easy Christmas candy recipes to share with friends and coworkers! It’s a special occasion for the most wonderful time of the year, making big batches of homemade Christmas candies to share with friends and family! I think homemade candies are great gift items for the holidays.
We have experimented with all of the old-fashioned Christmas Candy recipes: rum balls, chewy caramels, peanut butter balls, chocolate truffles, crunchy toffee, fudge recipes and peanut brittle!
But I keep coming back to TWO easy homemade candy recipes, neither of which need a candy thermometer!
This first recipe? This delicious Christmas Crack, a buttery toffee and chocolate concoction made with a saltine cracker. It’s addictive and satisfies salty cravings and your sweet tooth at the same time!
And this second delicious recipe, this delicious chocolate bark studded with peppermint! It tastes almost exactly like the chocolate peppermint squares from Ghirardelli. It’s the perfect treat for holiday gifts in cookie tins alongside some Pizzelles, Sugar Cookie Fudge and Reindeer Chow (Christmas White Chocolate Chex Mix)!
You can even make a batch of this homemade Christmas candy for the cookie exchange! I have some tips below on how to make this delicious treat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Ingredients will I need for this Peppermint Chocolate Bark?
This is truly an easy candy recipe, needing just a few ingredients to make a big batch! You will need:
- Chocolate Chips: I really like the combination of dark chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips with the peppermint. However, you can make your own combination to make the thick layer of chocolate, like only semi-sweet chips, milk chocolate or all dark chocolate.
- Peppermint Extract: Peppermint is best, but mint extract could also be substituted.
- White chocolate chips: I like using white chocolate chips, but you can also use white almond bark.
- Candy Canes: Or use peppermint candy. Honestly, you will be crushing them, so the shape the candy starts in does not matter!
Equipment Needed
This is truly the easiest recipe; you will NOT need a candy thermometer or any special equipment! To make this recipe, you will need a cookie sheet, aluminum foil, a small saucepan, a heatproof bowl (like Pyrex), as well as mixing and measuring tools.
With the saucepan and heatproof bowl, you will make a homemade double boiler. This is the best way to melt chocolate or something similar in a safe and controlled way without burning it!
To make a double boiler, you will put water in the bottom saucepan and heat it until simmering, then add the heatproof bowl goes on top of the saucepan. The chocolate chips will go in the heatproof bowl. The rising steam from the boiling water will heat and melt the chocolate.
Next, use a spatula to stir the chocolate occasionally until it’s completed melted and at a smooth consistency. If it’s a little thick, you can add some shortening or vegetable oil to soften it up a little.
Unfortunately, the white chocolate in this recipe can be a bit finicky especially, so be ready with the shortening!
Peppermint Chocolate Bark Recipe Storage
Store your batch of homemade Christmas candy at room temperature for about 2 weeks, or in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks.
Personally, I love eating this delicious chocolate candy cold, so I like to keep mine in the refrigerator!
Also, you can also store it in an airtight container and freeze it for 6 months.
Recipe Modifications:
- Add holiday sprinkles or sanding sugar
- Add red and green M&M’s
- Add hard candies
Easy Candy Cane Peppermint Chocolate Bark
Start a new holiday tradition with Candy Cane Peppermint Bark, an easy Christmas candy recipe with just a few simple ingredients! This is one of our favorite Christmas candy recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 12-ounce package white chocolate chips
- ¾ cup candy canes, crushed
Instructions
- Take a cookie sheet and line the entire pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Make sure the aluminum foil or parchment paper covers the base and edges of the pan completely.
- Use a double boiler over medium heat to melt the dark chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips together. If you don't have a saucepan and heat-safe bowl to make the double boiler, you can melt the chips together in a medium sized microwave-safe bowl, heating in 30 second increments and stirring between each heating.
- Once fully melted, whisk in the peppermint extract and then pour onto the prepared cookie sheet pan. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate evenly and tap the baking pan on a hard surface to ensure there are no air bubbles. Set in the refrigerator to chill.
- Prepare the white chocolate chips by melting with the double boiler or microwave. Heat until completely melted and then pour the melted white chocolate over the chilled dark chocolate layer on the baking pan.
- Carefully spread the white chocolate evenly over the chocolate layer, not pushing too hard, not pushing too hard as the hot melted chocolate will cause the bottom layer to soften.
- After the white chocolate is spread, immediately sprinkle the crushed candy canes atop the white chocolate.
- Place back in the refrigerator to set for an hour or until completely hardened.
- Remove the tray from the refrigerator, then remove the aluminum foil or parchment paper from the pan, using both hands to lift it from both ends. You should be able to gently peel off the foil or paper from the back of the bark.
- Break the bark into pieces and serve.
Notes
If needed, add a Tablespoon of shortening to the white chocolate as it is melting to keep it smooth.
Nutrition Information
Yield 20 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 213Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 4mgSodium 22mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 1gSugar 24gProtein 2g
The nutrition for this recipe is calculated by an app, and may be incorrect.
