Festive Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe From Only 3 Ingredients! (2024)


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Festive Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe From Only 3 Ingredients! (1)

I love making gifts for people – especially for the holidays when buying tons of gifts can be such a budget buster.

My top gift of choice: cookie tins! I make a variety of cookies for the tins and love to include this delicious and easy peppermint bark recipe!

It’s a fabulous friend/neighbor/teacher/mailman/other person giftidea!

Want the Recipes for Other Cookies in Our Cookie Tins?

Festive Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe From Only 3 Ingredients! (2)

Grab our FREE Christmas Cookies mini recipe book!

Other ideas to include in the tins along with the peppermint bark and cookies would be:

  • Fudge
  • Spice Packets or Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
  • A small ornament (I usually include one in our tins)
  • A small gift card

Our Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe

This delicious and classic recipe tastes oh-so-good and combines two of my favorite flavors: chocolate and peppermint. No wonder I love it so much!

Holiday peppermint bark looks incredibly festive. The colors are such a perfectmatch for the season, that peppermint bark makes a gorgeous gift (even if you just wrap it up all by itself).

Make this with dark chocolate and peppermint candy-infused white chocolate, then top it off with crushed candy cane pieces. You’ll never want to buy store-bought peppermint bark again!

Festive Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe From Only 3 Ingredients! (3)

The Simple Process for Making Easy Peppermint Bark

You’ll make the dark chocolate bottom layer first by heating it in a double broiler. and spreading it into a (wax paper lined) 8×8 pan.

The dark chocolate will begin to firm up a bit while you prepare your white chocolate.

I have found that it works best to add the white chocolate layer before the dark chocolate layer as fully hardened.

If the dark chocolate fully sets before I add the top layer, then the layers tend to break apart from each other when I’m trying to pull apart the bark.

Instead, if the dark chocolate is still setting, then the layers fuse together much better.

Quickly fold the candy pieces into your white chocolate and then stop mixing, as the heat from the chocolate can start to melt your candy canes and you want to keep them intact.

Then, top everything off with crushed candy cane pieces for a finishing touch. You’re done!

Tips to Make the Process Even More Quick& Easy

If you know me, you know that my life is crazy busy (like any mom’s)! Because of that, I am always looking for ways to streamline and simplify recipes.

These tips from my own experience will help make this recipe even easier for you (especially if you have never made peppermint bark).

  • Not surprisingly, the trick to incredible peppermint bark is to use high-quality chocolate. If you prefer, you can use all dark or all white chocolate for this recipe.
  • The overall process is simple: work your way up from the bottom.

Pro Tip: you could also use the microwave, but you do have to cook in short spurts and stir thoroughly to prevent scorching the chocolate.

Holiday Peppermint Bark Pairs Well With Homemade Hot Chocolate For The Ultimate Holiday Comfort Food!

Holiday peppermint bark is one of those seasonal favorites that everyone seems to enjoy.

If you’ve never made it before, you are in for a very pleasant surprise. This super easy recipe assembles quickly with minimal fuss.

Tell us in the comments below: have you had holiday peppermint bark before? Have you made it before? What other flavors of bark would you like to see from us?

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Festive Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe From Only 3 Ingredients! (4)

Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe

Print Recipe

Peppermint bark is one of those seasonal favorites that everyone seems to enjoy. This super easy peppermint bark recipe assembles quickly with minimal fuss and looks gorgeous and festive.

Servings Prep Time
2 pounds 10-15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30-40 minutes 1 hour
Servings Prep Time
2 pounds 10-15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30-40 minutes 1 hour

Festive Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe From Only 3 Ingredients! (5)

Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe

Print Recipe

Peppermint bark is one of those seasonal favorites that everyone seems to enjoy. This super easy peppermint bark recipe assembles quickly with minimal fuss and looks gorgeous and festive.

Servings Prep Time
2 pounds 10-15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30-40 minutes 1 hour
Servings Prep Time
2 pounds 10-15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30-40 minutes 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 16 oz. high-quality dark chocolate chopped into small pieces
  • 16 oz. high-quality white chocolate chopped into small pieces
  • 1 cup crushed peppermint candy

Servings: pounds

Instructions

  1. Place peppermint candy in a heavy-duty freezer bag and cover with a towel. Pound bag with a meat mallet or rolling pin until finely crushed. Set aside. (This can be done in a food processor, if preferred).

  2. Line a small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. If necessary, dampen the bottom of the outer edges of the parchment paper to hold it in place.

  3. In a double broiler, melt the dark chocolate until smooth. Transfer while warm and melted to parchment paper and spread with a plastic spatula until uniformly thick.

  4. Thoroughly clean double broiler before melting the white chocolate. Once smooth, stir in the crushed peppermint pieces until evenly distributed.

  5. Pour the white chocolate mixture on top of the dark chocolate layer. Spread until evenly distributed over the dark chocolate layer. Top with extra peppermint pieces, if desired.

  6. Place baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Once harden, break peppermint bark into pieces before serving or storing.

Recipe Notes

  • The “secret” to outstanding peppermint bark is to use high-quality chocolate.
  • If you prefer, you can use all dark or all white chocolate for this recipe.
  • You can just as easily use the microwave for this recipes as the double broiler. When using the microwave, be sure microwave for no more than 1 minute at a time and stir well each time to prevent scorching the chocolate.

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Festive Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe From Only 3 Ingredients! (2024)

FAQs

Why didn't my peppermint bark stick together? ›

The palm oil can prevent the two layers from sticking together. Be sure to let the bark chill until it's completely set. If you try to break it before the layers are totally firm and bonded together, it can come apart.

What's the difference between peppermint and peppermint bark? ›

Peppermint bark is a chocolate confection. Generally it consists of peppermint candy pieces, such as candy canes, in white chocolate on top of dark chocolate, but peppermint bark can refer to any chocolate with peppermint candy pieces in it. It is especially popular around the Christmas season.

What is peppermint bark made of? ›

Peppermint bark is a holiday treat made with two types of chocolate—either semisweet or dark and white—and chopped candy canes. Williams-Sonoma is basically famous for theirs at this point, and for good reason—it's delicious.

Why is Ghirardelli peppermint bark so good? ›

The layer of rich dark chocolate and the creamy mint layer with bits of peppermint crunch are a perfect blend of flavors and textures. They're best when kept in the refrigerator as it really helps keeps the mint and chocolate flavors crisp so they stand out more.

What can I use instead of parchment paper for peppermint bark? ›

You'll need parchment paper to make the recipe work properly; don't try to replace it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. The bark looks attractive either cut or broken into ragged pieces. I pllace in cookie boxes lined with red cellophane.

Can I use mint extract instead of peppermint extract? ›

Because of the difference in menthol concentration, they are not ideal substitutes for one another despite having similar properties.

How long does store bought peppermint bark last? ›

A: Peppermint bark has a shelf life of 1 year.

Can dogs eat peppermint bark? ›

If your dog eats peppermint candy such a candy canes, peppermint bark, or peppermints, it might just cause an upset stomach. But it could also be life-threatening.

Who makes Costco peppermint bark? ›

Discovered by Laura Lamb at Costco Hot Finds, the Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark has made its triumphant return to the bakery department and fans have been sounding the alarm upon its arrival.

Is Williams Sonoma peppermint bark good? ›

If you really love mint, want your peppermint bark to have some heft, or plan to gift it to loved ones, Williams Sonoma is your best bet. If texture or price are the most important factors for you, Costco wins by a landslide.

What are the ingredients in Palmer peppermint bark? ›

INGREDIENTS: SUGAR, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (PALM KERNEL, COCONUT, AND/OR PALM), SKIM MILK, WHEY, CORN SYRUP, PEPPERMINT OIL, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), SALT, VANILLIN (ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR), U.S. CERTIFIED COLOR (FD&C RED #40).

Why is peppermint so popular during Christmas? ›

According to The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets, a local choirmaster in Cologne, Germany, sometime around 1670, was looking for a way to keep rowdy young people quiet while they were watching the live Nativity, and asked a local confectioner to create a special hard candy for the kids to keep busy on for a while.

Is peppermint candy good or bad for you? ›

Like everything else we consume, it's best to consume them in moderation. Eating enough peppermint candies helps reduce bad breath and relieve indigestion and other stomach problems. However, peppermint candies have a high calorie and sugar content. Eating them in excessive amounts is not good for your overall health.

Who made the original peppermint bark? ›

After 20 rounds of recipe testing, in 1998, Williams Sonoma founder Chuck Williams and the Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen team developed the signature recipe for The Original Peppermint Bark that sparked a food trend that is celebrated by chocolate enthusiasts around the world during the holiday season.

What peppermint candy is popular during Christmas time? ›

A candy cane is a cane-shaped stick candy often associated with Christmastide, as well as Saint Nicholas Day. It is traditionally white with red stripes and flavored with peppermint, but the canes also come in a variety of other flavors and colors.

How to keep peppermint bark from separating in the fridge? ›

Tips for Making the Best Peppermint Bark

You can also pick up the baking pan and tip it to help the chocolate slide around. Why are my layers separating? You may have chilled the layers for too long. Only refrigerate the bottom and middle layer for 10–15 minutes before spreading the next layer on top.

Why is my chocolate bark separating? ›

Don't let chocolate come in contact with water or steam, which cause it to seize. (Peppermint extract is made with alcohol so even though it's liquid, it won't seize). Let bark sit at room temperature for few minutes before slicing/breaking to prevent layers from separating.

How to keep peppermint candy from sticking together? ›

Avoid Moisture Mixes.

Storing these sweets in the same container will cause the harder candies to become sticky. To make sure that hard candies stay hard, sprinkle with finely ground sugar and store in an airtight jar.

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