Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe

Homemade Peppermint Bark is super easy to make. Layers of minty white chocolate, dark chocolate and sprinkled with crushed candy canes is a festive gift you can make for all your friends on your list.

Peppermint Bark

We are OBSESSED with Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark during the holiday season. It’s smooth and peppermint-y, a refreshing departure from the usual tin of cookies that every is used to making. I used to receive a tin every year from my mother in law and would devour it, pretty much, the same day I’d get it.

It’s a pretty simple concept and it’s super easy to make, but there was something magical about the Peppermint Bark we’d get for a gift so I set out to make my own and make it just as amazing. 

This easy Peppermint Bark recipe is the best homemade version I’ve come across and it’s pretty darn close to the real deal. The secret? Buy the best chocolate you can, not just expensive but high quality. They sell some great ones at grocery stores….mine even sells Guittard, the same chocolate Williams Sonoma uses to make their chocolate bark. It’s simply the best Peppermint Bark you’ll ever sink your teeth into.

Ingredients for Peppermint Bark

• Chocolate – I used a combination of white chocolate and dark chocolate melting wafers, or candy melts, for this recipe. You can also substitute with milk chocolate. Be sure to use a high quality chocolate and avoid using white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips because they contain ingredients that make them difficult to melt until smooth.
• Peppermint Extract – For the essence of peppermint, we use peppermint extract but use sparingly because it can sometimes cause the chocolate to seize. Natural Peppermint oil is also a good substitute.
• Peppermint Candy – Crushed candy canes or peppermint candies are the festive crunch on this easy chocolate bark.

For the full ingredient measurements and instructions, see the recipe card below.

What is Peppermint Bark?

If you’ve never tried a Homemade Peppermint Bark recipe, you’re in for a real treat! It’s a chocolate candy that’s made of a layer of dark chocolate (or milk chocolate, if you’re not a fan of dark chocolate), a layer of white chocolate infused with peppermint and topped with crushed candy cane pieces.

It’s popular around the Christmas season when candy canes are widely available and commonly sold in tins just about every store. But, it’s also insanely easy to make along with my Christmas cookies and give to friends as holiday gifts as a festive treat!

I love it so much I even made these super easy, NO BAKE Peppermint Bark Cookies!

How To Make Peppermint Bark

Here’s the best part about making peppermint bark…..you don’t even need to be a great cook to pull this one off. If you can work a microwave, you’re in business! You can melt the chocolate in a double boiler, too, but this microwave method is simple and quick.

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the dark chocolate at 50% power for 1 minute. 
2. Stir and then heat for 30-second intervals stirring each time until completely melted. Stir in 1/2 the peppermint extract.
3. Pour the melted dark chocolate onto a baking sheet or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (I like to use a Silpat mat) and spread with an offset spatula to form an even dark chocolate layer. Allow the bottom layer to cool and harden.
4. In a microwave bowl, melt the white chocolate at 50% power for 1 minute. Stir in the remaining peppermint extract.
5. Stir and then heat for 30-second intervals stirring each time until completely melted. 
6. Pour the melted white chocolate over the dark chocolate and spread to form an even white chocolate layer with an offset spatula. Top the top chocolate layer with the crushed candy canes and allow to cool and harden.
7. Break, or cut, the bark into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Pro Tips for Perfect Peppermint Bark

• I like to use crushed candy canes for this recipe but you can use peppermint candies, if you prefer. Mini candy canes break up into smaller pieces which some people prefer.
• Crush your candy canes in a zip-top bag covered with a kitchen towel to minimize the mess. The candy can poke holes in the bag while breaking up with a meat mallet or rolling pin leaving you with a sticky mess….the towel helps contain it a little better.
• Not a dark chocolate fan, use semisweet chocolate or milk chocolate instead. Or just use all white chocolate instead of chocolate layers, if you prefer.
• Before cutting your peppermint bark, be sure to allow it to come to room temperature for easier cutting. It’s the easiest way to ensure your layers stay in tact.

How To Keep Peppermint Bark LayersFrom Separating

Sometimes, if you’re hasty, your white and dark chocolate will separate while cutting. To avoid separation of your peppermint bark, allow your dark chocolate to set at room temperature and then gently spread the white chocolate on top.

If your dark chocolate is too cold when you spread the white chocolate, it won’t have a chance to bond together.

Also, allow your peppermint bark to sit at room temperature before cutting and do not cut it while cold or you can break the bond between the two chocolates causing your bark to separate.

How To Store Peppermint Bark

Your chocolate bark can be stored safely at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. You can also keep your peppermint bark in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

I do not recommend freezing Peppermint Bark as the chocolate can separate and the candy topping will become sticky.

Variations for Peppermint Bark

It’s easy to mix up your Peppermint Bark recipe a bit if you want to get creative. Here are a few of our favorite ways to mix things up:

• Swirled Peppermint Bark is a fun activity for kids! Instead of layering your chocolate, simply swirl it together using a butter knife or chopstick.
• Swap out your peppermint candies for crushed nuts or M&M candies.
• Make your Peppermint Bark red and green by using all white chocolate then coloring half red and half green using food coloring.
• Skip the peppermint candies and extract, top your bark with festive holiday sprinkles and nuts.

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More Easy Candy Recipes

• Bourbon Dark Chocolate Truffles
• Dark Chocolate Champagne Truffles
• Crockpot Candy
• Pink Champagne Gummy Bears
• Snowman Marshmallow Hot Cocoa Toppers
• Super easy Pecan Pralines
• Sea Salted Caramels