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Homemade peppermint bark is the easiest Christmas candy I make, and it beats any tin from the store. You get creamy white chocolate, rich semi sweet, and crunchy candy canes with a cool hit of peppermint in every piece.
For me, peppermint bark and Christmas are the same thing. I make a batch to break into pieces for holiday treat trays and to package up with other homemade candy for friends and neighbors. It also takes me back to when my kids were little, because crushing the candy canes was the one job they always wanted.
This is the version I reach for year after year, and the one I feel good handing out. It breaks into neat, sturdy pieces instead of the two layers sliding apart the way homemade bark so often does.
If you love this flavor in every form, my peppermint bark puppy chow turns the same white chocolate and candy cane combination into a snackable Christmas mix. For another minty chocolate option, my peppermint Oreo truffles are a no bake option that packages up beautifully.
TESTED FAVORITE
Why I Tuck Candy Canes Between the Layers, Not Just on Top
Most peppermint bark saves all the crushed candy for the top, so you only taste peppermint when you hit a piece on the surface. I do it differently. I press crushed candy canes between the chocolate layers as well as on top, and I split the peppermint between the semi sweet and the white chocolate. That is why this version tastes like peppermint in every bite from start to finish, without ever tipping into too much.
What You’ll Need
- Semi sweet chocolate baking bars: This is the bottom layer and the richer side of the flavor. Use chopped baking bars, not chocolate chips. Chips have stabilizers that keep them from melting smoothly and make the layers more likely to separate once the bark sets.
- White chocolate baking bars: These melt finickier than the semi sweet, so go low and slow and stop while a few pieces still hold their shape, then stir them smooth. Look for bars without palm oil, which is the ingredient that makes layers slide apart. Lindt bars come in 4.4 ounce sizes and Ghirardelli in 4 ounce, and either one works with no other changes.
- Peppermint extract: A little carries a long way, so measure it and resist the urge to pour in more. Too much tips the flavor from cool and minty into sharp.
- Crushed candy canes: Divide these in half before you start, since they go on in two stages. You need about 8 to 9 standard candy canes.
How to Make Peppermint Bark
Step 1: Melt the Semi Sweet Chocolate. Line a quarter sheet pan (about 13×9 inches) with parchment, leaving an overhang to lift the bark out later. Melt the chopped semi sweet chocolate in short microwave bursts, stirring between each, then stir in half of the peppermint extract.
Step 2: Spread the Chocolate Layer. Spread the chocolate into an even layer.
Step 3: Scatter the Crushed Candyand Chill the Bottom Layer. Scatter half the crushed candy canes over it. Chill for 10 to 15 minutes, until set but still tacky enough to hold a fingerprint.
Step 4: Add the White Chocolate Layer. Melt the white chocolate the same way and stir in the rest of the extract. Pour it over the tacky bottom layer and spread to cover.
Step 5: Scatter the rest of the crushed candy. Scatter the remaining candy canes on top.
Step 6: Chill, Then Break. Refrigerate for 45 to 60 minutes, until fully set. Lift the bark out by the parchment and break it into pieces or cut it into squares.
How to Store It
Peppermint bark keeps really well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, and that is how I store it most of the time. Keeping moisture away is the main thing, since any dampness can make the crushed candy canes turn sticky.
For longer storage you can refrigerate it for up to 4 weeks in a well sealed container, again watching for moisture. It also freezes for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator or at cool room temperature so condensation does not form on the chocolate.
More Christmas Candy Recipes
Peppermint Bark
Ingredients
- 12 ounces finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate baking bars Crushed
- ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract divided
- ⅔ cup crushed candy canes divided (⅓ cup sprinkled on each layer of melted chocolate – from 8-9 standard sized candy canes)
- 16 ounces finely chopped white chocolate baking bars
Instructions
- Line a quarter sheet pan (13×9-inch) with parchment paper. Be sure to leave enough parchment paper overhanging the sides to easily lift the chilled peppermint bark from the pan once set.
- In a microwave safe glass bowl, melt the finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate for 1 minute, then heat in 1 to 2 more 30 second intervals (being sure to stir the chocolate between each heating interval) just until most of the chopped chocolate is melted. A few small pieces of chocolate that are not fully melted are fine, as they will continue to melt as the chocolate is stirred.12 ounces finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate baking bars
- Add ½ teaspoon peppermint extract to the melted semi-sweet chocolate and stir to a smooth consistency.0.5 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Spread the melted semi-sweet chocolate into an even layer in the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle ⅓ cup of the crushed candy canes evenly over the melted semi-sweet chocolate layer. Place the pan into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes or just until the chocolate is just starting to set. The chocolate should still be a little tacky to the touch (leaving a fingerprint in the chocolate but not pressing all the way through) to help ensure the white chocolate layer adheres properly and does not separate once fully chilled, set, and broken into serving pieces.0.33 cup crushed candy canes
- During the last 3-4 minutes of the chill time for the semi-sweet chocolate layer, add the chopped white chocolate to a separate microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute. Stir, then heat in 30 second intervals (stirring between each interval) until most of the white chocolate chunks have melted. Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract and stir until smooth.16 ounces finely chopped white chocolate baking bars, 0.25 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Remove the pan from the refrigerator, pour the melted white chocolate over the slightly set semi-sweet chocolate layer spreading to fully cover the first layer of chocolate and crushed candy canes. A small offset spatula works well to quickly and evenly smooth the white chocolate layer.
- Top the melted white chocolate evenly with the remaining ⅓ cup crushed candy canes. Refrigerate the peppermint bark for an additional 45-60 minutes or just until fully set.0.33 cup crushed candy canes
- Remove the chilled peppermint bark from the refrigerator and carefully lift it out of the pan using the overhanging parchment paper. Break the bark into about 2 to 2½-inch sized pieces with your hands or use a large sharp knife to cut the bark into more uniform sized square pieces.
- Serve the bark immediately or place into an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Jenn’s Notes
- Use chopped baking bars, not chocolate chips, and check that they do not contain palm oil so the layers hold together.
- Only chill the bottom layer 10 to 15 minutes, until set but still tacky, so the white chocolate bonds to it.
- Split the peppermint extract between both chocolates and layer candy canes between and on top for peppermint in every bite.
I made this bark and then made myself sick eating so much. It turned out great! So much so, I taught my nephew how to make it. I think it’ll become a holiday staple.
Can another oil be used in place of the coconut oil? I could only find large containers at the grocery store, and I don’t need it for anything else…
Thanks for all your great recipes!!
I have been looking at alot of your Christmas recipes to do with my grandkids while they are with us. And Love them all going to be hard picking.