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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Desserts (No Bake) ยป Peppermint Bark

    LAST UPDATED: February 20, 2021 โ€ข FIRST PUBLISHED: December 24, 2011 By Toni Dash 8 Comments

    Peppermint Bark

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    peppermint bark on white plate
    Shhh….I spiked Santa’s milk with a bit of Homemade Crème de Menthe.  I’m sure he must use a GPS and cruise control on his sleigh
     
    I know the mad push is on for the weekend of spirited festivities.  No one has time to read blog posts let alone add one more recipe to their plans.  However one detail that almost dropped off my list was Baking Cookies for Santa (somehow that fell behind finishing wrapping packages, meal planning and the other things that have undoubtedly slipped my mind at the moment that must get completed in the next 24 hours). 
    After a month of baking myself AND knowing Santa will have devoured 1.5 billion cookies before arriving at my house, I decided to whip up one of the most easy, versatile seasonal treats:  Peppermint Bark.  You may have seen several versions of this by now.  I love it because it can be tailored to your quantity needs and craving for specific chocolate type without a fuss.  It is a no-bake recipe and can be completed in about an hour which includes 30-40 minutes chilling.
     
    making peppermint bark
     
    I made two different versions this season.  One for my household in which white chocolate is not favored.  For this batch I used a quality dark chocolate and traditional Starlight peppermints.  For the second version which was for a few events I used a mixture of semi sweet and dark chocolate and candy canes for the peppermint, loving the vintage look to the green-red-white candy canes.  This is a recipe to make your own.  Use the chocolate you prefer.  Add more to make the bark thicker if you like.  Make more, make less.  It is a completely forgiving recipe.
     
    candy canes in glass
    PEPPERMINT BARK
    Yield:  1 cookie sheet of approximately ¼ inch bark
    Ingredients and Supplies:
    ·         2-12 ounce bags high quality dark chocolate chips (or 1 bag dark chocolate chips and 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips)
    ·         1 bag of Starlight Peppermints (I purchased a 7 ounce bag and did not use them all); if using candy canes, use one box
    ·         Plastic zip bag, waxed paper or paper bag
    ·         Kitchen towel
    ·         Hammer or meat pounder
    smashing candy canes
     
    1.      Line a cookie sheet (with sides; not completely flat) or similar sized pan with heavy foil.  Set aside.
    2.      Unwrap peppermint candies.  Place them inside a plastic zip bag or inside a folded piece of waxed paper or paper bag with room to take more space once broken down.  Cover the bag or paper with a kitchen towel to buffer the hammering.
     
    smashed candy canes with hammer
     
    broken candy canes with hammer
     
    3.      Pound the candies until they break apart leaving manageable bite-sized pieces.   Set aside.
     
     
    broken candy canes
     
    4.      In the top of a double boiler or in a metal heat-proof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water, melt the chocolate over medium heat stirring frequently until fully melted.  Alternatively if you have a ‘melt’ function on your microwave you may melt the chocolate that way as well.
    5.      Remove chocolate from heat and carefully pour into prepared pan.  Using a spatula spread chocolate to evenly cover bottom of the pan.
    6.      Sprinkle the top of the chocolate with the crushed peppermints, pushing the larger pieces into the chocolate to secure them better.  Place the pan into the refrigerator and chill until hard; about 30-40 minutes.
     
     
    peppermint bark
     
    7.      Remove pan from refrigerator.  Remove the foil with the bark from the pan onto a hard surface.  Manually break apart into bite size pieces.  Store in the refrigerator.
     
    peppermint bark on a blue snowflake plate
    Variations:
    1.       White and Darker Chocolate Layered Peppermint Bark:  Add a layer of melted white chocolate on the bottom of the pan.  Chill until hard.  Add a second layer of milk, semi sweet or dark chocolate and peppermints on top of that and chill until completely hardened.
    2.      Flavored Chocolate Bark:  Select a flavored chocolate bar to melt for the bark instead of standard chocolate chips.  I love Chocolove bars for their quality and of course being local.  Select a flavor you would enjoy with peppermint and give it a go.
    3.      Mix the peppermint into the chocolate instead of putting it on top only.
    peppermint bark on a white plate
     
    Wishing you and yours a warm, joy-filled holiday!
     
    candy canes in a glass

    Recipe

    peppermint bark on a white plate

    PEPPERMINT BARK

    Peppermint Bark is a delicious treat and so easy to make. The classic flavor combination of chocolate and peppermint is always a favorite and easy to change up too.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Chilling/setting time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 20 Yield:  1 cookie sheet of approximately ¼ inch bark
    Calories: 92kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    Hammer or meat pounder
    Plastic zip bag
    Kitchen towel

    Ingredients

    • 2 12-ounce bags high quality dark chocolate chips or 1 bag dark chocolate chips and 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
    • 1 bag Starlight Peppermints I purchased a 7 ounce bag and did not use them all; if using candy canes, use one box

    Instructions

    • Line a rimmed cookie sheet (with sides; not completely flat) or similar sized pan with heavy foil.  Set aside.
    • Unwrap peppermint candies.  Place them inside a plastic zip bag or inside a folded piece of waxed paper or paper bag with room to take more space once broken down.  Cover the bag or paper with a kitchen towel to buffer the hammering.
    • Pound the candies until they break apart leaving manageable bite-sized pieces.   Set aside.
    • In the top of a double boiler or in a metal heat-proof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water, melt the chocolate over medium heat stirring frequently until fully melted.  Alternatively if you have a ‘melt’ function on your microwave you may melt the chocolate that way as well.
    • Remove chocolate from heat and carefully pour into prepared pan.  Using a spatula spread chocolate to evenly cover bottom of the pan.
    • Sprinkle the top of the chocolate with the crushed peppermints, pushing the larger pieces into the chocolate to secure them better.  Place the pan into the refrigerator and chill until hard; about 30-40 minutes.
    • Remove pan from refrigerator.  Remove the foil with the bark from the pan onto a hard surface.  Manually break apart into bite size pieces.  Store in the refrigerator.
    • Variations:
    • White and Darker Chocolate Layered Peppermint Bark:  Add a layer of melted white chocolate on the bottom of the pan.  Chill until hard.  Add a second layer of milk, semi sweet or dark chocolate and peppermints on top of that and chill until completely hardened.
    • Flavored Chocolate Bark:  Select a flavored chocolate bar to melt for the bark instead of standard chocolate chips.  I love Chocolove bars for their quality and of course being local.  Select a flavor you would enjoy with peppermint and give it a go.
    • Mix the peppermint into the chocolate instead of putting it on top only.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 92kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1mg | Sugar: 15g
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. MyFudoโ„ข says

      December 26, 2011 at 1:21 am

      The mint-flavored milk is amazing! Can't wait to try it out…Will be a great treat for a milk lover like me. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    2. Julie says

      December 24, 2011 at 7:41 pm

      5 stars
      Beautifully decorated. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

      Reply
    3. Wanna Be A Country Cleaver says

      December 25, 2011 at 1:15 am

      Gorgeous, just gorgeous!! Happy Holidays!

      Reply
    4. ping says

      December 25, 2011 at 12:48 am

      Merry Christmas, Toni! Oh my, Santa's sleigh isn't going to be riding straight tonight! ๐Ÿ˜€ Oh, I recently had mint flavored almond milk (ice cold) and totally fell in love with it and I'm thinking spiking it this way would be quite exciting!

      Reply
    5. Molly @ Toffee Bits and Chocolate Chips says

      December 25, 2011 at 12:27 am

      Awesome thanks for sharing! I love how you used chocolate other than white! Merry Christmas!

      Reply
    6. Lea Ann says

      December 24, 2011 at 8:35 pm

      I think peppermint bark is just so pretty. Wish I had time to make some. Merry Christmas to you and your family Toni.

      Reply
    7. Chef Dennis says

      December 24, 2011 at 5:46 pm

      I love bark and have not made any this year at all…sigh and remember if you get Santa tipsy, he might be looking for a little present himself!

      All the best to your family and Have a very Merry Christmas!
      Dennis

      Reply
    8. Roxana GreenGirl {A little bit of everything} says

      December 24, 2011 at 1:16 pm

      if Santa doesn't eat the peppermint bark after test testing the minted milk, you can always send it to my house. I love peppermint bark!
      Happy Holidays Toni!

      Reply
    5 from 2 votes

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    Welcome! Iโ€™m Toni Dash. Iโ€™m a Certified Nutrition Coach and the professional writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavoreยฎ. Iโ€™m so glad you are here!

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