Easy Peppermint Bark
This nostalgic holiday treat is sure to be family favorite. Now you can make a copy cat version of the famous peppermint bark recipe sold in stores. This peppermint bark dupe rivals the taste of the name-brand version and costs less too. Great for holiday gifting!
Ingredients
The secret to delicious peppermint bark is high-quality chocolate. Look for chocolate with cocoa butter, not palm oil. Chocolate chips, especially white chocolate chips, typically contain palm oil and stabilizers. For the creamiest texture, opt for brands like Guittard, Lindt, or Ghirardelli. Our preference is baking bars vs. chips.
- 1 pound semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 pound white chocolate
- 1 teaspoon food-grade peppermint oil
- ½ cup peppermint candy, crushed (candy canes or sticks work well)
- 9" x 13" baking pan or 12" x 18" sheet pan (9" x 13" yields a thicker bark. If you want a thinner bark, opt for the sheet pan)
Line your baking pan with foil or parchment paper, letting it hang over the sides. If using foil, spray the foil with a very light layer of cooking spray. Be sure to smooth out the foil or paper.
Melt the semi-sweet chocolate in a double-boiler, then pour into the baking pan. If using semi-sweet chips, you can also pour the chips into the pan in an even layer, warm them in a 250 degree oven for 5 minutes until almost melted, and smooth with an offset spatula or knife. Shake the pan gently to smooth the chocolate and get rid of any bubbles. Place in the refrigerator for approx. 20 minutes to cool and firm.
Next, crush the peppermint candy by placing it in a plastic bag and crushing it with a rolling pin or kitchen mallet. For best results, sift the candy and separate the crushed pieces from the dust, keeping both.
When the semi-sweet chocolate is set, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler until the chocolate is almost melted. Stir until completely smooth, and add the peppermint oil and mix quickly. Let it cool a little bit so it doesn't melt the bottom layer.
Pour the white chocolate over the semi-sweet layer. Gently shake until bottom layer is covered and the white chocolate is smooth.
Sprinkle crushed peppermints over melted white chocolate. Gently press candy into chocolate to help it stay put when broken later. If desired, sprinkle some of the candy dust as well.
Return to refrigerator to set completely. Once set, allow candy to come to room temperature, remove from pan using the parchment or foil, and transfer to a cutting board.
Break by hand or use a chefs knife to score the chocolate diagonally and then break into pieces.
Tips:
- Use high quality ingredients. It will still cost less than the expensive store version!
- Use a double boiler vs. melting chocolate in the microwave. This will give a smoother texture
- Never allow any water into the chocolate when melting – this will cause the chocolate to seize. Also a reason to use peppermint oil vs. extract.
- Allow the bottom layer to return to room temperature before pouring the white layer on. This will help keep the layers from separating.
- Wait until the final product is at room temperature before cutting. Again, this helps keep the layers from separating.
