This double chocolate swirled peppermint bark has layers of dark chocolate and white chocolate swirled together, then topped with crushed peppermint for the perfect Christmas treat!
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What is Peppermint Bark?
Peppermint bark is a fun holiday treat made from chocolate and crushed candy canes! It's referred to as "bark" because when broken into pieces, it resembles the uneven, rough surface of tree bark.
Typically peppermint bark has two distinct layers of dark and white chocolate. But I like to swirl the layers together to make this beautiful marbled pattern!
- Super easy to make! This festive marbled peppermint bark only takes 4 ingredients and 10 minutes to make.
- Customizable! You can customize this peppermint bark however you want! Swap dark chocolate for milk chocolate, top with chopped nuts, crushed pretzels, etc.!
- Great for gifting! I love making cookie boxes to gift friends and family for Christmas and this peppermint bark is a perfect addition.
You might also like these peppermint bark cupcakes, peppermint bark brownies, or this chocolate peppermint pie!
Ingredient Notes
You only need 4 ingredients to make this marbled peppermint bark!
Peppermint Extract - This is optional, but you can add a little bit of peppermint extract to one or both of the chocolate layers! You can find peppermint extract next to the vanilla at the grocery store or online! Just note that peppermint extract is very strong, so you only need a little bit for great peppermint flavor!
Candy Canes - You can use crushed candy canes or crushed peppermints for the peppermint bark topping! The easiest way to crush candy canes is to place them in a plastic bag and gently smash with a rolling pin.
White & Dark Chocolate - I like using a combination of dark chocolate and white chocolate, but you could also use milk chocolate. High quality chocolate baking bars are best because they melt the most smoothly and have the best flavor! I don't recommend chocolate chips as they contain emulsifiers and won't melts as beautifully. Some of my favorite baking chocolate bars are:
- Guittard - This is my number one choice! It's super high quality, affordable, and pretty easy to find. You can usually get it at Whole Foods or Target.
- Vahlrona - This is the chocolate that a lot of pastry chefs swear by! It's usually hard to find in stores, but comes in a ton of different forms and is easy to purchase online.
- Callebaut - This is amazing chocolate that comes in block form, but is usually much harder to find but Whole Foods usually has it as do specialty stores.
- Scharffen Berger - I've never actually tried this brand but I've heard a lot of great things about it.
- Ghirardelli - The most affordable and widely available baking bars that are still high quality! I always have their semi-sweet baking bars on hand!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Marbled Peppermint Bark
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set aside.
Finely chop both the dark chocolate and white chocolate and add to separate glass bowls.
You can melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave. To melt in the microwave, melt the dark chocolate in 20 second intervals and the white chocolate for 15 second intervals, stirring well between each one. When the chocolate is mostly melted, just continue to stir but let the residual heat from the bowl finish melted the chocolate (this keeps it from overheating). [If you want to be precise, I highly recommend tempering the chocolate.]
Once the chocolate is melted, if desired you can add ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract and stir to combine (I like to add it just to the white chocolate but you can do ¼ teaspoon in each).
Pour the dark chocolate onto the lined baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Then drizzle the white chocolate over top.
Then using a toothpick or butter knife, create fun swirls in the top of the chocolate. Be sure to work quickly before the chocolate starts to set.
Immediately sprinkle the top with crushed peppermint pieces then let the swirled peppermint bark harden completely (you can let it harden at room temperature for about 2 hours or in the fridge for about 45 minutes).
Once the marbled peppermint bark is completely hardened, use a sharp knife to cut or use your hands to gently break into pieces.
Recipe FAQ's
This swirled peppermint bark will last in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks! The chocolate shouldn't melt at room temperature but if you're concerned you can also store it in the fridge.
Yes! After you break the marbled peppermint bark into pieces, you can freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months (I like to freeze it in vacuum seal bags for optimal freshness).
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Swirled Peppermint Bark
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 8 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ cup crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set aside.
- Finely chop both the dark chocolate and white chocolate and add to separate glass bowls.
- You can melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave. To melt in the microwave, melt the dark chocolate in 20 second intervals and the white chocolate for 15 second intervals, stirring well between each one. When the chocolate is mostly melted, just continue to stir but let the residual heat from the bowl finish melted the chocolate (this keeps it from overheating). [If you want to be precise, I highly recommend tempering the chocolate.]
- Once the chocolate is melted, if desired you can add ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract and stir to combine (I like to add it just to the white chocolate but you can do ¼ teaspoon in each).
- Pour the dark chocolate onto the lined baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Then drizzle the white chocolate over top.
- Then using a toothpick or butter knife, create fun swirls in the top of the chocolate. Be sure to work quickly before the chocolate starts to set.
- Immediately sprinkle the top with crushed peppermint pieces then let the peppermint bark harden completely (you can let it harden at room temperature for about 2 hours or in the fridge for about 45 minutes).
- Once the marbled peppermint bark is completely hardened, use a sharp knife to cut or use your hands to gently break into pieces.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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