Peppermint Bark Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Peppermint Bark is a loved classic Christmas treat made with 5 ingredients and ready in 15 minutes! The recipe has layers of rich, minty chocolate topped with crushed candy canes for a favorite homemade candy ready for gifting or nibbling in minutes!
Peppermint bark makes a much-loved addition to any Christmas cookie tray or candy platter. It also makes a thoughtful and festive gift! An impressive gift on its own, or add other favorite holiday candies like Divinity, Chocolate Truffles, and Peanut Butter Balls.
Peppermint bark is a holiday favorite around my house and something my whole family loves. When my son was just a little boy, we used to buy a festive tin of this candy on our trip to visit Santa. While that was a fun tradition, we love my homemade peppermint bark recipe much more – it’s delicious and fun to make, so we love making it at home every Christmas season!
Why You’ll Love This Peppermint Bark
Homemade – Made from scratch, so it’s fresh and delicious!
Quick and easy – Ready to enjoy in about 15 minutes since my recipe uses the freezer. And it’s simple to melt and spread the chocolates and add crushed candy canes!
Just a few ingredients – Only 5 ingredients are needed for this recipe.
Fun and festive – Colorful, delicious, and festive for the holidays for all ages!
How to Make Peppermint Bark Recipe
You can make peppermint bark with minimal ingredients and in less than 15 minutes. I love making several batches each year to enjoy with my family and friends and share with others. It’s been a favorite here with my readers as well since I originally shared it in 2010!
Here’s how you’ll make it:
Peppermint Bark Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
For this homemade recipe, you’ll need chocolate chips/wafers, coconut oil, white chocolate candy melts/melting wafers, peppermint extract, and crushed candy canes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep. Line a baking dish, leaving enough of the waxed paper to overhang the edges of the dish. This helps easily lift the finished bark from the dish when ready.
- Make the chocolate layer. Add chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave-safe dish, heat for about a minute, and stir until smooth. Next, I stir my peppermint extract into my melted chocolate, pour it into the prepared baking dish, and place it into the freezer to freeze the chocolate layer of the peppermint bark.
- Make the white chocolate layer. Melt white chocolate candy melts and then spread the melted white chocolate candy melts over the frozen chocolate layer. Sprinkle crushed candy canes or peppermint candies over the top of the melted white chocolate candy melts and return the baking dish to the freezer for the peppermint bark to freeze.
- Break apart your peppermint bark. Once frozen, remove the baking dish from the freezer and lift the peppermint bark from the baking dish using the extended edges of the waxed paper. Break the bark into pieces and store it in a dish, tin, or cellophane bag for serving or gifting.
Tips for the Best Peppermint Bark
- Use good-quality chocolate
- The bark is quick, easy, and ready to enjoy in a snap since my recipe uses the freezer for part of the process.
- Extend the edges of the waxed paper for easy lifting and removal from the pan.
Storage Tips
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 weeks.
More Favorite Christmas and Holiday Recipes
If you love homemade holiday treats, you may also enjoy these!
Here’s how I make my peppermint bark recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Peppermint Bark Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, milk, semi-sweet, or dark
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil, divided
- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate candy melts/melting wafers
- 4 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
Instructions
- Place waxed paper in a 13×9 baking dish. Leave enough waxed paper along edges to lift peppermint bark from baking dish later.
- Add chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon coconut oil to a medium glass bowl. Heat in microwave for about 1 minute. If not melted, heat in 30 second increments until it is melted. Remove from microwave and stir until smooth. Add 2 teaspoons peppermint extract to melted milk chocolate and stir until well-combined. Pour chocolate into the prepared baking dish and place in the freezer until hardened, approximately 3 minutes.
- Repeat the same process with the white chocolate candy melts. Remove baking dish from freezer and spread white chocolate over frozen chocolate. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candies over white chocolate and return to the freezer until firm, approximately 3 minutes.
- Remove from freezer and pull waxed paper from baking dish. Break peppermint bark into pieces. Place on a dish, in a tin, or in cellophane bags for gift giving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally published 2010.
Oh my! What happened? I followed the recipe exactly, except… I did use the vanilla wafers and chocolate wafers instead of chips. My chocolate layer and vanilla layer separated when it was time to break them into pieces. It’s still yummy!
Nadine, always let the peppermint bark come to room temperature before breaking apart. Make sure white chocolate contains cocoa butter and not oils which will cause it to separate from the chocolate layer when breaking. Thanks!
I can’t wait to make your Peppermint Bark I fell in love with peppermint bark coffee creamer last year and went to store and bought 7 bottles of it in Jan so I would have some all year now it looks like I will be saving money making my own and I’m sure taste much better also Thank You
When you find a good thing, you have to stock up! 🙂 I hope you love my peppermint bark recipe as much as the creamer! It is a family favorite recipe for sure!
Sometimes, when I make peppermint bark, my white chocolate and milk chocolate layers separate. It happens when I “break” it apart to serve. Any suggestions or know why this happens? Thanks!
Hi Fran,
This has never happened to me, but maybe this will help.
Let the peppermint bark come to room temperature before breaking apart. Make sure white chocolate contains cocoa butter and not oils which will cause it to separate from the chocolate layer when breaking. Thanks!
I just tried this recipe for the first time. My house smells of peppermint and I love it. I just wanted to comment about seized chocolate as both my milk chocolate and white chocolate seized when I added the extract. Admittedly my milk chocolate was way too hot when I added the extract. I’ve never known how to recover seized chocolate before but I tried Robyn’s suggestion from other reviewers comments about it and low and behold it worked! I did have to add 2 tsp of coconut oil in the end to each chocolate (1 tsp + heat then stir and repeat until recovered) but it did indeed recover it. I’m here to say all was not lost. Thank you so much for this very simple recovery tip.
So glad it helped you! Thanks so much Monique! xo
I made these last year and they came out so delicious i decided I am starting a new tradition and making this every year. Thank you for this wonderful recipe! : )
It’s a wonderful tradition, Danielle! It’s one in our home too because my son (and the rest of us) love it so much! I’m so glad you enjoy it! Thanks! xo
Just made the bark. I had trouble finding white choc candy melts. I did find Ghiradelli white chocolate baking bars that contained cocoa butter.
Where did you find the chips?
Thanks! Donna
Hi Donna,
I’ve found them at my local Publix and Kroger grocery stores.
This recipe worked great for me. I made 5 batches for holiday gifts and it all turned out perfect. Everyone loves peppermint bark.
What a great gift! I’m so happy you enjoy this – it’s my son’s very favorite too! Thanks so much, Jenna! Have a wonderful holiday! xo