Christmas chocolate bark is a sweet and festive holiday treat! The bark candy is easy to make with red and green M&M’s, sprinkles, peppermint extract, plus white and milk chocolate. It's delicious, and makes a great holiday food gift!
This Christmas bark is the ultimate holiday treat for chocolate lovers! It's unbelievably easy to make and is great if you need something when you are in a pinch for a cute gift.
It also makes for the perfect simple holiday treat if you don't love to bake!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Fun to make: This Christmas bark is fun to decorate and to make. It's the perfect holiday activity!
- Customizable: This recipe can easily be made for any holiday and time of the year. Swap out the flavor and sprinkles.
- Easy: You don't even need the oven for this one! Melt, spread, and sprinkle!
This chocolate peppermint candy is a Christmas party favorite, along with others like Rice Krispie Christmas Treats, Peanut Butter Blossoms, and Hot Cocoa Cookies!
Why is it Called Chocolate Bark?
Chocolate bark get's its name because of its resemblance to tree bark. Depending on the type of toppings you add, it could appear "woody".
Ingredients
See ingredient substitutions and variations in the next section. ⬇️
To make this simple Christmas candy recipe, all you need are these 5 ingredients:
- chocolate chips
- white chocolate chips
- peppermint extract - Be sure to get peppermint extract and not mint extract. Their flavors are completely different.
- red and green sprinkles
- Christmas M&Ms
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- chocolate chips: Any type of chocolate or melting wafers will work well. Milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet, and dark chocolate are all delicious options. Another option is to chop up solid chocolate candy bars.
- white chocolate chips: If you don't like white chocolate you can skip it and sub in colored red and green chocolate or use dark chocolate.
- peppermint extract: Peppermint oil is a suitable substitute for peppermint extract, but only use half the amount of oil for extract, as it is very potent. You can also use creme de menthe, but you will need 3 times the amount for the same flavor.
- red and green sprinkles: Any type of red and green sprinkles will work, there are many varieties out there! The ones you find may look different than the ones in my photos. (Save the leftover sprinkles and use them in these Christmas Butter Cookies!)
- Christmas M&M's: Any red and green chocolate candies work well. There are many different flavors and types of M&Ms to choose from, even varieties with pretzels, almonds, and peanuts. If using peanut M&Ms, give them a rough chop first.
This chocolate bark recipe is really versatile and adaptable! Feel free to be creative and use any type or color of festive sprinkles or candies that you enjoy. Use different colors for other holidays, such as pink and red for a Valentine's Day treat, or pastel colors for Easter candy.
Other tasty topping ideas for the peppermint bark include mini marshmallows, broken candy canes, and nuts like pistachios or cashews.
How to Make Christmas Chocolate Bark Candy
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave or over a double boiler on the stove top.
- Spread into an even layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Keep in mind that the bark candy will be broken into pieces, so it doesn't have to look perfect!
- Melt the white chocolate while the other chocolate is chilling in the freezer.
- Spread melted white chocolate over the set milk chocolate.
- Scatter candies and sprinkles over the chocolate bark candy.
- Break Christmas chocolate bark into pieces. The candy will be pretty thick, so use a sharp knife if you can't break it with your hands.
Liz's Tips for the Best Candy Bark
- You can melt chocolate in the microwave or by using a double boiler. Boil a pot of water and place a glass bowl on top, but make sure the bowl does not touch the water.
Simmer on low heat, allowing the steam to melt the chocolate. Stir the chocolate constantly. Keep any and all water out of the chocolate, as it will cause it to seize up and not spread. - For thinner bark, use a larger baking sheet, which will make the layers thinner.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, so the chocolate bark is easier to break apart.
- If you have extra bark leftover, chop it up and stir it into the batter for dark chocolate brownies!
Serving and Gifting Ideas
Serving chocolate bark can be just as fun as making it! Here are a couple of options:
- Break into pieces: Break a piece off and snack right away!
- With hot cocoa: Whether you dip it, snack as you drink, or melt the whole piece in your hot cocoa, is up to you.
- Gifting: This homemade candy is great for gifting because it's so easy to make, and it stores and ships well!
- Chocolate board or dessert table: Pieces of Christmas chocolate bark add a festive touch on a holiday dessert table.
Packaging candy in clear plastic bags tied with a bow is a fun option for a kiddo's party. Or, if you go the candy bar route, some foil, and a customized label for a more sophisticated candy gift.
Storage
How long does Christmas Bark keep?: Store in an airtight container in a room temperature cool room for up to a month.
Freezing: The Christmas bark can be frozen for up to 2-3 months in an airtight container. Wrap the Christmas bark tightly with parchment paper and then plastic wrap.
Christmas Bark Recipe FAQ
Yes you can, you can substitute chocolate bark for chocolate chips 1:1.
To slice up your chocolate bark without it cracking, you'll want it to come to room temperature first. If it's still chilled from the fridge it will crack. Using a combination of room-temperature bark, and a knife that's been run under hot water should do the trick.
Make sure not to place your chocolate bark in the sunlight or in front of a window. If you find that the room temperature is too warm, place it back in the fridge to harden.
Absolutely not! While a lot of professional chocolatiers will temper chocolate, it isn't necessary. We want a quick and fun dessert, so using the microwave or even a double boiler for a quick temper will still make a delicious chocolate bark.
Other Great Holiday Recipes
- Saltine Cracker Candy
- Easy Caramel Popcorn
- Easy Peanut Brittle
- White Peppermint Fudge
- Gingerbread Cake Recipe
- Cranberry Pie Recipe
Easy Christmas Chocolate Bark
Ingredients
- 12 ounces milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 12 ounces white chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 tablespoons red and green sprinkles
- ¼ cup M&Ms red and green
Instructions
- Line a 9x13 sheet pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Add the milk chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Melt on high power in 20-second increments, stirring between each. Continue until chocolate chips melt completely.
- Pour the melted chocolate chips onto the prepared sheet pan. Use the back of a spoon or silicone spatula to spread into an even layer. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes, or until fully set.
- Add the white chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Melt on high power in 20-second increments, stirring between each. Continue until chocolate chips melt completely.Add the peppermint extract to the white chocolate chips and stir to incorporate.
- Allow the melted white chocolate to cool for 5 minutes, to prevent it from melting the other chocolate.
- Pour the melted white chocolate chips over the milk chocolate chips. Use the back of a spoon or silicone spatula to spread into an even layer. *Some of the darker chocolate may show through, but that is okay, because it will be covered with toppings.
- Scatter the colored sprinkles over the chocolate bark while it's still tacky, then top with the M&M’s.
- Place in the freezer for 10 minutes, or until fully set.
- Once the Christmas bark is completely set, use your hands to break it into smaller pieces. Alternatively, use a sharp knife that has been run under hot water from the faucet and dried off.
- Store in an airtight container in a cool room temperature area or in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- You can melt chocolate in the microwave or by using a double boiler. Boil a pot of water and place a glass bowl on top, but make sure the bowl does not touch the water. Simmer on low heat, allowing the steam to melt the chocolate. Stir the chocolate constantly. Keep any and all water out of the chocolate, as it will cause it to seize up and not spread.
- For thinner bark, use a larger baking sheet, which will make the layers thinner.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, so the chocolate bark is easier to break apart.
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