Easy Homemade Peppermint Bark
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 12 ounces white chocolate, chopped*
- 1 teeny tiny drop of peppermint extract, optional
- 1 cup crushed peppermints or candy canes
Instructions:
- Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper. My pan was about 8×15, but a 9×12 or any size around there will work.
- Fill a large pot with about an inch of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Place a heat-safe bowl over the pot and fill it with the dark or bittersweet chocolate. Let the chocolate sit, stirring occasionally, until completely melted.
- Pour melted chocolate into the prepared sheet pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Let the chocolate rest until it is almost set (you can do this at room temperature or in the fridge if you’re in a hurry). I like it to be just slightly sticky to the touch still when I add the white chocolate. This way, the chocolate will hold together better rather than just separating.
- Repeat the process with the white chocolate. Note that white chocolate burns really easily so I highly recommend using this method rather than the microwave to melt it. If you want a slightly stronger peppermint flavor, add the little drop of peppermint extract and stir it in. I think it just adds a really lovely peppermint smell and slight additional flavor to the bark.
- Spread the white chocolate in an even layer over the dark chocolate. Don’t worry about it if some of it mixes a bit. It will mostly get covered up by the peppermint.
- Place the peppermints or candy canes in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin or something similar to crush them. Sprinkle on top of the melted white chocolate.
- Let the bark set completely either at room temperature, in the fridge or in the freezer, before breaking into pieces. Just use a knife to start cutting them up, and you will get plenty of jagged pieces. If you want squares like in the photos, slice before it is completely hard.