How to Make Peppermint Bark

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 15, 2021 References

Peppermint bark is a decadent dessert that contains both rich chocolate and a refreshing peppermint crunch with every bite! It’s great to eat during the holiday season and is quite easy to prepare. Your holiday guests will be impressed with your creativity and culinary skills as they dig into these sweet treats!

Ingredients

30 hard peppermint candies
1 ½ pounds of milk chocolate
1 ½ pounds of white chocolate
½ teaspoon of oil-based peppermint flavoring

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making the Milk Chocolate Layer

1
Place the milk chocolate in a bowl. Take high-quality bars of milk or dark chocolate and break them apart to make smaller pieces. Put the chocolate pieces into a microwave safe bowl and place the bowl in the microwave.^{[1]
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2
Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds. Cook the chocolate in the microwave on 50% power for thirty seconds. Chocolate tends to burn in the microwave if it is cooked too long, so make sure not to cook it for more than 30 seconds.^{[2]
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- You can also use a double boiler to melt the chocolate if you prefer. Pour water in the bottom section of the boiler until about an inch from the top, then place it under low heat. Break apart the chocolate into pieces and place them into the top pan of the double boiler. Stir the chocolate continuously until it is melted.^{[3]
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3
Stir the chocolate. Open up the microwave and stir the chocolate with a spoon, mixing it around the bowl. This will encourage equal melting and ensure that the chocolate doesn’t burn.
4
Microwave and stir until the chocolate is smooth. Put the chocolate back in the microwave and cook for 30 seconds. Take it out and stir it again. Repeat this process until the chocolate is completely smooth.^{[4]
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5
Stir peppermint oil into the chocolate. Measure out 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint oil and pour it into the bowl of milk or dark chocolate. Stir the chocolate thoroughly to distribute the peppermint oil evenly throughout. This will infuse the chocolate with a subtle peppermint flavor.^{[5]
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6
Pour the chocolate into a pan. After the chocolate is completely smooth, line a 9 x 12 pan with parchment paper. Then pour the melted milk or dark chocolate into the pan. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure you get all of the chocolate out.^{[6]
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7
Distribute the chocolate evenly. Make sure that all the chocolate is spread evenly in the pan. Lift up the pan and tap the bottom gently against the counter to encourage spreading and to remove air bubbles. You can also use a spatula to spread the chocolate around. Makes sure the chocolate is about a third of an inch thick.^{[7]
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8
Let the chocolate set for 10 minutes. Put aside the milk or dark chocolate and let it set for at least 10 minutes at room temperature. While you are letting this first layer set, you can start to prepare the white chocolate!^{[8]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Making the White Chocolate Layer

1
Melt the white chocolate. Use the same microwave technique as you did for the milk or dark chocolate to melt the white chocolate. Remember to be patient when you microwave and stir every 30 seconds so as to not scald the chocolate.^{[9]
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2
Stir peppermint oil into the chocolate. Stir in the remaining ¼ teaspoon of peppermint oil into the white chocolate. Make sure that you stir the chocolate thoroughly so that the flavor is distributed throughout.^{[10]
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3
Pour the white chocolate into the pan. Take the melted white chocolate and pour it into the pan. Because you allowed the milk chocolate to set, the layers won’t mix. Make sure that the white chocolate layer is around the same thickness as the milk chocolate, using a spatula distribute the white chocolate evenly.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Adding the Peppermint Candy

1
Break the peppermint candies into small pieces. Immediately after pouring the white chocolate into the pan, unwrap the peppermint candies and put them into a plastic sandwich bag. Take a small hammer or a meat tenderizer and break the candy into small pieces. How big or small you want the pieces is up to you!^{[11]
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2
Sprinkle the peppermint over the white chocolate. After you finish breaking the candy pieces, sprinkle them over the white chocolate. Spread them evenly over the white chocolate so that they are distributed over the whole surface of the chocolate.^{[12]
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- Make sure that you sprinkle the candy immediately, because the candy will only stick if the white chocolate is still soft.
3
Refrigerate for two hours. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and put the bark in the refrigerator for two hours. This will allow the chocolate to harden, and will ensure that the peppermint candy stays stuck to the chocolate.^{[13]
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4
Cut the chocolate. After you have let the bark harden in the fridge, take out the pan. Use a knife to poke the chocolate. If it’s fully hard, either it breaks apart into chunks or cut the bark with a knife. Then your delicious creation will be ready to eat!^{[14]
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- To break the chocolate into rough pieces, peel up the parchment paper and take the sheet of bark out of the pan. Use your hands to bend and break the chocolate.
- If you prefer more precisely cut pieces, cut the chocolate with a sharp knife while it is still in the pan.