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Overhead shot of peppermint bark in glass jars.

Homemade Peppermint Bark with Peppermint Dust

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4.8 from 13 reviews

Description

Made with 4 ingredients, this peppermint bark couldn’t be simpler or prettier.

Adapted from Dinner at The Zoo’s recipe, which I’ve made just a few small changes to, namely in the method (I use the stovetop and a double boiler to melt the chocolates) and the candy canes, which I blitz into a dust as opposed to coarsely chop.

Notes:

  • Chocolate: I’m using Guittard bittersweet 74% cacao chocolate wafers. I love this chocolate — it’s tasty on its own, which is important: if the chocolate tastes too dark or bitter or unpleasant, it won’t improve once it’s in bark form. As you know, it will be paired with white chocolate, which is sweet, and which will offset the bitterness somewhat. That said, you don’t want to use a chocolate that is too sweet (like milk chocolate). So pick a tasty, dark-ish chocolate.
  • White Chocolate: I recommend Callebaut, Valhrona, or Guittard; otherwise use what you can find. Ghiradelli 
  • Candy Canes: I like to pulse the candy canes until they are blitzed into dust. You’ll need only about 4 candy canes for this recipe, but I’d recommend blitzing more so that you have the dust on hand for other purposes like more bark or rolling sugar cookies in before baking 🙂 
  • The Pan: You need a 9×13-inch or 10×14-inch pan for this. I’ve been loving using my 10×14-inch Lloyd Detroit-Style pizza pan for this recipe. 

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, see notes above
  • 16 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped, see notes above
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, divided
  • 4 regular candy canes, see notes above

Instructions

  1. Fill two small pots with water halfway full. Bring to a simmer. 
  2. Place the dark chocolate in a small bowl. Place the white chocolate in a small bowl. Set each bowl over a pot and leave undisturbed until you see the chocolate beginning to melt, about 5 minutes.
  3. While the chocolates melt slowly on the stovetop, unwrap the candy canes, then place in a food processor. Purée until the candy canes are nearly dust or until they are chopped to a coarseness of your liking.
  4. Stir the dark chocolate with a spatula until smooth, then add 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract, and stir until completely smooth. 
  5. Line a 9×13-inch or 10×14-inch pan with parchment paper. Spread the dark chocolate into the pan, then transfer to the fridge for 10 minutes or until the chocolate just sets — Note: due to some user reviews, you’ll want to rely on visual cues here: the chocolate should be visually set, but do start checking at 10 minutes. If you are using a glass pan, it may take longer. You do not want to leave the chocolate in the fridge much beyond the point at which it has set, otherwise you risk the white chocolate not adhering to the chocolate layer; if the bottom layer has not set, however, the white chocolate will swirl into it. It may take some trial and error to get the timing right given your fridge/pan.  
  6. Stir the white chocolate with a spatula until smooth, then add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract, and stir until completely smooth. 
  7. Spread the melted white chocolate over the dark chocolate — you can do this with a spatula, the back of a spoon, or a small offset spatula. Sprinkle roughly 1/4 cup of the peppermint dust over the surface. You can do this with a sieve or you can simply scatter the dust over the surface with your hands. 
  8. Return to the fridge for 20 minutes. Remove from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for another 20 minutes. 
  9. Cut into neat triangles or break into shards. To cut into triangles, first trim away the rough edges. Then cut the bar roughly into 2-inch squares. Finally, cut each square in half on the diagonal to create triangles. Return the bark to the fridge for another 20 minutes to firm up.
  10. You can store the bark at room temperature in an air-tight container or in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. 
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Stovetop, Fridge
  • Cuisine: American

Find it online: https://alexandracooks.com/2024/12/14/homemade-peppermint-bark-with-peppermint-dust/