2-Ingredient Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark couldn't be simpler and is perfect for holiday snacking. Package up and tie with a bow for a sweet homemade gift!
“I am HOOKED on this recipe!! I have made it twice now and it is addicting!! It tastes exactly like the “snack break” product that I was hoping it would taste like! Thank you SO much for this recipe!!”
I tried a popular dark chocolate peppermint “snack break” product a few months ago and immediately knew I wanted to recreate it for the holidays.
My Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark is perfect for holiday gift giving and snacking, not just because it’s festive and delicious, but also because it requires just 2 ingredients and 3 minutes of active “cooking time”.
(And by active cooking time I mean crushing candy canes then adding them to melted chocolate chips. That is to say, anyone can make this sweet snack or dessert, and it makes for such an easy, thoughtful gift!)
Easy Holiday Gift Idea
If I had co-workers who were over 10 years old old I would totally be handing out bag after bag of this yummy, minty treat to all my work friends. Not only is it simple and stress-free, but if you use the dark chocolate chips I do (brand below) almost anyone can enjoy them.
Nothing worse then having food allergies or an autoimmune disorder and having to skip the company or neighborhood cookie exchange. But, everyone will be able to enjoy this delicious and simple holiday treat.
Fill candy bags with the bark then tie with a pretty ribbon and your holiday gifts are ready!
Try Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
How to Make this Recipe
Like I said — just 2 ingredients needed to make this festive Christmas candy recipe: dark chocolate chips and candy canes.
I use Enjoy Life dark chocolate morsels since they’re free of 13 major allergens including gluten and dairy, but feel free to use whatever dark chocolate chips you like best. Semisweet chocolate will also work fine!
Step 1: Crush the Candy Canes
Unwrap then add the candy canes to a gallon-size ziplock bag then place the bag onto a kitchen towel and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to crush them into pieces. You don’t need to pulverize them into dust — just little pieces.
Measure out 2 Tablespoons crushed candy canes, then set everything aside.
Step 2: Melt the Chocolate Chips
Next add the chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl then heat in 30 second increments, stirring between increments, until the chocolate is smooth. This should take 1-1/2 — 2 minutes.
Add the candy canes plus peppermint extract then stir to combine.
Step 3: Spread the Bark Out
Scoop the chocolate-peppermint mixture onto a silpat or parchment paper-lined sheet pan then spread into an even layer. I find the easiest way to do this is to pick the sheet pan up and gently shake it back and forth from side to side, OR you can spread the mixture out with a spatula.
Finally, sprinkle the reserved 2 Tablespoons crushed candy canes on top.
Refrigerate until the chocolate sets, about 20 minutes, then break into big pieces and devour!
As I mentioned, you can package the bark in treat bags and tie with a ribbon. Just keep the packages refrigerated until gifting. However you serve or eat this craveable, 2-ingredient Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark, I hope you enjoy!
More Gluten Free Holiday Treats
- Gluten Free Shortbread
- Chocolate Peppermint Covered Pretzels
- Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
- Christmas Crunch
- Gluten Free Kiss Cookies
- Puppy Chow
- Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow
- Gluten Free Ginger Molasses Cookies
- 10 Gluten Free Christmas Cookies and Treats
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark
Ingredients
- 6 candy canes, regular-sized
- 9 oz dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, optional
Directions
- Line a half sheet pan with a silpat or parchment paper then set aside.
- Add candy canes to a large ziplock bag then place onto a kitchen towel and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to crush the candy (keep on kitchen towel in case the bag gets a small tear — easier to clean up.) Scoop out 2 Tablespoons crushed candy then set aside.
- Add chocolate chips to a medium-sized bowl then microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between increments, until the chocolate is smooth — 1:30 – 2 minutes. Add crushed candy canes and peppermint extract, if using, then stir to incorporate. Pour mixture onto prepared sheet pan then spread into an even layer. It helps to pick the pan up and gently shake it back and forth until the candy has formed an even layer. Sprinkle with reserved crushed candy canes then refrigerate until the chocolate has set, 20 minutes.
- Break bark into pieces then serve or package into gift bags and tie with a ribbon. Keep the bark refrigerated until eating or gifting.
Notes
- I like Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels for this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I love that this is just two ingredients! I use peppermint only to give it more intense flavor, but it needs to be used sparingly!
Exactly! So glad you enjoyed it!
This is a great recipe….quick, simple and tasty as heck! I didn’t have the peppermint oil but I did have 1 extra candy cane so I added that instead. Thanks for sharing this one!
Perfect!! I’m so glad you were able to make and enjoy this using what you already had on hand. Thanks so much for your review!
Can I put sprinkles on the bark?
Sure!
Can you use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate?
Sure!
I followed the instructions clearly but my peppermint bark is not hardening. can you help?
Hi Jessica! Hmm, I can’t imagine why that might be! What brand of chocolate chips did you use?
I made lots of this last year, and printed your recipe and then wrote my notes all over it, to make it easier for myself. Unfortunately, we have torn up the kitchen, and cannot find the recipe, with my notes on it. Last year, I had some regular size candy canes, but then I had some of the big fat ones from Dollar Tree. I had to weigh out 6 regular-sized candy canes, so I would know how many ounces to use. I also found bags of crushed peppermint candy. So, in order to know how much of that bag to use, I had to weigh 6 regular candy canes. Lost recipe & I have bag of crushed candy canes again, as well as starlight (round mints), since store I ordered curbside pickup from (due to Covid), had no regular candy canes left. So, what I need to know from you, is how many ounces is 6 regular-sized candy canes? I am making these for late Christmas gifts. Santa has been very slow this year. But, you know, he’s hundreds of years old, so deserves a little slow–down. Hope to hear from you really soon, so I can get these wonderful things made. They were a huge hit last year! Thank you so much!
Hi Carlos! I am fresh out of candy canes (made a bunch of batches of my Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow for neighbors!) so I can’t weigh them, but 6 candy canes comes out to about 1/2 cup crushed candy canes. I hope that helps!!
Once you work your recipe out, why not take a photo and save it to an album on your phone?
That’s what I do.
This turned out awesome and so easy to do, thank you.
Any thoughts if I mixed half semi sweet chocolate and dark chocolate?
Sounds great! I think white chocolate + peppermint would be amazing too! :)
Just curious if you have tested how long this stays “good” for? I feel like eventually, the candy canes will turn into liquid or do something weird. I’m thinking of making this, and chopping it up to put in a cookie mix for gifts, but am worried about it not lasting too long. What do you think?
Hmm, that’s a good question – I don’t have a good answer since it never lasts more than a day or two at our house!! I want to say it would be ok if left at room temperature and no warmer?!
This bark turned out wonderful! I need to save it for my family (~3 weeks). Will it keep in the fridge that long or do I need to store it in the freezer instead? And if so, how should I package it in the freezer?
Hi Christy! I haven’t tried freezing this recipe but I bet it could work! I would freeze in layers with wax paper or parchment between layers in a Ziplock bag then “thaw” in the fridge. I hope they love it!
I am HOOKED on this recipe!! I have made it twice now and it is addicting!! It tastes exactly like the “snack break” product that I was hoping it would taste like! Thank you SO much for this recipe!!
This is delicious. Using food grade peppermint oil gave it such a great flavor. Too bad I cannot be trusted around this after I make it….
Can’t wait to try this! I love that you included instructions on how to effectively crush the candy canes !! Your pictures are gorgeous!
roughly how many cups of candy cane would you say you had? i have crushed candy canes and i’m not sure how much to use..