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Easy Milk Chocolate Peppermint Bark

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This 3-ingredient milk chocolate peppermint bark recipe is as easy as it is delicious! It’s the perfect treat for the holiday season, whether you’re hosting a Christmas party or looking to share a tasty gift with friends and neighbors. It’s made without peppermint extract, so all you need is chocolate and candy canes.

I’ve always been a big fan of chocolate and mint, so peppermint bark is one of my favorite Christmas desserts – along with white chocolate peppermint fudge! The flavor reminds me of drinking hot cocoa with a candy cane stuck in it, something I always enjoy this time of year.

Speaking of hot chocolate, you might want to check out our hot chocolate dip, another easy 3 ingredient treat we love in the winter!

What To Expect

  • Great for: An easy Christmas dessert that you can share with friends and family.
  • Ready in: 15 minutes of hands-on time, plus 2 hours (minimum) of setting time.
  • Serves: About 10 to 12 people (makes 24 two-by-two inch squares).
  • Flavor profile: Sweet chocolate and peppermint
  • How to make it: Melt the chocolates, mix in candy canes, spread a layer of milk chocolate out on a baking sheet, top with a layer of white chocolate, sprinkle with more candy canes, then set at room temperature for 2 hours before slicing.

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Why We Love This Recipe

Peppermint bark is such a classic holiday treat. I love being able to make it myself in just 15 minutes, and then have plenty to share with friends and family!

– Nicole

Ingredients

Ingredients for making peppermint bark: milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and crushed candy canes.
  • Milk and white chocolate chips – We recommend using chocolate chips instead of chocolate melting wafers for this recipe. Chocolate chips have stabilizers in them that help them hold their shape, so they’ll actually be slightly resistant to melting – which is great for this recipe! The chocolate will be thick and not too runny when it’s melted, so that you can easily spread it into a thin rectangle no matter the size of your baking sheet. It also helps prevent the two layers of chocolate from melting into one another, so you can easily add the white chocolate layer without having to wait for the milk chocolate to fully set.
  • Crushed candy canes – You can typically find a bag of crushed candy canes in the baking or holiday aisle of the grocery store, especially around Christmas time. But if you have trouble finding it, you can easily crush them yourself with a food processor. Just break up whole candy canes (or minis) into pieces that can fit in your food processor, then pulse until you get a mix of candy cane dust and small chunks.

How To Make Easy Milk Chocolate Peppermint Bark: Step-by-Step Guide

A bowl of melted milk chocolate with crushed candy canes.

Step 1: Melt the milk chocolate chips in the microwave for about 60 to 90 seconds, stirring every 15 to 20 seconds to ensure even melting. Once the milk chocolate is fully melted, stir in about one-third of the crushed candy canes.

Melted milk chocolate and candy canes spread on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Step 2: Spread the chocolate onto a parchment-lined baking sheet into a roughly 8 by 13 inch rectangle, about a quarter inch thick. You can use the back of a large spoon or an offset spreader for this.

A bowl of melted white chocolate and crushed candy canes.

Step 3: Next, repeat step 1 with the white chocolate chips. Melt the chocolate in the microwave (stir every 15 to 20 seconds), then mix in about one-third of the crushed candy canes.

A layer of melted milk chocolate on a parchment lined baking sheet, topped with thick lines of melted white chocolate.

Step 4: Spoon the white chocolate into thick lines on top of the milk chocolate. Try to make them an even thickness so that it’s easier to spread evenly in the next step.

Using a fork to spread melted white chocolate over a layer of melted milk chocolate on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Step 5: Now, drag the tines of a fork lengthwise across the peppermint bark, so that the white chocolate gets spread across the whole layer of milk chocolate. We find that this is the easiest way to spread out the white chocolate without disturbing the layer of milk chocolate underneath, since you can use fairly light pressure with a fork.

Sprinkling crushed candy canes on top of a rectangular sheet of peppermint bark.

Step 6: Finally, sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes on top of the white chocolate.

Milk and white chocolate peppermint bark topped with crushed candy canes on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Step 7: Allow to set at room temperature for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Peppermint bark sliced into two by two inch squares.

Step 8: To slice, use a warm butter knife (run it under hot water for 10 to 15 seconds, then dry it off) and cut into roughly 2 by 2 inch squares. Optionally continue to set the bark in the fridge if it’s too sticky and warm; how well it sets will depend on the ambient temperature of your kitchen.

Expert Tips

  • Melt the chocolate slowly – Chocolate can easily burn if you overheat it, so melt the chocolate in 15 to 20 second intervals with lots of stirring. As it’s getting closer to fully melted, you can go as short as 5 to 10 second intervals to make sure you don’t overheat it.
  • Can’t find crushed candy canes? Crush them yourself – You can break up candy canes into pieces with your hands, then pulse them in a food processor to get smaller crushed up bits.
  • Don’t be a perfectionist – There’s no reason to stress over getting perfectly square edges and perfectly even layers! This peppermint bark is meant to be rustic, so have fun with it and embrace the homemade look of your creation.
  • Set for at least 2 hours – We know it’s hard to wait, but don’t try to slice the peppermint bark until it’s fully set. Otherwise you’ll end up with a chocolatey mess on your hands.
Freshly made peppermint bark on a white plate.

Peppermint Bark FAQs

Store peppermint bark in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge. If you want to prevent pieces from sticking together, you can use parchment paper between the layers.

Homemade peppermint bark will last for about 2 weeks at room temperature, and 3 to 4 weeks in the fridge.

We recommend slicing the peppermint bark with a warm knife after it’s been sitting at room temperature. You can easily cut it into squares with a butter knife at this point in time. However, if you’d like to break it into irregular shapes, we recommend refrigerating it for at least an hour after it sets, then gently breaking it apart with your hands.

Featured by Twinkl in their White Christmas Recipe Ideas Blog.

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Tell us what you think!

We hope you enjoy this recipe! When you try it out, please leave a review and a star rating in the comments below. Happy cooking! – Nicole and Alex

Squares of homemade milk chocolate peppermint bark on a white plate.

Easy Milk Chocolate Peppermint Bark Recipe

Nicole & Alex Langdon
This 3-ingredient milk chocolate peppermint bark recipe is as easy as it is delicious! It’s the perfect treat for the holiday season, whether you’re hosting a Christmas party or looking to share a tasty gift with friends and neighbors. It’s made without peppermint extract, so all you need is chocolate and candy canes.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Set Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 squares
Calories 123 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • 10 ounces milk chocolate chips
  • 10 ounces white chocolate chips
  • 8 ounces crushed candy canes

Instructions
 

  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Melt the milk chocolate in the microwave for about 60 to 90 seconds, stirring every 15 to 20 seconds. Stir about one-third of the crushed candy canes into the chocolate, then spread it onto the baking sheet into a roughly 8 by 13 inch rectangle, about a quarter inch thick.
  • Melt the white chocolate in the microwave for about 60 to 90 seconds, stirring every 15 to 20 seconds. Stir about one-third of the crushed candy canes into the chocolate, then spoon the mixture into thick lines on top of the milk chocolate, parallel to the short side of the rectangle. Try to make them an even thickness so that it’s easier to spread evenly in the next step.
  • Drag the tines of a fork lengthwise across the peppermint bark, so that the white chocolate gets spread across the whole layer of milk chocolate. We find that this is the easiest way to spread out the white chocolate without disturbing the layer of milk chocolate underneath, since you can use fairly light pressure with a fork.
  • Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes on top of the white chocolate layer, then allow the peppermint bark to set at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
  • To slice, use a warm butter knife (run it under hot water for 10 to 15 seconds, then dry it off) and cut into roughly 2 by 2 inch squares. Optionally continue to set the bark in the fridge if it’s too sticky and warm; how well it sets will depend on the ambient temperature of your kitchen.
One last step:Please consider leaving a review to let us know how it was!

Notes

Chocolate chips: We recommend using chocolate chips instead of chocolate melting wafers, because they have stabilizers in them that help them hold their shape. This means they’ll actually be slightly resistant to melting – which is great for this recipe! The chocolate will be thick and not too runny when it’s melted, so that you can easily spread it into a thin rectangle no matter the size of your baking sheet. It also helps prevent the two layers of chocolate from melting into one another, so you can easily add the white chocolate layer without having to wait for the milk chocolate to fully set.
Crushed candy canes: If you can’t find these at the store, you can crush them yourself. You can break up full size candy canes into pieces with your hands, then pulse them in a food processor to get smaller crushed up bits.
Melt the chocolate slowly: Chocolate can easily burn if you overheat it, so melt the chocolate in 15 to 20 second intervals with lots of stirring. As it’s getting closer to fully melted, you can go as short as 5 to 10 second intervals to make sure you don’t overheat it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1squareCalories: 123kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 11mgPotassium: 68mgFiber: 0.02gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 0.03mg
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If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.

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90% of Nicole’s thoughts are about food. She’s had a passion for cooking (and eating) for as long as she can remember! Growing up, she started cooking with her mom at a young age, learned family recipes from her Italian grandmother, took every opportunity to make cookies (so many bake sales), and always loved going out to restaurants to try new foods.

Nicole currently works part-time as a marketing professional for OmieLife while also working nonstop on The Candid Cooks. As a former mechanical engineer, Nicole has consistently found herself at the intersection of creativity and logical reasoning. She credits not only her passion for photography, design, and writing, but also her problem-solving nature and desire to learn, as the foundation on which The Candid Cooks was built.

Nicole’s hobbies include anything that gets her moving - mainly hiking, skiing, ice skating, and dancing - as well as reading fantasy novels and scrapbooking. Her favorite food is a big plate of nachos, as long as they’re cheesy enough!

5 from 1 vote

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