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An easy peppermint bark recipe with dark and white chocolate, peppermint oil, and Oreo cookies. The best Christmas peppermint bark recipe for using up leftover candy canes!
Why Make This Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe?
Did you know that the 26th of December has been designated as National Candy Cane Day? And if you’re like me and find yourself swimming in extra candy canes on the day after Christmas, you probably understand why!
I’m always thinking up new ways to use these leftover sweets—candy cane truffles, candy cane cookies, chocolate peppermint lollipops. But for the fastest, simplest way to repurpose excess candy canes, I make this easy peppermint bark.
A simple chocolate bark allows you to use up all of the various bits and pieces left over from your Christmas baking. Not just candy canes, but different kinds of chocolate, cookies, festive sprinkles, hard candies, sparkles and glitter, you name it.
I’ve developed this bark recipe with just five ingredients (two kinds of chocolate, plus Oreo cookies, crushed cany canes, and peppermint oil) but use your imagination. You can use any cookies or biscuits, add chopped peppermint chocolates like Andes Mints or After Eights, or scatter Christmas sprinkles over the finished bark.
Peppermint Bark Recipe Ingredients
To make this easy peppermint bark recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- White Chocolate – I tested this recipe with Callebaut W2 28%, but any good-quality white chocolate will work.
- Dark Chocolate – I used Callebaut 54.5%, but feel free to use your favorite dark (or milk) chocolate.
- Oreo Cookies – You’ll need 6-8 single-stuffed Oreos, crushed or broken into pieces.
- Candy Canes – Mini or full-size candy canes are both fine. You can also use crushed starlight mints, or another kind of hard peppermint candy. For tips on crushing hard candy, see my notes below.
- Peppermint Oil – Use natural peppermint oil for this recipe, rather than extract. LorAnn Oils is my go-to brand, but any quality peppermint oil will work. And use it sparingly. A little bit of peppermint oil goes a very long way!
What is the Best Chocolate to Use for Christmas Peppermint Bark?
I tested this bark recipe with a combination of Callebaut white and dark chocolate—about 300 grams (10 1/2 ounces) of each. In addition to Callebaut, I enjoy working with couvertures from Valrhona and Guittard, but you can use any good-quality chocolate.
I chose to temper my chocolate for this recipe, but if you aren’t familiar with tempering—or are planning to devour your peppermint bark right away!—you can skip the tempering and just melt the chocolate instead. If you skip the tempering, it might take 30-60 minutes for the chocolate to set at room temperature. You can refrigerate briefly to speed up the process.
Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe Tips and Tricks
To make the candy cane pieces, place unwrapped canes in a sealed ziploc bag. Crush with a kitchen mallet, hammer, wooden rolling pin, or the back of a metal ladle. Place a thick folded kitchen towel between the plastic bag and the countertop to avoid damaging the surface.
You’ll need a bain marie (hot water bath) or a double boiler to melt the chocolate, as well as a silicone mat (or sheet of parchment) for lining the tray.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
This chocolate bark will keep well for at least two weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Other Christmas recipes you might enjoy:
Dark Chocolate and Peppermint Cookies
Nutella-Stuffed Christmas Wreaths
Cranberry Jelly Candy
Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tart Cookies
Candy Cane Christmas Truffles
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
PrintEasy Peppermint Bark
An easy peppermint bark recipe with dark and white chocolate, peppermint oil, and Oreo cookies. The best Christmas peppermint bark recipe for using up leftover candy canes!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6-7 cups bark 1x
- Category: Chocolate
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: Sweets
Ingredients
300 grams white chocolate (10 1/2 ounces)
300 grams dark chocolate (10 1/2 ounces)
8 Oreo cookies, crushed
6 candy canes, crushed
1–2 drops natural peppermint oil
Instructions
Line a baking tray with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
Add dark chocolate to a bain marie or double boiler. Melt over low heat, stirring gently, until completely melted. Remove from heat.
With a flexible rubber spatula, spread melted chocolate on prepared tray. Allow to set.*
Add white chocolate to a bain marie or double boiler. Melt over low heat, stirring gently, until completely melted. Stir in the peppermint oil.
With a flexible rubber spatula, spread white chocolate on top of dark chocolate, distributing evenly across the entire surface.
Immediately sprinkle with crushed the Oreo cookies and candy canes.
Allow tray sit at room temperature until the chocolate sets. (Depending on the temperature in your kitchen, this may take a few hours.) I don’t recommend refrigerating the finished bark unless absolutely necessary.
Once set, peel the slab away from the silicone mat. Transfer to a large cutting board.
Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the slab into smaller pieces.
Allow peppermint bark to set thoroughly, break or cut into pieces, and enjoy!
Store peppermint bark in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
*I chose to temper my chocolate so it would set quickly. If you skip the tempering, it might take 30-60 minutes for the chocolate to set at room temperature. You can refrigerate briefly to speed up the process.
