Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe with Oreos
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I always find myself swimming in extra candy canes the week after Christmas, so I developed this easy peppermint bark recipe as a way to use up the leftovers. I made my bark with just five ingredients (dark and white chocolate, Oreos, peppermint oil, and plenty of crushed peppermint) but feel free to get creative. Toss in chopped Christmas cookies, add pieces of peppermint chocolate, mix in pretzels or dried fruit, or scatter Christmas sprinkles over the finished bark. It’s the perfect way to repurpose all of those extra holiday treats!
Key Ingredients
- Chocolate – I tested this bark recipe with a combination of Callebaut white and dark chocolates, but I also enjoy working with couvertures from Valrhona and Guittard. Because chocolate is the primary flavor, I recommend choosing a good-quality chocolate, whether that’s a couverture from a chocolate supplier, or a better-quality supermarket bar such as Ghirardelli or Lindt. Avoid using chocolate chips for this recipe; since they’re intended for baking, they contain stabilizers and emulsifiers which prevent them from melting as smoothly as couverture chocolate.
- Oreo Cookies – You’ll need 6-8 Oreos, crushed or broken into pieces. I used plain, single-stuffed Oreos, but feel free to get creative. You can use flavored Oreos (mint, double chocolate); double-stuffed Oreos; mini Oreos, or even those fudge-covered Oreos that are often sold in limited edition during the holiday season.
- 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. And if you still have candy canes left over after making this recipe, you can also make my candy cane truffles, candy cane cookies, chocolate peppermint lollipops, or peppermint ice cream, too!
- 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 is more than enough. (Trust me, I learned this lesson the hard way when testing these peppermint meringues—I used way, way too much peppermint oil, and my entire apartment smelled like a candy cane factory for a solid week!)
Tips, Tricks, and Variations
- Crush carefully. To make the candy cane pieces, place unwrapped canes or peppermint candies in a sealed plastic food storage bag. Crush with a kitchen mallet, hammer, wooden rolling pin, or the back of a metal ladle. Before crushing, place a thick folded kitchen towel between the plastic bag and the countertop to avoid damaging the surface.
- Melt in a bain marie. You’ll need a bain marie (it’s easy to make your own with just a pot of simmering water and a metal bowl) or double boiler to melt the chocolate. You can also melt in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring frequently. Be especially careful if melting white chocolate in the microwave—it burns very easily.
- Spread on silicone. Although parchment will certainly work in a pinch, I prefer to spread melted chocolate for chocolate barks on a silicone baking mat. It keeps the back of the bark smooth and wrinkle-free, and the mat stays firmly in place while spreading. I find that parchment shifts around too much.
- Temper the chocolate. You can make this recipe with tempered or untempered chocolate. I’ve tested it both ways. Tempered chocolate will set quickly and remain stable at room temperature, but if you aren’t familiar with tempering (the process of heating and cooling couverture chocolate to specific temperatures to promote crystallization) or are planning to devour your peppermint bark right away, you can skip the tempering and just melt the chocolate instead. If using untempered chocolate, it might take 30-60 minutes for the chocolate to set at room temperature. You can refrigerate briefly to speed up the process.
- Get creative. This 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, fudge, hard candies, dried fruit, candied nuts, sparkles and glitter, you name it. You can even top the bark with a handful of homemade sprinkles.
Easy Peppermint Bark
- Total Time1 hour
- Yield675 grams (about 6-7 cups) 1x
An easy peppermint bark recipe with Oreos, dark and white chocolate, and peppermint oil. The best Christmas peppermint bark recipe for using up leftover candy canes!
Ingredients
225 grams good-quality white chocolate (8 ounces; 2 4-ounce bars)
225 grams good-quality dark chocolate (8 ounces; 2 4-ounce bars)
140 grams candy canes or starlight mints, unwrapped and crushed (6-7 standard candy canes; about 3/4 cup crushed peppermint)
115 grams Oreo cookies, crushed (about 10 single-stuffed Oreos)
1-2 drops natural peppermint oil
Instructions
Line a quarter sheet tray with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
In a bain marie or double boiler, melt dark chocolate 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.*
In a bain marie or double boiler, melt white chocolate over low heat, stirring gently, until completely melted. Stir in the peppermint oil and half of the candy canes and Oreos.
With a flexible rubber spatula, spread white chocolate over dark chocolate, distributing evenly across the entire surface. Don’t worry if you see a few swirls of dark chocolate peeking through.
Sprinkle with remaining candy canes and Oreos.
Allow to sit, uncovered, at room temperature until chocolate sets.**
Peel away the silicone mat. Transfer to a large cutting board. With a sharp chef’s knife cut the slab into smaller pieces.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
*I sometimes temper my chocolate so it sets quickly. If you skip the tempering, it might take 30-60 minutes for the chocolate to set at room temperature. Refrigerate briefly to speed up the process.
**Depending on the temperature in your kitchen, this may take a few hours. I don’t recommend refrigerating the finished bark unless absolutely necessary. Moisture from the fridge make the candy canes sticky and cause the red stripes to bleed.
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
Chocolate Cornflake Wreaths
Christmas Chex Mix
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!
