Christmas Chocolate Bark – Rice Krispies sprinkled between thin layers of chocolate and white chocolate topped with Christmas candy! This quick and easy recipe is the perfect no-bake holiday treat!
So I made this Christmas chocolate bark, and isn’t it just the prettiest, most festive chocolate bark you’ve ever seen? Recreating this stuff is RIDICULOUSLY easy, so making your own yummy chocolate bark is well within your reach!
Can you melt chocolate? Can you sprinkle puffed rice cereal? Can you shatter a few candy canes and lastly, can you decorate with M&Ms without snacking on too many? Perfect. You’re going to nail this recipe.
For this chocolate bark, I layered melted semi-sweet chocolate, Rice Krispies, and melted white chocolate. To amp up the holiday cheer, I used red and green milk chocolate candies and broken candy cane pieces. but you are welcome to use whatever type of Christmas candy you like!
Christmas Chocolate Bark Ingredients
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – melts into smooth melted chocolate to be the first layer of the bark.
- Rice Krispies – adds a crispy, contrasting texture to the smooth and creamy chocolates.
- White Chocolate Chips – are melted down and then spread over the Rice Krispies.
- Candy Canes – broken into pieces to sprinkle on the bars.
- M&Ms (red and green) – or any color but red and green are unmistakably the colors of Christmas!
EQUIPMENT:
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Spatula or Butter Knife
How to Make – The Steps
Step 1: Smash some candy canes. I put mine in a Ziploc bag and smashed them with a rolling pin. Super good for relieving any stress that you may have.
Step 2: Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water. You could also use the microwave, but I did it the old-fashioned way today.
Step 3: Melt the chocolate completely and spread it out on a parchment lined baking sheet. You want it to be pretty thin. You are going to be adding some more layers so you may want to spread it as thinly as possible. It is easier to break apart later when it is thinner.
Step 4: Sprinkle the top with Rice Krispies. Put the bark in the fridge to set up.
Step 5: Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate. I used a double boiler again. I think that this is the easiest way to work with white chocolate. White chocolate can be a bit temperamental.
Step 6: Pour the white chocolate over the chilled semi-sweet chocolate layer.
Step 7: Spread the white chocolate out.
Step 8: Sprinkle M&Ms and crushed candy canes on top. Put it back in the fridge until it sets up and hardens. About 30 to 45 minutes.
Step 9: Break apart the chocolate bark. You can either do this by hand, or you can use a sharp knife and cut it into squares.
Tips & Tricks
- For a boost of even more holiday flavor, add a splash of peppermint to either of the chocolates while they’re melting.
- It’s important to spread the chocolate layers thinly so that the bark sets properly in the fridge and is easy to break into pieces.
- If you have any little helpers, set out bowls of Christmas candy and toppings for them to decorate the bark themselves.
Why is Christmas Chocolate Bark So Good?
- This is a no-bake dessert -leaving your oven open for all of the cookies on your holiday baking list.
- Great recipe for kids! Set out a “build your own bark bar” with bowls of Christmas candy and toppings and let them do their thing!
- There are only 5-ingredients (and the toppings can be customized).
- Perfect consumable holiday gift! See below for my Christmas bark packaging tips.
Christmas Bark Candy & Topping Ideas
The options are truly endless when it comes to the variety of candy and toppings you can add to chocolate bark. In addition to candy canes and M&M’s, you could also use:
- Almond Joy
- Andes Chocolate Mints
- Food Coloring
- Hershey’s Kisses
- Kit Kat
- Oreo’s
- Pistachios
- Pretzels
- Red & Green Sprinkles
- Thin Mints
The Chocolate: You can mix and match the type of chocolate you use to your liking. You can use milk chocolate and dark chocolate in place of semi-sweet or white chocolate.
How to Store and Reheat
Christmas chocolate bark is a fantastic make-ahead Christmas dessert!
Storing: After the bark has set and been broken into pieces, it can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight bag or shallow container for 2 to 3 weeks.
Make-Ahead and Freezer Options
Freezing: To freeze, wrap individual bark pieces in plastic wrap and then store in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for 5 to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
FAQ
What is the difference between chocolate and bark?
A bark is simply a thin sheet of chocolate covered and filled with various toppings like nuts, dried fruits, cookies, candies. You can use, dark, semi-sweet, milk or even white chocolate to make your bark. It is very easy to customize to your taste and to the occasion.
Why is it called chocolate bark?
I think it’s fair to say it’s called chocolate bark because once the chocolate sets, it breaks into brittle chunks that look like tree bark.
Why is melted white chocolate thick?
The consistency of melted white chocolate is thicker than semi-sweet chocolate because it is not actually chocolate. It’s usually a combination of milk, sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla.
How do I make melted white chocolate smooth?
White chocolate has a low burning point, so be sure to melt the chocolate slowly over lower heat. Adding a tablespoon of coconut oil or butter will also help loosen up the white chocolate into an easier-to-spread consistency.
Christmas Bark Packaging Tips
How adorable is this box and bow combo I used to package chocolate bark for gifting? I used a small (3″ x 4″) pastry box and wrapped a piece of embossed scrapbook paper around it. Then, I took baker’s twine and wrapped that around the box a few times.
I really love the minimal yet festive look of this packaging. Honestly, this might be one of the favorite ways to package consumables.
Christmas Chocolate Bark
Ingredients
- 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)
- 1 package white chocolate chips (6 ounces)
- 2 cups Rice Krispies
- candy canes
- red and green M&Ms
Instructions
- Smash some candy canes. I put mine in a Ziploc bag and smashed them with a rolling pin. Super good for relieving any stress that you may have.
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water. You could also use the microwave, but I did it the old-fashioned way today
- Melt the chocolate completely and spread it out on a parchment lined baking sheet. You want it to be pretty thin. You are going to be adding some more layers so you may want to spread it as thinly as possible. It is easier to break apart later when it is thinner.
- Sprinkle the top with Rice Krispies. Put the bark in the fridge to set up.
- Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate. I used a double boiler again. I think that this is the easiest way to work with white chocolate. White chocolate can be a bit temperamental.
- Pour the white chocolate over the chilled semi-sweet chocolate layer.
- Spread the white chocolate out.
- Sprinkle M&Ms and crushed candy canes on top. Put it back in the fridge until it sets up and hardens. About 30 to 45 minutes.
- Break apart the chocolate bark. You can either do this by hand, or you can use a sharp knife and cut it into squares.
Nutrition
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