Perfect Christmas Chocolate Bark — Beyond Peppermint

Chocolate bark beyond peppermint — the easy homemade Christmas candy that takes 20 minutes. Melt chocolate; top with whatever you want; refrigerate; break. Variations are endless. Costs $5 to make; sells for $20 at chocolatiers.

The classic base

Ingredients

16 oz dark chocolate (60-70% cacao), chopped
Toppings of choice (see variations)

Method

Melt chocolate (double boiler OR microwave at 30-second intervals)
Pour onto parchment-lined baking sheet
Spread to 1/4 inch thick
Sprinkle toppings while chocolate is still warm
Refrigerate 1 hour
Break into pieces

7 Christmas variations

Variation 1: Cranberry-pistachio

Dark chocolate base
Top with dried cranberries + chopped pistachios
The Christmas-coded classic

Variation 2: Triple chocolate

Layer dark; milk; white chocolate
Drizzle of contrasting chocolate over top
For chocolate purists

Variation 3: Salted caramel pretzel

Drizzle caramel sauce over chocolate
Top with crushed pretzels + flaky sea salt
Sweet-savory

Variation 4: Cookies and cream

White chocolate base
Crushed Oreo cookies on top
Kid-favorite

Variation 5: Toasted almond

Dark chocolate
Toasted sliced almonds + flaky sea salt
Sophisticated

Variation 6: Dried fruit and nut

A mix of dried cherries; cranberries; apricots
Chopped pistachios; almonds
Christmas-traditional

Variation 7: White chocolate-citrus

White chocolate base
Candied orange peel + lemon zest
Bright; sophisticated

Storage

Room temp: 1-2 weeks
Refrigerated: 3-4 weeks
Don't freeze (texture changes)

Gift packaging

Cellophane bag with ribbon ($1)
Mason jar ($2)
A nice tin ($3-$5)

Cross-references

For other homemade Christmas candy, see perfect peppermint bark, perfect Christmas fudge, and perfect Christmas chocolate truffles.

For gifting, see Christmas gifts for neighbors and Christmas hostess gifts.

Perfect Christmas chocolate bark beyond peppermint is the easy homemade candy with endless variations. 20 minutes; $5 in ingredients; serves as gift OR party food.