Chocolate Christmas Bark – Three Ways!

This recipe was first published here on November 30th, 2017 and has been updated with, an enhanced recipe, an extra recipe and clearer photos.

Ingredients and substitutions

Chocolate bark is similar to rocky road in that you can add almost anything to it – there aren’t really any rules, so you can be super creative. The only ingredient you must have is chocolate.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

• Chocolate: The type of chocolate you use will depend on what flavours you want to add but also who you’re serving or giving it to. A combination of chocolate types is good. Some dark chocolate adds a little bitterness with that classic chocolate flavour – great for the adults. A little white chocolate or milk chocoalte drizzled over is great to sweeten up a chocolate bark that’s loaded with things that aren’t sweet. More milk chocolate that dark chocolate is great for the kids.
• Seeds and nuts: I use pistachio nuts in my Christmas bark here but any other nut could work. Macadamias, cashews, pecans, peanuts, walnuts – the choice is yours. Some coconut flakes or shredded coconut is great or try sunflower seeds or pepitas for a more health conscious version.
• Dried fruit: I’ve got unsweetened dried cranberries and freeze-dried raspberries here but you can use chopped up dried apricots or dates, raisins or sultanas. Try dried mango in summer and dried apple in Fall.
• Cookies: Add some crunch with your favourite cookies (think Biscoff biscuits and Oreo cookies), Pretzels or Saltine crackers. Cereals like rice krispies or Cornflakes are fun too for some crunch but best coated in the chocolate so they stay crunchy.
• Candy: For a fun version like my candy chocolate bark, try things like M&Ms, gummie candies, candy canes, mini Reeses peanut butter cups or crumbled honeycomb.
• Spreads: You can get so fancy with things pistachio paste, peanut butter or gooey caramel (just like in my caramel pretzel bark). The thicker the spread the more likely you’ll be able to just drizzle it over the top. Things like caramel and pistachio paste are so fun hidden inside the chocolate bark – this way they don’t run off or get stuck and they’re a nice surprise.
• Sprinkles: You can have so much fun with any colour, shape and size sprinkles you like.

How to make chocolate Christmas bark

Chocolate Christmas bark is really so simple to make and a great way to have some fun in the kitchen. It’s so quick and simple to make, yet you can make it so customised and gift it to the people you love.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

Variations

• Try making it thinner. Thin chocolate bark can be used to top cakes and cupcakes with chocolate shards.
• Rocky road style: Add mini marshmallows, peanuts and coconut to the top of your bark.
• Rice krispies bark: Mix rice krispies (aka rice bubbles) into the chocolate before spreading it out.
• Peanut butter: Top it with a good drizzle of peanut butter and peanuts. Or hide dollops of peanut butter inside the chocolate like my caramel pretzel bark.
• Peppermint bark: Start with a layer of dark chocolate. Top with white chocolate spiked with some peppermint extract, then scatter over crushed candy canes.
• Sprinkles: This is a great way to use up all the packs of sprinkles that gather in your pantry after every birthday cake you make. Just load up that chocolate with loads of sprinkles.