Peppermint Bark

This salty and sweet chocolate peppermint bark is a super easy holiday variation of the classic plain chocolate bark.

Updated September 19, 2023

A plate holding three pieces of peppermint bark. — Serious Eats / Alexandra Penfold

Why It Works

Adding butter and brown sugar directly to the baking sheet helps forma. rich and crunchy caramel without you having to use a candy thermometer, or make it on a stovetop.
Using crushed up candy canes is seasonally appropriate, festive, and easy.

Instead of buying tchotchkes that my friends and family will have to dust until they end up in a yard sale or on eBay, I'm trying to make as made homemade gifts as I can. One of the first recipes that came to mind for holiday gift giving was my beloved Chocolate Bark—it's easy, it's inexpensive, and it's absolutely impossible to pass up. But it's even better with a winter-appropriate peppermint spin.

The basic recipe consists of saltine crackers (or matzo!) topped with melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and chocolate. Upon cooling, the butter and brown sugar form a rich and crunchy caramel without the fuss of candy thermometers.

To get fancy for the holidays, I suggest that you top your basic bark with crushed candy canes. Or try it with chopped crystallized ginger, roasted nuts, cacao nibs, white chocolate drizzle, or candied citrus zest—really, whatever your heart desires. For maximum deliciousness I recommend using the best chocolate you can lay your hands on. As long as you do, I can guarantee there will be no re-gifting.

December 2011

Recipe Details

Peppermint Bark Recipe

Active 20 mins

Total 2 hrs

Serves 20 servings

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

51 saltine crackers (approximately)
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces high-quality dark chocolate (70% or greater)
2/3 cup crushed candy canes or peppermints

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12 x 17 inch jelly roll pan with foil. Place saltine crackers salt side up and side-by-side in the pan as tightly as possible without overlapping. Use saltine pieces to fill any gaps at the bottom of the pan. Set aside. Chop chocolate so pieces are about the size of standard chocolate chips and set aside.
Serious Eats / Alexandra Penfold
In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat stirring frequently with a spatula. Once butter has melted, add brown sugar and vanilla stirring to combine. Cook for about 5 minutes or until mixture is an even dark brown color and has begun to bubble. Remove from heat and pour over saltines using spatula to spread sauce.
Serious Eats / Alexandra Penfold
Bake crackers for 5 minutes or until butter mixture begins to bubble. Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with chocolate allowing the heat to melt the chocolate. Spread chocolate evenly with the spatula so all of the crackers are completely covered.
Serious Eats / Alexandra Penfold
Let the chocolate cool slightly, so that it it cool to the touch, but not hardened. Sprinkle crushed candy canes or peppermints evenly on top and refrigerate until chocolate sets and hardens. Break apart and serve.
Serious Eats / Alexandra Penfold

Special Equipment

Aluminum foil, jelly roll pan

Chocolate Bark

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
274	Calories
17g	Fat
28g	Carbs
2g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 20
Amount per serving
Calories	274
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g	22%
Saturated Fat 10g	50%
Cholesterol 25mg	8%
Sodium 81mg	4%
Total Carbohydrate 28g	10%
Dietary Fiber 2g	7%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 24mg	2%
Iron 3mg	14%
Potassium 149mg	3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)