3-Ingredient Holiday Bark Recipes

One of the best secrets in my kitchen during the holidays is candy coating.  These are those packages of chocolate or vanilla that you would use to coat peanut butter balls or maple bacon truffles or any other holiday treat that you want coated in chocolate.  Instead of melting chocolate chips, I opt for the candy coating.  It’s quicker, easier, and you run far less risk of burning the chocolate.  I also use this to make bark!  The candy coating hardens quickly, making it the perfect recipe for a quick fix. It’s a super simple, really quick and ridiculously yummy way to make holiday bark.

Add in your own flavors, extracts, candies and ingredients after you melt the candy coating, for a delicious treat. You can really make these your own!  These are my favorites for the holiday season: Chocolate Peanut Pretzel Bark and Peppermint Bark.  Those recipes are below, but here are more ideas:

• Add maple extract and cooked bacon crumbles to the vanilla bark
• Try chopped pecans and dried cranberries with the vanilla bark
• Melt the chocolate bark and add in a peanut butter swirl with peanut butter chips
• Throw in some orange zest and a couple of tablespoons of cranberry sauce to the vanilla bark
• Dice gumdrops and add a teaspoon of spearmint extract to the vanilla bark

Chocolate Peanut Pretzel Bark:

• 1 package Chocolate Candy Coating
• 1 1/2 cups salted peanuts
• 1 1/2 cups small pretzels (broken into pieces)

To melt the candy coating, place pieces in a microwavable bowl. Heat in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time. Once melted, let sit for 1 minute to cool slightly. Stir in the peanuts and pretzels.  Pour into a baking sheet covered in wax paper.  Place in fridge or freezer for 30 minutes or until it’s solid.  Break up into pieces and enjoy!

Peppermint Bark:

• 1 package Vanilla Candy Coating
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 cups crushed candy canes

Melt the candy coating (see above). Let sit for 1 minute, then mix in extract using a whisk.  Blend in candy cane pieces and crumbs.  Pour into baking sheet covered in wax paper. I like to add red sprinkles to mine at this point. Let it set in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes.  Mmmmmm!

What would you add to candy bark?

Hungry for more? Check out more fun recipes!

Jeni’s Disclaimer: I’m just a regular girl.  I love to drink wine while I bake.  I’m by no means a professional baker or pro photographer. My creations aren’t staged, they just are what they are, and that’s probably obvious. If you’re a normal person that loves to bake or cook and your food ends up looking like REAL food, and not like something you’ll see on Instagram, you’re in the right place.