Peppermint mocha bark takes its cue from my standing order at Starbucks this month. It’s such an easy candy that makes everybody happy during the holidays, and is the perfect gift for the people you love.
peppermint mocha bark
This is a classic peppermint bark with a background hint of coffee ~ it’s different, and delicious. The peppermint isn’t overwhelming, because I don’t add any mint flavoring to the chocolate. Since peppermint extract can be quite strong, I leave it out and let the crushed candy give the bark a gentler, less sharp flavor. It’s perfect!
the 4 ingredients you’ll need
- dark chocolate ~ you can use dark or semi-sweet, either in bar form, or chips.
- white chocolate ~ use actual white chocolate in bar form, or use easy-melt white confectionary wafers or almond bark.
- powdered espresso or instant coffee ~ Note: you want a fine powder here, not actual coffee grounds. I used Starbucks Via instant coffee.
- crushed peppermint ~ you can buy this already crushed, or crush your own candy canes. Note: I prefer to use the ready-crushed candy because it does not get sticky, which can be a problem when you crush your own peppermint candy.
peppermint bark is super simple to make
- melt your dark chocolate layer and stir in instant coffee or espresso powder
- spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet
- melt your white chocolate and stir in crushed peppermint
- spread over the dark chocolate.
- finish with more crushed peppermint
- wait for it to harden and then cut into shards
pro tips for making peppermint bark
- I like to spread my chocolate layers quite thin because it makes the bark easier to eat. If the chocolate is too thick it will be unpleasantly hard to bite into.
- If you’d like to slice your bark into neater pieces, do it before the chocolate has completely hardened. Trim off the uneven ends, and use a large sharp knife.
peppermint bark faqs
It will last up to a month, either at cool room temperature, or in the refrigerator.
Yes, you can. Pop it in heavy duty freezer bags and push out any excess air before sealing.
The layers of chocolate can separate if you let the bottom layer completely set up before adding the top layer. To prevent this, add your white layer while the bottom layer is not completely set and still tacky. This helps the two layers bond together.
As written, the coffee flavor is just a hint, so quite subtle.
Yes, just leave it out and you’ll have a classic peppermint bark.
more minty treats!
- Sweet Moroccan Mint Tea (Hot or Iced)
- Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Peppermint Melting Moments
- Mint Chocolate Pudding Pots
- Mint Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake
- Easy No Bake White Chocolate Thin Mints
Peppermint Mocha Bark
Ingredients
- 10 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate, either bar chocolate cut in pieces for easier melting, or chips
- 1 tsp espresso powder or instant coffee powder
- 10 ounces white chocolate, either bar chocolate, or white almond bark, cut in pieces for easier melting Note: I don't recommend white chocolate chips as they do not melt easily.
- 4 Tbsp crushed peppermint, amount is approximate
Instructions
- Put the dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on full power for 60 seconds. Let the bowl sit for a minute, then stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds, let sit for a minute, and stir again. Let the heat of the bowl help melt the final bits of chocolate, while you stir.
- When the chocolate is completely melted, stir in the coffee powder.
- Scrape out the chocolate onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread out into roughly an 8×10 rectangle.
- Melt the white chocolate as above. Note: if you are using actual white chocolate, the best method for melting will be gently in a double boiler. White confectionary or bark can be melted in the microwave.
- Stir half of the crushed peppermint into the white chocolate.
- Pour over the dark chocolate layer.
- Spread out gently over the entire surface. If you like, you can take a chopstick or blunt knife and swirl the two layers together.
- Sprinkle the rest of the peppermint over the top. Let harden completely before cutting into shards.
Nutrition
Sue do you chill the dark chocolate layer before adding white chocolate layer?
No, if you chill it the layers tend to separate later on. I just add the white layer while the dark chocolate is still soft.
Sue, you might try the small starlight peppermints rather than candy canes for your crushed peppermint.
They are not so airy and don’t get sticky. I just put them in a Ziplock bag and whack until they are the
consistency I want, very small, but not powdery.
Thanks so much Barbara, I’ll check them out.
What do you use for the crushed peppermint? Would Candy Canes work, or peppermint round candies that you buy in a bag? Approx how many did you use? Thank you!
For this recipe I bought a bag of crushed peppermint, which you can usually find in the baking aisle. You can crush candy canes or peppermint candies if you like. I’m not sure exactly how many you’d need, but you can pretty much eyeball it. Maybe 2 candy canes or a handful of smaller candies.