5 Minute Chocolate Bark Recipe

Make 5 Minute Easy Chocolate Bark over 6 different ways with only 2 main ingredients! It’s the perfect gift for the holidays. Will you start with dark chocolate or white chocolate?

One of our favorite things to snack on over the holidays is chocolate bark. It’s SO easy to make (Jordan often makes it herself without any help) and everyone loves it. Plus, it’s easy to cater to everyone’s likes.

Yes this bark can be made in under 5 minutes! Learn how to make it easily and how to make over 6 variations – really, the sky is the limit. Make this recipe however you like it!

With this simple, basic, EASY bark recipe (only 2 main ingredients!) you’ll have chocolate candy bark success every time. I often call bark my “clean out the pantry” dessert because that’s basically what I do when I’m coming up with flavors: I search through my baking cabinet with half used bags of candy or the dregs of the sprinkles or cookie boxes. EVERYTHING goes good with chocolate and it’s easy to personalize the recipe.

How to make Chocolate Bark

1. Chocolate Bark has 2 basic ingredients: chocolate chips or melting chocolate and oil.
2. I always add vegetable oil or vegetable shortening to my chocolate chips before I melt them. Even if you are careful about the container you melt in or the temperature, sometimes chocolate chips just have trouble melting. Using oil or shortening will greatly reduce the risk that your chocolate seizes.. In fact, I’ve never had chocolate chips seize on me when I use one of the two.
3. Dark chocolate or milk chocolate is great with peanut butter, salty pretzels, M&Ms, peppermint pieces or mint, and so many other things.
4. White chocolate is great with crushed peppermint candies, M&Ms, or even with chopped cookies (like cookies and milk!). The sky is the limit on the flavors and combinations you can make. Really, the recipes I list are just some ideas. Take them and run with it – think of some of your favorite.
5. I always melt chocolate chips or melts in the microwave on 50% power. It takes longer to melt, but it helps them melt slower and reduces the risk of seizing. I also like to use paper bowls (easy clean up) or those reusable plastic containers. My least favorite for melting are glass or porcelain bowls; those get too hot and can ruin your chocolate.

Dorothy’s Expert Tips

• Chocolate chips work great, but I prefer using Ghirardelli candy melts. They taste delicious and are made for melting so you’re less likely to have seizing issues and clouding.
• I love melting in paper bowls for easy clean up – and I know they won’t get too hot. Glass and plastic tend to overheat in the microwave.
• Don’t spread the chocolate too thin. Try to keep it about 1/4-inch thick.
• It takes less than 5 minutes to make this recipe and it’ll set in about an hour.
• Store chocolate bark in the refrigerator only once it’s set. Otherwise it might get cloudy. It’ll last up to 2 weeks or more.

Easy Chocolate Bark Recipe (5 Minutes)

4.07 from 95 votes

Make 5 Minute Easy Chocolate Bark over 6 different ways with only 2 main ingredients! It’s the perfect gift for the holidays.

Recipe Video

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Yield 12 servings

Serving Size 1 serving

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

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Ingredients

 

• ▢ 1 (10 ounce) bag Chocolate Melts or 1 (12 ounce) bag chocolate chips (see note)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening or vegetable oil
• ▢ Various toppings see ideas in directions

Instructions

• Line a 10×15-inch pan or cookie sheet with wax paper.
• Place chocolate chips or melts in a microwave safe bowl. I like to use a disposable paper bowl or re-usable plastic container for best results. Add shortening or oil if using chocolate chips. Heat on 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.
  
• Spread chocolate into an even layer on the prepared pan. Top with desired toppings. Chill to set then break into pieces.
  
• Peppermint White Chocolate Bark: Sprinkle chopped candy canes or peppermint crunch over melted white chocolate.
• M&M Chocolate Bark: Sprinkle holiday or any flavor M&Ms over melted white or regular chocolate.
• Oreo Cookie Bark: Sprinkle chopped chocolate chip cookies and/or Oreos over melted white chocolate.
• Peanut Butter Cup Bark: Sprinkle chopped peanut butter cups over melted milk or semi-sweet chocolate.
• Caramel Pretzel Bark: Sprinkle chopped pretzels and Rolos over milk or semi-sweet chocolate.
• Almond Toffee Bark: Sprinkle almonds, toffee bits, and cocoa nibs over dark chocolate.
• Peanut Butter Swirl Bark: Heat 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter until pourable then drizzle over chocolate and swirl. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
• White Chocolate Pistachio Cranberry Bark: Use white chocolate. Sprinkle ½ cup each dried cranberries and chopped pistachios over the chocolate.
• Reindeer Bark: Place mini twist pretzels in pairs randomly around the chocolate. Add two candy eyes and a red m&m nose.

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Recipe Notes

• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days to 2 weeks (depending on the toppings you use; candy toppings last longer than pretzels or cookies, which tend to get stale).

Chocolate:

• You can use chocolate chips or chocolate melts or almond bark. Ghirardelli candy melts are my favorite and the best tasting. They come in white, dark, and milk chocolate.
• If using chocolate chips – I always add a bit of oil or shortening to aid in melting.
• Note that chocolate chips will cause a cloudier bark, especially after chilling. Sometimes it’s super cloudy and sometimes not, this often depends on the brand of chocolate chips and/or the age of them.
• I always melt at 50% power for 1 minute, stir, then stir every 30 seconds. You don’t want to overheat the chocolate (especially white chocolate).

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 160kcal

Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Dorothy Kern

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Chocolate Bark Step-by-Step

1. Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds.
2. Spread the melted chocolate on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper.
3. Top with your favorite toppings and let set.

Types of Candy Bark

• Oreo Peppermint Bark is a delicious combo
• Toffee Bark is one of our favorites
• Make candy bark with leftover halloween candy!