Easy 3-Ingredient Peppermint Bark Recipe

'Tis the season to eat plenty of good food. And when the holiday season rolls around, it means so many delicious flavors are incorporated into tasty recipes. Everything from chocolate and peppermint to caramel and marshmallows comes to mind. It's truly the tastiest time of the year.

If you're searching for a quick, sweet treat for the holidays, peppermint bark should be at the top of your list. Certainly, you could buy a giant tin to munch on all winter long, but we promise, it's just as easy to make your own.

Use this 3-ingredient peppermint bark recipe as the perfect addition to your holiday cookie line-up, wrap it up for a friend as a gift, or simply keep it tucked away for yourself when you need a fix for your holiday sweet tooth. With just three ingredients required and only 15 minutes of your time, you'll want to keep making this festive peppermint bark all winter long.

To make your easy 3-ingredient peppermint bark, you'll want to first make sure you have all of the ingredients on hand. For this recipe, you'll need two bars of semi-sweet baking chocolate, one bar of white almond bark, and peppermint candy canes.

We opted to use mini peppermint candy canes for this recipe because of how easy they are to crush into fine pieces. You could certainly choose to utilize regular-sized candy canes if that's what you have on hand. Or, if you don't have access to candy canes, you can use round peppermint candies as a great swap.

For the chocolate, you can use semi-sweet baker's chocolate like we did. Or, you can opt for a darker chocolate or a milk chocolate option if desired for a different taste. White almond bark works well for the top layer, but you could also opt for a white chocolate baker's bar if preferred.

One of the key steps to making this delicious 3-ingredient peppermint bark is to crush the candy canes before adding them to your chocolate. Utilizing crushed candy canes brings out the strong, delicious peppermint flavor in this recipe. And that strong mint flavor pairs perfectly with chocolate.

Unwrap all of your candy canes, and utilize a food processor to crush the candy. Add in several mini candy canes, and pulse until crushed almost fine. This is what you'll mix with the almond bark later to give your peppermint bark its flavor.

If you don't have access to a food processor, you can put the candy canes in a plastic storage bag with a zipper. Use a rolling pin or even a wine bottle, and roll it over top of the candy canes. Hit the candy canes with the rolling pin in order to crush them if needed.

Prepare a 9"x13" baking dish with parchment paper for your 3-ingredient peppermint bark. If you don't have a 9"x13" baking dish, you can utilize a cookie sheet instead. Or, use a smaller-sized square pan if that's what you have on hand. 

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the semi-sweet baker's chocolate according to the directions on the package. It's important not to overheat or overcook the chocolate during the melting step. Err on the side of caution and microwave in shorter time increments so you can stir and check your chocolate frequently. If you warm your chocolate too long, it will start to solidify again.

Once your chocolate is melted, pour it into your prepared baking dish. Use a spatula to create a smooth layer in the pan. Then, put your baking dish aside to allow the chocolate to set while you prepare the white almond bark.

While the baker's chocolate layer sets, it's time to prepare the white almond bark. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the almond bark according to the directions on the package.

It's best to break the bar of almond bark into squares before microwaving. Be sure to check your melting almond bark often, and be careful not to overheat it.

Once the almond bark is fully melted, add the crushed candy cane pieces into the chocolate and stir. The fine powder formed by crushing the candy canes will add a bold peppermint flavor to your bark. However, if you really love peppermint and you prefer an incredibly strong mint flavor, you can add a drop or two of pure peppermint extract into the almond bark during this step as well. Once your crushed candy canes are stirred in, pour the melted almond bark on top of the baker's chocolate layer in your baking dish, and smooth evenly.

Once your white almond bark layer is smoothed on top of the baker's chocolate, it's time to dress up your 3-ingredient peppermint bark for the holiday season. We chose to keep things simple and added a few additional mini candy canes that were still intact to decorate the top of the bark.

If you want to add even more fun to your peppermint bark, the choices for toppings are endless. Consider crushing up Oreo cookies or sprinkling M&M's on top of your peppermint bark. You could also add sprinkles or use a spoonful of leftover baker's chocolate to add a chocolate drizzle on top for decoration. If you're feeling super creative, consider swirling red food coloring into the layer of white almond bark before topping it with crushed candy canes for a beautiful design. 

Once your peppermint bark is dressed up, it's time to let it set. Place your peppermint bark in the fridge or freezer for at least two hours to allow it to harden.

The last step for your 3-ingredient peppermint bark is to break it into pieces. Be sure your peppermint bark has fully hardened before breaking it apart.

There are a few options for breaking up your peppermint bark. Part of the beauty of peppermint bark is the oblong, unique shapes that you end up with once you break up the bark into pieces. You could also opt to utilize a sharp knife to cut your bark into squares if you prefer a tidier look.

To break your bark into unique pieces, remove the parchment paper from the baking dish and set it on a flat surface. You can choose to use something hard, such as a rolling pin, to whack the bark to break it up. You can also utilize your hands to break it up. Once your peppermint bark is broken up into pieces, it's ready to enjoy. Keep your treats stored in an airtight container at room temperature for two weeks.