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    Home » Recipes » Snacks » How to Make Chocolate Bark

    How to Make Chocolate Bark

    by Allison · Modified: Jan 9, 2025 · Published: Apr 4, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe

    If you're craving creamy and chunky chocolate bark with all the fillings you love and none of the weird filler ingredients in store-bought bark you don't, this homemade bark recipe is for you. 🙂

    Chocolate bark with almonds, dried cranberries and sea salt on parchment paper.

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    When I first saw brands selling various kinds of candy bark or snacking chocolate years back, I was definitely intrigued. It certainly seemed more wholesome than a candy bar or energy bar filled with highly processed ingredients. But I could never find one that I loved. Most seemed somewhat gritty and dry, perhaps from long shelf-life, and many had added ingredients that I'd much rather avoid.

    So, I decided to try to make my own! Making chocolate bark is a LOT easier than you think, and with the amount that it makes, you'll have plenty on hand for whenever chocolate calls. For bonus points, you could even make your own homemade chocolate to use as the base for this bark. And for other classic and festive desserts with chocolate, try these classic chocolate chip cookies, gluten free cookies, chocolate chocolate chip cookies or triple chocolate cookies.

    Did you know?

    Chocolate is technically a fermented food since the cocoa powder used to make it is produced from fermented cacao beans. The fermentation process lasts for about a week before the fermented beans are roasted and processed into powder. And even though the high heat used during processing will kill any beneficial bacteria from the fermentation step, you can still thank them for helping to give your chocolate its irresistibly rich and alluring taste we've all come to know and love. 🙂

    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
    • 🌿 Ingredients
    • 📝 Instructions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🔪 Equipment
    • 🍱 Storage
    • 🎉 Top tip
    • 💭 FAQ
    • 🍳 Recipe

    ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

    • Simple method for DIY chocolate bark
    • Easy to customize with your favorite fillings
    • No unwanted processed ingredients
    • Festive holiday recipe
    • Great for gifting or entertaining

    🌿 Ingredients

    The basic ingredient in chocolate bark is... (wait for it...) chocolate! I personally think dark is the best chocolate for bark, but if milk or white chocolate is more your style, go for it!

    All of the other fillings are optional, and you can mix and match as you'd like. I love almonds with dried cranberries and sea salt, so that's what I'm using here. Feel free to use other kinds of dried fruit, nuts, peppermint candy, etc.

    Dark chocolate bars alongside dried cranberries, almonds and sea salt in glass food prep bowls.

    See recipe card below for exact quantities.

    📝 Instructions

    Three dark chocolate bars in a glass baking dish on a brown wood table.

    Step 1: Line a baking dish with parchment paper. Don't worry if the paper doesn't lay completely flat; just center a large piece over the dish and it'll flatten when you pour in the melted chocolate.

    Pro tip: You can use any size dish or baking sheet you'd like as long as it has raised edges. To figure out how much chocolate to melt into bark, just lay the chocolate bars you're using into the dish so that they roughly fill that area.

    Lightly chopped almonds on a white cutting board with a sharp knife.

    Step 2: Chop any nuts or other fillings you'd like to add to your bark, and set all the fillings you'd like to use aside. Feel free to get as creative as you'd like with favorite add-ins!

    Pieces of dark chocolate bars in a stainless steel mixing bowl.

    Step 3: Break the bars into a few pieces, place all the chocolate in a double boiler with about an inch of water in the bottom of the boiler, and heat to medium heat.

    Pro tip: If you don't have a double boiler, just place a stainless steel mixing bowl over a saucepan with an inch of water in it, and heat to medium.

    Partially melted chocolate in a stainless steel bowl with a purple silicone spatula.

    Step 4: Continue to heat the chocolate slowly until it just melts, and use a silicone spatula to stir it while it's melting.

    Melted chocolate in a parchment paper lined baking dish.

    Step 3: Once it's fully melted, pour your chocolate into the lined dish and then sprinkle your fillings into it. Don't worry about arranging them evenly around the chocolate; some variation is what makes dessert bark so charming.

    Chocolate bark with almonds and cranberries in a lined baking dish.

    Step 4: When your bark is to your liking, place the baking dish in the fridge and chill for at least an hour to harden it. If it's thick with a lot of fillings, you may need to chill it for up to 2 hours.

    Carefully remove the parchment paper and chocolate from the baking dish. Then, set it on a flat surface and use your hands to break it into as many pieces as you'd like.

    📖 Variations

    The sky is the limit with this recipe! Here are a few different chocolate bark ideas:

    • White chocolate bark - use white chocolate for the base instead of dark or milk chocolate
    • Peppermint bark - add chopped peppermint candies or candy canes to white or dark chocolate; this is a great holiday treat!
    • Chocolate bark with nuts - add your favorite chopped raw or roasted nuts
    • Chocolate bark with pretzels - add your favorite kind of pretzels (mini pretzels work well)

    🔪 Equipment

    Here is the basic equipment you'll need to make this recipe:

    • 3-quart baking dish (or other sized dish)
    • parchment paper
    • double boiler (optional; you can also use a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan)
    • cutting board
    • chef's knife (for chopping any add-ins)

    🍱 Storage

    Chocolate bark will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Or, freeze for up to 2 months and then thaw a bit before enjoying.

    🎉 Top tip

    There's no need to be exact with the placement of your fillings in the melted chocolate. The beauty of chocolate bark is in its imperfections. Oh, and don't worry if the melted chocolate lines the sides of the parchment paper as you pour it in. Those thin pieces will break right off and you might just be forced to eat them. 😉

    Enjoy!

    💭 FAQ

    What is the best chocolate to use for making bark?

    Plain dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate bars work well to make homemade chocolate bark, but milk chocolate or white chocolate could also be used.

    How do you make chocolate bark at home?

    The basic process to make homemade chocolate bark is to melt chocolate bars, pour the melted chocolate into a shallow dish and then sprinkle in fillings such as chopped nuts, dried fruit or peppermint candies.

    How long does homemade chocolate bark stay fresh?

    Chocolate bark will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. It can also be frozen for up to two months and then thawed.

    Can I use fresh fruit to make chocolate bark?

    No; it's best to use dried fruit such as dried cranberries or raisins to make a chocolate bark recipe since fresh fruit has too much moisture and might make the bark fall apart.

    🍳 Recipe

    Chocolate bark with almonds, dried cranberries and sea salt.

    Homemade Dark Chocolate Bark

    Learn how to make an easy and festive DIY dark chocolate bark recipe with almonds, sea salt, dried cranberries, all from your own kitchen!
    5 from 1 rating
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: European
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Chilling Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Author: Allison

    Equipment

    • 3-quart baking dish
    • parchment paper
    • double boiler
    • cutting board
    • chef's knife

    Ingredients

    • 10.5 ounces dark chocolate 3 bars, or use the same amount of homemade dark chocolate

    Filling ideas (all are optional):

    • almonds, cashews or peanuts
    • dried cranberries or other dried fruit
    • peppermint candies
    • pretzels
    • sea salt

    Instructions

    • Prep: Line a 3-quart baking dish with parchment paper. Chop any nuts or other fillings you'd like to add to your bark, and set all the fillings you'd like to use aside.
    • Melt: Place the chocolate in a double boiler, add about an inch of water to the bottom of the boiler, and start warming the chocolate over medium heat. If you don't have a double boiler, just place a stainless steel mixing bowl over a saucepan with an inch of water in it over medium heat. Continue to heat the chocolate slowly until it just melts, and use a silicone spatula to stir it as it melts.
    • Mold: Pour your chocolate into the lined baking dish and then sprinkle your fillings all around the chocolate.
    • Chill: Place the baking dish in the fridge and chill for at least 90 minutes to harden (if it's thick with a lot of fillings, you may need to chill it up to 2 hours.)
    • Enjoy: Carefully remove the parchment paper and chocolate from the baking dish, set on a flat surface, and then use your hands to break the bark into as many pieces as you'd like. Chocolate bark will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 2 months. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Storage: Chocolate bark will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 2 months.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 3mg
    Did you make this recipe?I'd love to know how it turned out! Please rate and leave a comment below, or share a picture on Instagram @onehappydish with the tag #onehappydish.

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