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What is peppermint bark?
Peppermint bark is one of my favorite holiday traditions. Made out of peppermint candy (candy canes or starlight mints), white chocolate and dark chocolate. There is a layer of dark chocolate followed by a layer of white chocolate. The festive peppermint flavor comes from crushed candy canes either sprinkled over the white chocolate or mixed into the white chocolate. The crunch from peppermint and the smoothness of the dark chocolate is the perfect combination.
My favorite peppermint bark has always been the signature Ghirardelli peppermint bark squares, so my recipe today is based off of those—with the peppermint candy crushed and mixed into the white chocolate. This irresistible flavor is a limited edition that comes out at the start of the holiday season, but with this recipe you can make them whenever you’d like.
Ghirardelli Peppermint Chocolate Bark Cups
You’ll need 3 ingredients and a few basic supplies that can be picked up the next time you go out for groceries. Peppermint bark can be made on a parchment paper lined baking pan and broken it into pieces, but I like making mine in mini baking cups—they are the perfect size, and you can pickup a pack in the baking or cake decorating aisle.
You can use a silicone chocolate mold to get the peppermint cup shapes if you have one. My chocolate mold only has 10 cavities so I used mini baking cups liners instead of making multiple batches of melted chocolate. Quicker and easier.
My recipe makes 24 peppermint bark cups and can easily be doubled or halved, depending on how many you’d like to make. You can store these in the refrigerator or on the counter. I recommend storing these at room temperature. It keeps the chocolate slightly softer, making it the perfect texture to bite into.
Peppermint Bark Ingredients
- Ghirardelli chocolate melting wafers*
- Ghirardelli white chocolate melting wafers or white chocolate chips*
- Mini candy canes
*Note: you can use almond bark cubes (dark and white) if you’d like, but my favorite kind of chocolate to use for melting is Ghirardelli melting wafers or chocolate chips. I often use it for making English toffee and hot chocolate sticks because I prefer the taste and perfectly smooth consistency.
How To Make Peppermint Bark Cups
Step 1: Line a baking sheet with 24 mini baking cups.Â
Step 2: Melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl for 30 seconds. Stir. Continue heating in 15 second intervals until smooth.
Step 3: Pour chocolate into frosting/pastry bag or Ziploc bag. Cut the corner of the bag to create a small opening. Note: You can also simply spoon the chocolate into the mini baking cups if you don’t have a pastry bag.Â
Step 4: Fill each mini baking cup with a tablespoon or two of chocolate. Each cup should be about 1/3 full. Tap baking sheet against the countertop to flatten tops and even out chocolate. Let stand 10 minutes.
Step 5: Crush candy canes with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer.
Step 6: Melt white chocolate in microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir. Continue heating in 15 second intervals until smooth. Stir crushed candy canes into white chocolate.
Step 7: Spoon or pipe white chocolate/peppermint mixture into baking cups. Tap baking sheet against work surface to flatten tops and even out white chocolate. Let stand until firm.
Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Cups
Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Cups
Ingredients
- 10 oz. Ghirardelli chocolate melting wafers
- 8 oz. Ghirardelli white chocolate melting wafers or chocolate chips
- 2 oz. crushed candy canes (16-20 mini candy canes)
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with 24 mini baking cups.
- Melt chocolate in microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir. Continue heating in 15 second intervals until smooth.
- Pour chocolate into frosting/pastry bag or Ziploc bag. Cut the corner of the bag to create a small opening. Note: You can also simply spoon the chocolate into the mini baking cups if you don't have a pastry bag.
- Fill each mini baking cup with a tablespoon or two of chocolate. Each cup should be about 1/3 full. Tap baking sheet against work surface to flatten tops and even out chocolate. Let stand 10 minutes.
- Crush candy canes with a rolling pin.
- Melt white chocolate in microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir. Continue heating in 15 second intervals until smooth. Stir crushed candy canes into white chocolate.
- Spoon or pipe white chocolate/peppermint mixture into baking cups. Tap baking sheet against work surface to flatten tops and even out white chocolate. Let stand until firm.
Notes
Nutrition
If you like Ghirardelli squares as much as we do check out our 12 Days of Christmas countdown!
Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!
These look delicious! I’d love for you to share this or any of your great ideas at the link party going on now (and every Saturday – Tuesday) at ‘Or so she says …’ We’ve also got an exciting giveaway going on now that includes a chance to win a BlendTec. Hope to see you there! http://www.oneshetwoshe.com
Thanks for the great idea! I was too impatient to go out and buy more equipment so I just made them with regular-sized cupcake papers but that made for easy clean-up and nobody complained about the bigger size! 😛 Thanks again, what a fun way to enjoy one of our favorite treats and get to spend time in the kitchen! 😀
That is GREAT to know! I have some mini muffin liners that I will try! Great for transporting too!
Brandy
Gluesticks
hello i wanna thank you for this recipe. I own a candy catering business n i’m always looking for different creations.
A candy catering business? That sounds like the best job ever! Thanks for stopping by!
I would put a little peppermint extract in the vanilla candy coating, I didn’t think the peppermint candy gave it very much flavor.
Good tip! I will try that next time!
Can these be frozen?
Yes
Instead of candy canes can I use soft peppermint candy’s?
I haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why not. 🙂
I love the ghiardelli peppermint bark squares! I am always looking for new ideas for Christmas treats as it’s more economical to make food gifts for my large family. The only problem I had with this recipe is that the peppermint chips (you can buy them already crushed at Walmart-who knew, right?) made it hard to squeeze from the piping bag. I used a skewer to move the pieces enough to get the white chocolate to squirt out the end ofvthe piping bag. Then I got impatient & made the hole bigger. I don’t suggest that lol. Anyway, thank you! They are very tasty & a very quick & easy treat to add to any goody bag!