White chocolate Christmas bark is an incredibly easy dessert to whip up for guests or a family treat! With festive colors and flavors, it's a holiday favorite.
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I feel like I can't even call this white chocolate bark a recipe because it's just so darn easy! The hardest part is melting the chocolate, which isn't even hard. I do it in the microwave and it turns out perfectly every single time.
Ingredients for Chocolate Christmas Bark
- White chocolate or Almond bark
- Dried cranberries
- Pecans
- Sprinkles
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
Christmas Bark variations
You can use any kind of nut you want in this white chocolate bark recipe, I love pecans so that is what we always use. My kids are crazy for dried cranberries so they think this is the best treat ever! It would be good with a variety of dried fruit as well.
Really, the options are endless. Nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate. how can you go wrong?? I also love using cranberries because the color is so festive, perfect for a Christmas bark recipe. This also makes an adorable gift! Easy to make and easy to package, perfect for holiday treat exchanges.
How to make Chocolate Christmas Bark
1. How to Melt Chocolate in the Microwave
- Chop up chocolate into uniform pieces, about ½ inch square maximum. If you are using chips, there is no need to chop them.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave for 15-second intervals, stirring between each interval.
- When the chocolate is 75% melted, stop microwaving and stir until all the chocolate is melted and evenly combined. This prevents the temperature from getting too high and burning the chocolate.
- The total amount of time this will take is going to vary greatly depending on your microwave. Just have patience and stir every 15-seconds! I promise it will turn out great.
2. I think the easiest way to ensure you can get your Christmas bark off your sheet tray easily is to line the sheet tray with parchment paper. I spread the melted white chocolate almost to the edges, but leave a little space so that the white chocolate doesn't run over the edge.
I'm using a mini sheet tray here, so if you are using a large sheet tray, just spread the chocolate so it is about ¼ inch thick. Then it's time for toppings! This is a super fun recipe to make with kids, it's fairly simple and they love sprinkling the toppings all over.
3. Depending on what nuts I'm using, I'll usually chop them roughly just so everything is about the same size. This makes cutting and biting the white chocolate bark a little easier. I also throw a few festive sprinkles on top!
4. The quickest way to get the white chocolate bark to set up is to put it in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes. You can definitely leave it out at room temperature, but this can make it take a while to harden.
5. I like to keep mine chilled until I'm ready to cut it and package it. I usually make slices across, and then just break it into pieces from there. No scientific method for how to break it up!
There you have it! The easiest Christmas Bark recipe ever. And maybe even the easiest holiday treat ever! This actually keeps pretty well in the freezer which is a great last-minute party tip if you have unexpected guests during the holiday season! Or if you're me and you just like to snack on it one piece at a time through the entire month of December. Ha!!
How to store Christmas Chocolate Bark
You can store your Christmas bark at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Whichever you choose, make sure it’s placed in an airtight container. It'll keep for up to 2 weeks if stored correctly!
For a longer shelf life, you can freeze your chocolate bark. It’ll be good in the freezer for up to 6 months! Just make sure you let it thaw at room temperature before eating.
White Chocolate Christmas Bark FAQs
Although almond bark has almond in its name, it isn't actually made from almonds! It's a type of melting chocolate that contains vegetable fats instead of cocoa butter. White chocolate, on the other hand, is made from cocoa butter.
Almond bark is super easy to melt, which makes it a popular choice for baking. But if you want a richer and creamier flavor, white chocolate is the way to go.
They can be used interchangeably in most recipes, including my Christmas bark recipe!
Yes, you can color almond bark! Add a few drops of food coloring to the melted almond bark or white chocolate before cooling.
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White Chocolate Christmas Bard
Ingredients
- 16 ounces white chocolate (or almond bark)
- ½ cup dried cranberries (see note)
- ½ cup pecans (rough chop, see note)
- 1 tablespoon sprinkles (your favorite)
Instructions
- Chop the chocolate so it is all roughly the same size, into about ¼-1/2 inch pieces. If you are using white chocolate chips, there is no need to chop them.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the chocolate for 15 seconds and stir, repeating this until the chocolate is about 75% melted (see note).
- One the chocolate is 75% melted, remove from microwave and continue to stir until all of the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Pour the chocolate onto a parchment lined baking sheet, spreading it evenly about ¼ inch thick.
- Sprinkle the cranberries, pecans, and sprinkles evenly over the top.
- Place in the refrigerator until set and hard, about 30 minutes.
- Remove and break or slice into pieces that are easy to pick up.
- Store in an air-tight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Alli
Great, festive treat!