Sure, cookies may wear the Christmas dessert crown. But once we’ve eaten too many buttercream-topped snowmen to count, we’re in the mood for something different (read: chocolate). Enter these 25 holiday bark recipes, which are equal parts festive, pretty and delicious. Best of all, they’re a breeze to prepare (most recipes don’t require cooking beyond melting the chocolate), kid-friendly and gift-worthy, especially if you need a present in a pinch. Read on for our favorites, which are studded with everything from dried cranberries to Cheez-Its.
food
25 Holiday Bark Recipes That Are Good Enough to Gift (or Keep All to Yourself)
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Published Dec 22, 2022
1. Five-Ingredient Holiday Chocolate Bark
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes (plus chilling)
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
It’s the ultimate stocking stuffer in our book. The toasted pistachio pieces and dried cranberries give the bark the optimal dose of red-and-green flair, while the white chocolate drizzle makes it look totally gourmet.
Nakeisha Campbell
2. Cheez-It Pretzel Chocolate Bark
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes (plus chilling)
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Sweet-and-salty lovers, this one goes out to you. Believe it or not, this crunchy confection tastes oddly similar to a Butterfinger. (Might we suggest tossing in roasted peanuts to drive the flavor home?)
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, make ahead, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
This striped delight is likely what comes to mind when someone says, “chocolate bark.” The white chocolate layer is spiked with peppermint extract for a boost of wintry flavor.
4. Pomegranate-Pistachio Swirled Chocolate Bark
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Sprinkle on a handful of ruby-red pomegranate arils and boom: This chocolate bark is dressed to the Christmas nines. The key here is using high-quality chocolate.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
The kids’ table will gobble up this candy-topped treat in 5 seconds flat. The recipe calls for Oreos, pretzels and M&Ms, but we’d suggest adding crumbled kettle-cooked potato chips to the mix too.
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, make ahead
It’s crispy and divine in any shape, but hearts give the bark a certain je ne sais quoi your guests will go gaga for. Feel free to shape them with snowflake, Santa or snowman cookie cutters instead.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead,<10 ingredients
Personally, we’re dying to break up a few pieces over a bowl of vanilla ice cream (with hot fudge, obvi). Trade green candy melts for red ones to give the bark a candy cane-inspired look.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Just like the kind you buy at your favorite fancy chocolate shop. Pro tip: Don’t chill the bark for longer than 15 minutes to ensure that the chocolate doesn’t sweat and streak.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
Or as we like to call it, mermaid bark. No one will mind if you bring this vibrant showstopper to the cookie swap instead of your usual batch of oatmeal raisin.
10. Pistachio, Salted Caramel and Oreo Dark Chocolate Bark
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why We Love It: make ahead, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
We like combining high-brow add-ins with nostalgic favorites, like Oreo cookies, because they give the bark an elegant-yet-cozy feel that’s just right for the holidays.
11. 4-Ingredient Buttery Chocolate-Covered Ritz Bark
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, make ahead
Ritz crackers offer crispiness, buttery flavor and a tasty dose of salt to this holiday bark, but we’re betting graham crackers, saltines and even matzoh would be fine substitutes.
12. Pretzel Peanut Butter-Stuffed Chocolate Bark
- Time Commitment: 4 hours
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Consider Reese’s cups officially dethroned. Take your pick between creamy and crunchy peanut butter for the filling—just don’t use a natural peanut butter that will separate over time.
13. Spicy Chocolate Bark with Chipotle and Almonds
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
A generous dash of chipotle chile powder and a flourish of flaky sea salt cut right through bitter dark and sweet white chocolates. Use any color melting wafers in place of pink that you’d like (perhaps a duo of green and red?).
14. Toasted Coconut and Coffee Salted Chocolate Bark
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, beginner-friendly
In case you need a pick-me-up after wrapping a zillion presents and decorating cookies with the little ones. Use your favorite ground coffee, preferably something bold.
15. New Year’s Eve Chocolate Bark
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, make ahead, <10 ingredients
This is the dessert equivalent of a tuxedo if you ask us. Just look at that dapper, sophisticated marbling. Finish the bark with edible gold flakes and serve with Champagne.
16. Cake Batter Chocolate Bark
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
In case your kids didn’t get their sprinkle fix at the cookie swap, they can shake them onto this cake-infused holiday bark to their heart’s content.
17. Reese’s Peanut Butter White Chocolate Bark
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
Want to use white chocolate chips instead of baking chocolate? No problem. Simply melt them with one teaspoon of shortening to make the mixture silky smooth and spreadable.
18. Superfood Chocolate Quinoa Bark
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
Chalk this next-level bark’s crunch up to hemp seeds, cacao nibs, almonds and cashews. Top it with dried edible roses for a gorgeous finishing touch.
19. Fall Harvest Dark Chocolate Bark
- Time Commitment: 4 hours and 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
Trust us: The combo of toasty pepitas, pretzels and dried fruit tastes just as spectacular in the wintertime as it does in the fall. Choose from raisins, dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots.
20. Cashew Ginger Chocolate Bark
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, make ahead
Complete with tropical toasted coconut and crunchy sesame seeds. The crystallized ginger infuses every mouthful with sweetness and spice.
21. Salted Almond Chocolate Bark
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
We love the addition of chopped dried cherries. They not only offer a chewy element to the holiday bark, but also a touch of tartness to break up the sweetness.
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
Choose your fighter: peppermint, toffee-hazelnut, salted caramel pretzel or cranberry-pistachio. Whichever you decide, your giftee will be thrilled at first bite.
23. Movie Theater Candy Chocolate Bark
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Gummy bears! Buttered popcorn! M&’s! The gang’s all here, and there’s still plenty of room for any additional candy you fancy. (P.S.: This bark tastes even better if you nosh on it while watching a Christmas movie.)
24. Coffee, Roasted Almond and Toasted Coconut Dark Chocolate Bark
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Want to up the coffee-flavored ante? Top the holiday bark with chocolate-covered espresso beans. (It’ll keep in the fridge for up to two weeks, BTW.)
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, make ahead
And you thought Lucky Charms were magically delicious. Wait until you try this sweet combo of white chocolate, marshmallows and toffee bits that will hit you right in the childhood.
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.
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