Chocolate Candy Cane Bark Recipe - What the Redhead said (2024)

Recipes

ByDonna Wishart

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A couple of years ago I discovered chocolate bark for the first time, beautiful slabs of chocolate that looked almost like rocky road in chocolate form. People created so many different flavour combinations and I wanted to start creating my own at home.

We had some peppermint candy canes to use up so I decided to create a Peppermint Chocolate Candy Cane Bark recipe for us all to enjoy over the holiday season.

Chocolate Candy Cane Bark Recipe - What the Redhead said (1)

Why should you make Peppermint Chocolate Candy Cane Bark?

Chocolate bark is a really lovely invention. It turns simple, basic bars of chocolate into something much lovelier that can really be appreciated and enjoyed. It works so well as a gift and this peppermint bark would be wonderful as a Christmas gift or end of term gift for teachers.

We always put treats like this mint chocolate bark into little bags and tie with a ribbon or seal with a sticker, making them a really simple but lovely gift to receive.

This easy chocolate peppermint bark combines sweet chocolate with a lovely peppermint flavour and any sprinkles you feel like adding. We use red, white and green sprinkles to match the candy canes and give a festive feel but you can use whatever you have to hand. It’s a really lovely treat that takes just minutes to make and can be enjoyed throughout the holidays.

If you’re looking for other Christmas recipes to try why not give our Candy Cane Fudge, Low Sugar Trifle or Mince Pie Flapjack a go?

What equipment do you need to make Rocky Road?

Rocky Road doesn’t need anything special to make it, and you probably already have everything you need at home, but this is the equipment we use:

Once you’ve got everything you need to make the Rocky Road you can just keep making it again and again – in so many different flavours too!

Chocolate Candy Cane Bark Recipe - What the Redhead said (2)

So here’s our Milk Chocolate Candy Cane Peppermint Bark recipe:

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Break the chocolate into separate microwave safe bowls, one milk, one white and add peppermint essence to each bowl – 0.5 tsp with the milk chocolate and 1tsp with the white chocolate
  • Melt the chocolate either in the microwave at 20 second intervals or using a bain marie, a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water
  • Spread the melted chocolate over the baking paper – first the white chocolate and then the milk chocolate on top, and use a skewer to mix the two chocolates together, leaving a marble effect
  • Scatter the crushed candy cane pieces and sprinkles over the chocolate
  • Put in the fridge to set – preferably for at least four hours
  • Cut up into pieces and enjoy!

If you’d like to pin or print this Peppermint Chocolate Candy Cane Bark recipe for later you can do so below. Happy baking!

Peppermint Chocolate Candy Cane Bark

This really easy festive treat is a glorious mix of chocolate and peppermint flavours, perfect for sharing.

Course Afternoon Tea, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, British

Keyword christmas

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 1 slab

Calories 1753kcal

Ingredients

  • 100 g milk chocolate – bars or chocolate chips
  • 200 g white chocolate – bars or chocolate chips
  • 1.5 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 2 candy canes crushed
  • festive sprinkles

Instructions

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

  • Break the chocolate into separate microwave safe bowls, one milk, one white and add peppermint essence to each bowl – 0.5 tsp with the milk chocolate and 1tsp with the white chocolate

  • Melt the chocolate either in the microwave at 20 second intervals or using a bain marie, a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water

  • Spread the white chocolate onto the baking paper, pour the milk chocolate over the top and use a skewer to mix the two chocolates together, leaving a marble effect

  • Scatter the crushed candy cane pieces and sprinkles over the chocolate

  • Put in the fridge to set – preferably for at least four hours

  • Cut up into pieces and enjoy!

*Note: Nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published.

Chocolate Candy Cane Bark Recipe - What the Redhead said (4)
Chocolate Candy Cane Bark Recipe - What the Redhead said (2024)

FAQs

What is the red in candy canes? ›

“The colour on the traditional red candy canes can come from two sources – one of them is from cochineal. Cochineal is made from a natural dye that comes from an insect. They extract the colour from the eggs or from the bug and then they add things to it to make it stable so they can use it in food,” Bel reveals.

What is the story of the red and white candy cane? ›

In 1847, he made a candy to symbolize Christ. The cane's "J" shape stands for Jesus; when turned upside-down, it becomes a shepherd's staff. The white color signifies purity; the red represents Christ's blood, shed for the world's sins, and three red stripes symbolize the trinity.

Is a candy cane white with red stripes? ›

A candy cane is a cane-shaped stick candy often associated with Christmastide, as well as Saint Nicholas Day. It is traditionally white with red stripes and flavored with peppermint, but the canes also come in a variety of other flavors and colors.

How did candy canes look originally? ›

Candy canes were originally solid white, but during the turn of the 20th century stripes started to appear. Prior to the late 19th century, Christmas cards of that period show nothing but plain white candy.

Is red 40 in candy canes? ›

This is what's in the average candy cane... Ingredients: SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, PEPPERMINT OIL, RED 40, RED 40 LAKE.

What does the candy cane mean in Christianity? ›

Cane: Is like the staff used by the shepherds in caring for sheep. Jesus is our “Good Shepherd.” The Color Red: Is for God's love that sent Jesus to give his life for us on the cross. The Stripes: Remind us of Jesus' suffering-his crown of thorns, the wounds in his hands and feet; and the cross on which he died.

What is the true story of the candy cane? ›

“Legend has it that the candy cane dates back to 1670, when the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany handed out sugar sticks among his young singers to keep them quiet during the Living Creche ceremony,” Schildhaus says.

What color were candy canes originally? ›

The first candy cane was not made in the shape of a cane. It was white, completely straight and only flavored with sugar.

What is the myth of the candy cane? ›

One legend suggests that an Indiana-based candymaker shaped the peppermint stick into a “J” shape to represent Jesus, with the white stripe symbolizing the purity of his birth and the red stripe later added to acknowledge the blood he shed on the cross.

What do the English call candy canes? ›

We say "candy cane" only because we don't have this tradition in the UK and so the word is a direct import with no competing word to worry about.

Is there a candy cane emoji? ›

Emoji Details

This open source emoji is named "candy cane" and is licensed under the open source Custom license. It's a colored emoji. It's also a defined emoji, which means it's part of the open standard on emojis.

When were red and white candy canes invented? ›

Just about everyone agrees that today's candy cane appeared in the U.S. around 1847 in Wooster Ohio, made by August Imgard, a German-Swedish immigrant. I've read different accounts–that the “J” shape stands for Jesus, that they were made to look like a shepherds crook.

Why are candy canes bent? ›

They were a gift to the children attending the Christmas Nativity pageant. Because of the shepherds in the Nativity story, the choirmaster bent the candy sticks into canes to represent the shepherd's crook. The cane-shaped candy sticks became a tradition at the church.

Do candy canes expire? ›

"Things like candy canes or ribbon candy are good for well over a year, up to five years possibly. The sugar creates a matrix that holds it all together," said Allured. This is as long as you store it in a cool, dry place: "Humidity is the enemy."

Which country invented the candy cane? ›

The origin of candy canes dates back to Christmas Eve in 1670 with a German choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany. He handed out sticks of sugar to the members of his young choir as a means of quieting them during the Christmas Eve Mass.

Does peppermint have red dye 40? ›

Sugar, Corn Syrup, Titanium Dioxide (for color), FD&C Red 40, Natural Peppermint Oil. Sugar, Corn Syrup, Titanium Dioxide (for color), FD&C Red 40, Natural Peppermint Oil. Store in a cool dry place.

Do peppermint candy canes have red 40? ›

Sugar, corn syrup, natural flavor, color added (includes Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1). This product is free of top common allergens and manufactured on dedicated equipment.

What candy has red 40 in it? ›

Red dye 40 can be found in many hard and gummy candies such as Skittles, M&Ms, Starburst, Jolly Ranchers, and Twizzlers, as well as Lifesavers and Hot Tamales. Dum Dum Pops, Tootsie Roll Pops, and Smarties are also rife with the controversial red dye.

What was the original color of candy canes? ›

They started as straight white sugar sticks and a few years later the red stripes were added. The first time they are documented as being called 'candy canes' comes in 1866; and their first connection to Christmas comes from 1874. Early recipes had them as simply 'sugar' flavored.

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