Description
A festive and fun Peppermint Reindeer Chocolate Bark recipe combining creamy milk chocolate with crunchy pretzels, candy eyeballs, red M&M’s, and crushed peppermint for a delightful holiday treat that’s easy to make and perfect for gifting or snacking.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Base
- 12 ounces bag of milk chocolate chips
Decorations
- 10 mini pretzels
- 10 Wilton candy eyeballs
- 10 small red M&M’s
- 6-8 peppermint candy
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Tray: Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside to prevent the chocolate from sticking.
- Melt Chocolate: Place milk chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth, approximately 2 minutes total.
- Cut Pretzels: Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the mini pretzels in half horizontally to create smooth pretzel “antlers” and set aside.
- Crush Peppermint: Place the peppermint candies in a Ziploc bag and crush them into fine pieces using a rolling pin or mallet; set aside.
- Spread Chocolate: Pour the melted chocolate onto the prepared baking tray and spread evenly to about ⅛ inch thickness using a spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Decorate Chocolate: Arrange the pretzel halves at the top of the chocolate slab like antlers, place the candy eyeballs below as eyes, and then position the red M&M’s for the reindeer nose.
- Add Peppermint Topping: Sprinkle the crushed peppermint candy evenly over the decorated chocolate.
- Set Chocolate: Refrigerate the tray for at least 30 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden completely.
- Cut and Store: Once set, carefully cut the bark into pieces using a knife. Store in an airtight container and enjoy.
Notes
- Store the chocolate bark in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days or refrigerate for a month to maintain freshness.
- For longer storage, freeze candy bark in a freezer-safe container for 6-7 months; note that M&Ms may crack and crushed peppermint might liquify upon thawing.
- Instead of microwaving, melt chocolate using a double boiler for better control and to avoid scorching.
- Leave an overhang of parchment paper when lining the baking tray to easily lift the hardened chocolate bark out.
- Use a serrated knife for smooth and clean cuts on the pretzels.
- Crush the peppermint candies using a rolling pin or mallet inside a sealed plastic bag for safety and to avoid mess.
