We’re chocoholics over here, so one of our top treats to make is Chocolate Bark! This one is sweet and salty, with a confetti of colorful ingredients and absolutely irresistible. It’s the best fun treat that makes a great gift. We used cranberries, pistachios, coconut and sea salt for the toppings, but it’s totally customizable based on your preferences. Here’s how to make the perfect chocolate bark: with a smooth, shiny sheen on the chocolate and just the right crisp crunch when you bite into it.
Tips for making the best chocolate bark
There are a few tips to making the very best chocolate bark. You can skip down to the recipe if you’re ready to get started. But here are a few more details on the why behind the what of each step in the process:
Temper the chocolate! Many chocolate bark recipes don’t require tempering the chocolate, but it makes a far superior bark. The chocolate has just the right shiny texture and crisp crunch, and doesn’t melt at room temp. It also avoids chocolate bloom, that white stuff that appears during storage. Use semi sweet or dark chocolate, around 60%. We found 60% dark chocolate has the best flavor. 70% is a bitter too bittersweet. Add mix-ins into the chocolate AND on top. Adding the mix-ins into the chocolate gives the best crunchy texture. (All of them on top makes it a little one-note.)
How to temper chocolate
Chocolate is temperamental: period! But to make the best chocolate bark, we like to temper the chocolate. It’s a special process that heats and cools the chocolate to stabilize it for making candies. As we mentioned above, it makes the most stable texture, shiny exterior, and avoids the white “bloom” that can appear on chocolate during storage. Here are a few notes on tempering chocolate:
You’ll need a food thermometer. Don’t have one? Skip to the next section. This helps to achieve the precise temperatures that are required. Don’t get water in the chocolate. This is the #1 rule! You’ll be melting the chocolate over simmering water but do NOT let it touch the chocolate or it will seize up.Melt 2/3 of the chocolate to 108 to 115°F, add the remaining chocolate and reduce to 85 to 86°F, then return the chocolate to 90 to 91°F. That’s the basic idea of tempering! Start high, go low, then return to the middle. There’s lots of science behind it, so trust us.
Don’t have a food thermometer?
Tempering chocolate is the way to get the best chocolate bark. But don’t have a food thermometer? That’s ok too! You can make it without tempering and it’s still good. Here’s what to know:
Melt the chocolate over simmering water. Use the “makeshift” double boiler method below, or a double boiler. You can use a microwave to melt chocolate, but it’s not our preference since it’s easy to go too far. Skip the tempering and just use the chocolate when it’s melted. Add the mix-ins, pour in a thin layer and add toppings.
Chocolate bark toppings!
Once you’ve made it through the chocolate stage, making chocolate bark is a breeze! For this bark we used cranberries, pistachios, coconut and smoked salt. The combination of sweet, salty, crunchy, tropical and smoky was perfection! The smoked salt is not required, but if you can find it, it adds a unique element (if not, use sea salt). Of course, you can use any type of mix-ins you like. Here are a few more ideas when it comes to chocolate bark toppings:
Nuts like pistachios, walnuts, cashews, pecans, hazelnutsSeeds like pumpkin seeds or sesame seedsDried fruit like dried cranberries, dried cherries, apricots, dried blueberries, freeze dried strawberriesCrystalized gingerPretzels broken into piecesPeppermint candies, crushedChopped candies of any kindCrushed potato chipsSprinkles
Chocolate bark storage
What’s the best way to store homemade chocolate bark? Chocolate bark stays most stable chilled , so we suggest keeping in the refrigerator or freezer. Store it in an airtight container at refrigerated for up to 3 weeks or frozen for 3 months.
More chocolate recipes
Are you a choco-holic like we are? Here are our top chocolate recipes to make when we’re craving a treat:
Grab quick and easy Chocolate Covered BananasMake the Ultimate Chocolate Mug Cake in the microwaveMix up tasty No Bake Chocolate CookiesMake homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
This chocolate bark recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.
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