Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark

Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark is a well-known holiday treat. This peppermint bark recipe combines both dark chocolate and white chocolate, peppermint candies, and a bit of peppermint extract. It is hard to beat the way this candy tastes.

If you want to go to Williams Sonoma it will cost you a pretty penny. I can show you how to make it for less, much less.

pieces of homemade Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark


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What Makes Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark So Good?

This Christmas treat has the perfect blend of dark velvety chocolate and rich white chocolate with just the right touch of peppermint. This bark is topped with crunchy pieces of peppermint candy and has a refreshing, cool taste that no one can resist.

Why you’ll love this easy peppermint bark recipe

If you want to go to Williams Sonoma, this festive peppermint bark candy will cost you a pretty penny. I can show you how to make it for less – much less – with this easy peppermint bark recipe. Gift-wrapped or in a holiday tin, this bark makes a lovely gift for a friend, neighbor, teacher, etc.

You can make homemade peppermint bark that tastes just like it does when you buy it in the store. I know you are going to love this peppermint bark candy, even more, when you make it at home.

Secrets to Making the Best Peppermint Bark

The real secret to making tasty peppermint bark candy is using good-quality chocolate. Guittard chocolate is closest to Williams Sonoma’s variety, but you can use any other good quality chocolate. I wouldn’t use the inexpensive “chocolate bark” you often find during the holidays.

Another secret to making good-tasting peppermint bark is food-grade peppermint oil because it tastes much better than peppermint extract. If you can’t find the food-grade peppermint oil, it is okay to use the extract. The oil has a smoother flavor.

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Semisweet Chocolate, 61% cacao
  • White Chocolate, 31% cacao
  • Food grade peppermint oil
  • Peppermint candies or candy canes
Williams Sonoma peppermint bark ingredients

What’s the Best Way to Melt Chocolate?

I suggest using a double boiler to melt the chocolate. Bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer over low heat. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over the simmering water. Stir while the chocolate is melting.

You could also melt it in the microwave by heating the chocolate in 30-second increments in a glass bowl, then taking it out and stirring it each time.

I don’t have the patience to microwave it and prefer using the double boiler. It heats up more quickly, but you must be careful not to accidentally get any water into the chocolate.

CopyKat Tip – be sure to use good quality chocolate like Lindt, Ghiradelli, or other bulk chocolate. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers that keep them from melting perfectly.

How to Make Peppermint Bark

  1. Line a jelly roll pan with waxed or parchment paper.
  2. Melt semisweet chocolate in a double boiler. Or melt in a bowl in the microwave. 
  3. Stir in peppermint oil.
melted peppermint chocolate spread out on waxed paper
  1. Pour semisweet chocolate over the waxed paper with an offset spatula to about ¼ to ⅜-inch thickness.
  2. Place the pan in the refrigerator and allow the chocolate to set for 30 minutes.
  3. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler and stir in peppermint oil.
melted peppermint white chocolate in a mixing bowl
  1. Spread white chocolate in an even layer over the dark chocolate layer.
  2. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candies or crushed candy canes over white chocolate and gently press the candies into the chocolate. You want to press the candies into the chocolate.
peppermint bark before broken into pieces
  1. Allow a couple of hours for the chocolate to set up fully.
  2. Once the chocolate has set, break it into pieces.
  3. Store the candy in an airtight container at room temperature.
peppermint bark pieces on waxed paper

How to Prevent the Two Bark Layers Separating

Several readers have mentioned that they had this problem. There are a couple of reasons why this may happen: the kind of chocolate you use and the method of making the bark.

It’s essential to use top-quality chocolate. Avoid using the slabs of chocolate “bark” in the baking aisle or chocolate chips. These often contain palm kernel oil, inhibiting the two layers’ excellent bonding. Chocolate chips also contain stabilizers, so they retain their shape – this means they don’t melt as well.

You must also use white chocolate containing cocoa butter and not palm kernel or coconut oil. These particular fats are not compatible with the cocoa butter found in good quality dark chocolate, and once your two-tone slabs set, the light and dark layers will separate when you break the bark into pieces.

If you have the right chocolate and you still have a separation problem, try tempering both chocolates. Tempering means you set aside some pieces of chopped chocolate and stir them into the main batch of chocolate after it has melted.

  • Comment from a reader: The condensation from the cold chocolate can keep the two chocolates from sticking together. Blotting the dark chocolate before adding the white seems to help.
pieces of peppermint bark candy

Homemade Peppermint Bark

Now you can make this holiday treat just like Williams Sonoma sells in the stores. It’s easy to do and will cost you a lot less. With this peppermint bark recipe, you can have all the peppermint bark candy you want without taking a huge chunk out of your wallet! And it’s super fun to do with your kid.

I hope you give this recipe a try this holiday season. This peppermint bark is delicious with the dark chocolate layer topped with the white chocolate layer. It doesn’t get much better than this!

homemade Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark

What can you serve peppermint bark with?

You may want to serve this on a cookie tray, or serve this as a dessert selection at a holiday gathering. I love to serve this with Walkers Shortbread Cookies or some White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies.

How to store peppermint bark

You will want to place this into an airtight container. This will help prevent the bark from absorbing moisture or orders from other foods. If you are staking the peppermint bark, place a sheet of parchment paper between each layer to keep pieces from sticking together. Also, store in a cool, dry place, but do not place it in the refrigerator. Refrigeration can cause the chocolate to bloom, affecting the appearance of your peppermint bark.

How long does peppermint bark last?

At room temperature, it will last up to two weeks, so plan on consuming this treat quickly.

Love homemade candy? Try these recipes!

Favorite Christmas Recipes

Be sure to check out more of my easy candy recipes and the best Christmas dinner recipes to make for your family and friends.

pieces of homemade Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark

Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark

Make Peppermint Bark just like Williams Sonoma sells in the stores. 
5 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Christmas Recipes, Peppermint Bark
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 424kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Guittard Semisweet Chocolate (61% cacao)
  • 1 pound Guittard White Chocolate (31% cacao)
  • 3/8 teaspoon peppermint extract or food grade peppermint oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract or food grade peppermint oil
  • ½ cup crushed peppermint candies or candy canes

Instructions

  • Line a jelly roll pan with waxed paper. Melt semisweet chocolate in a double boiler. Stir in 3/8 teaspoon peppermint extract. Spread semisweet chocolate over the waxed paper. Spread the chocolate out to about 1/4 to 3/8 inch thickness.
  •  Place pan in the refrigerator and allow chocolate to set for about 30 minutes. The chocolate does not need to be completely firm. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler and stir in 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract. Spread white chocolate over the semisweet chocolate. 
  • Sprinkle over crushed peppermint candies. Gently press candies into the chocolate. You want to press the candies into the chocolate. This will keep the peppermint candies from being easily knocked off when stored. Allow the chocolate to set up fully, this can take up to a couple of hours. 
  • Once the chocolate has set break into pieces and store in an air tight container. This can be enjoyed for about two weeks after preparation. They key is not allowing the humidity to make the peppermints soggy.

Nutrition

Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1.1mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amy Richardson

    5 stars
    Simple and delicious. The white chocolate melted the dark chocolate a tiny bit when I was smoothing it out so if you really want the white to be white, you may want to let the white chocolate cool slightly before putting it on top or be careful when spreading.

  2. Mary

    Hello: I’m having a hard time finding white chocolate bars. I find plenty of chips. I did find WC on Amazon but I would have to mortgage my house. Can you give me any direction on where to find?

    Thanks Mary

  3. Veronica Bohne

    5 stars
    Sooooo I had already bought my white chocolate chips before I saw the note about the coconut oil keeping the two layers from staying together… also I already melted and chilled the other chocolate so there was no turning back. Lol. BUT I had recently started watching The Great Pottery Throwdown and got some inspiration from a technique from a few of the episodes… the potters sometimes have to score their main pieces to get things like handles to stick. So I took a little pairing knife and scratched a bunch of dashes on top of the first chocolate before spreading the white chocolate on top, and it worked really well!!! After completely setting up overnight, it broke apart beautifully the next day. And it’s DELICIOUS. Will be making this multiple times throughout the year I’m sure. 🙂

  4. Misti

    So apparently the condensation from the cold chocolate can keep the two chocolates from sticking together. I’ve found that after you refrigerate leave it out and blot the dark chocolate before you add the white. Not foolproof but it did help.

      • Lise WIlson

        I just read this after making it today to give to a few friends. I don’t quite understand the blotting part. I made the chocolate, refrigerated it then put the melted white chocoate on top after it was firm. When I went to break it up both of the the chocolates separated. I thought the darker chocolate was rather bitter.

      • Stephanie

        5 stars
        So sometimes some moisture can form on the chocolate when you put it in the refrigerator, this may keep the two layers from sticking together. I am sorry you thought the darker chocolate was bitter. What type of chocolate was it?

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