It’s so easy to make your own layered white and dark chocolate vegan peppermint bark at home, with this quick 3 ingredient recipe!
Why you’ll love this vegan peppermint bark recipe
- Rich, smooth chocolate texture + delicious crunchy peppermint candy canes = the ultimate festive holiday treat.
- Great addition to parties, Christmas cookie trays, or edible gifts for friends and family.
- No stove top or oven required, and the entire recipe takes just 15 minutes to make.
- This homemade vegan version tastes exactly like the classic original!
Also try this holiday Vegan Gingerbread
Step by step recipe video
Dairy free holiday bark ingredients
All you need to make your own DIY vegan peppermint bark is dark chocolate, white chocolate, candy canes, and optional mint extract.
The recipe is naturally plant based, egg free, gluten free, and nut free.
*For low carb and vegan keto peppermint bark, choose dairy free and sugar free chocolate chips and white chocolate and sugar free candy canes.
Chocolate chips – Dairy free chocolate chips should be readily available at most grocery stores. You can use vegan milk chocolate, semi sweet chocolate, or dark chocolate chips (my favorite).
If you do not have chocolate chips on hand, chopped chocolate baking bars work.
White chocolate chips – These are harder to find. Depending on where you live, your best option may be to look at Whole Foods or to order vegan white chocolate chips online.
Enjoy Life and Pascha are two brands that sell dairy free white chocolate chips. Once again, you may also use chopped dairy free white chocolate bars as a substitute.
Candy canes – Many commercial candy canes and peppermint candies are accidentally vegan. If you want to ensure no bone char or animal derived red coloring, look for a vegan symbol printed somewhere on the box.
YumEarth is a great organic and certified vegan option you can buy at stores like Target, with no high fructose corn syrup or artificial food dyes.
Pure peppermint extract – This ingredient is optional but adds so much bold minty flavor, to the delight of true peppermint lovers.
Avoid an artificial aftertaste by purchasing pure peppermint extract, not imitation peppermint flavoring. For authentic taste, I do not recommend substituting spearmint or mint extract.
Optional toppings – Garnish the vegan bark with a flourish of red and green sprinkles, crushed OREO cookies, dried cranberries, or edible glitter if desired.
Still craving candy? Make Vegan Toffee
How to make the best vegan peppermint bark
- Begin by crushing the candy canes or peppermints. (See how to crush candy canes below.)
- Line a baking tray or cookie sheet with parchment paper, and set this pan aside.
- Carefully melt the dark chocolate chips, either in the microwave or by using the double boiler method. Then stir in one fourth teaspoon of peppermint extract, if using.
- Spread the chocolate sauce over the lined baking sheet. Let sit until firm, or place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the white chocolate layer.
- Repeat step three, using white chocolate chips this time along with the remaining optional peppermint extract.
- Spread the melted white chocolate over the hardened dark chocolate layer.
- Immediately sprinkle the crushed candy canes or peppermints evenly over top. Add any other toppings at this time as well.
- Freeze for ten minutes, or let sit at room temperature until the no bake peppermint bark is firm enough to cut with a knife or break into pieces with your hands.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week. Or cover and refrigerate for up to a month. For longer term storage, freeze peppermint bark three to four months.
How to crush candy canes at home
I find that the easiest method is to simply place the candy canes in a Ziploc bag. Close the bag tightly and smash the candies with a rolling pin or mallet.
You can also process the candy canes in a high speed blender or a food processor. Stop when roughly chopped, or blend longer if you prefer a finer powder.
Use extra crushed candy canes to top Vegan Chocolate Cookies or Vegan Brownies.
Fancy homemade peppermint bark
Increase dark chocolate chip measurement to 14 ounces. Reserve about three tablespoons of melted chocolate when spreading the base into the pan.
After adding the white chocolate bark layer, gently swirl the remaining dark chocolate in with a small spoon.
Decorate with crushed candy canes and freeze to harden.
Homemade vegan peppermint bark makes a fantastic holiday gift. If shipping across the country, I recommend freezing the peppermint candy before shipping. Pay for same day or express shipping, and insulate the box with cold packs.
Recipe inspired by my Vegan Peppermint Cookies and Chocolate Peppermint Fudge.
Vegan Peppermint Bark
Ingredients
- 12 oz dairy free chocolate chips (semi sweet or dark chocolate) (340g)
- 12 oz vegan white chocolate chips (340g)
- 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract (optional)
- 3 crushed candy canes or crushed peppermint candies as desired
Instructions
- 1. Line a baking tray or cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper. Set aside.
- 2. Carefully melt the dark chocolate chips, using either a microwave or double boiler method. Then stir in 1/4 tsp optional peppermint extract.
- 3. Spread the melted chocolate over the baking tray. Refrigerate while you make the white chocolate layer.
- 4. Repeat step two, with the white chocolate chips and remaining extract.
- 5. Spread the melted white chocolate over the hardened dark chocolate layer.
- 6. Immediately, sprinkle the crushed candy canes or peppermints evenly over top of the vegan peppermint bark. Add other toppings if you wish.
- 7. Freeze 10 minutes, or let sit at room temperature until firm enough to cut with a knife or break into pieces with your hands.
- 8. Store in an airtight container for up to a week, or cover and refrigerate or freeze for longer storage.
Video
Notes
More vegan Christmas and holiday desserts
Candyland, shoots & ladders and operation were my 3 absolute favorite games as a kid. I would KILL my brother in Operation 😉
I love that you made this with coconut butter. I never understood the peppermint bark obsession b/c I think white chocolate is kinda gross. 1. It’s not chocolate and 2. It’s way too sweet!
I TOTALLY agree. White chocolate is one of the very few foods I just cannot stand. This sounds so good Katie!
I loved all board games: Clue, Memory, Guess Who, Scattegories…the best was when we played Monopoly. My sister and I were both too nice and felt bad for anyone that had gone bankrupt and gave them a “gift”. Needless to say I’m pretty sure we never finished a game.
Haha I agree too! I always hated white chocolate… now I don’t mind in the slightest that it’s not vegan.
Maya: my sister and I were the opposite! We got so competitive at Monopoly… my poor mom. We’d gang up on her and put hotels everywhere!
This bark is so beautiful!
Delish! ….I love combining family’s favorites into one amazing teat. That way everyone is a happy camper. Speaking of happy campers- I would be one if I were to eat some of that!
such amazingly crisp photos Katie. Well okay you always have amazingly crisp photos. I am digging coconut everything lately, I bet this is sooo decadent!
I LOVED the game Candyland growing up. My parents used to own a toy store and when we did radio commercials I remember one of the things I said I loved was Candyland. 🙂
I’ve never tried peppermint bark but you’re the 3rd person to blog about it this season. Maybe I need to see what all the hype is about and give it a try. Mmm
I’ve never actually tried real peppermint bark (the white chocolate kind) either! I guess I’ve always been too busy eating the chocolate holiday desserts :).
Heck yes! I have been wanting to make peppermint bark and finally, here is a version that I will not feel guilty about eating! This looks so fantastic and festive. And I absolutely played Candyland and Shoots & Ladders. I bet we still have our old version around somewhere. Did you ever play Race to the Roof? I was volunteering last year and played those games with some little kids and was amazed at the fancy new boards they have!
I’ve never heard of that one. But I love board games, so I’ll have to check it out!
Candyland was my absolute favorite game! I love this rendition you created and especially love that the base is coconut – since I am trying to stay away from chocolate (we will see how long that lasts). Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes; I have loved each one I try 🙂
These are so pretty! Bet they would make an awesome gift * light bulb moment*. Is the coconut butter supposed to stand in for the traditional white chocolate? If so, why? With all respect, isn’t this a chocolate covered blog ? 🙂 But seriously, it looks like white chocolate. Does it taste like it? Am going to try this after chemistry. Hey… maybe i can convince my mom that this sort of IS a chemistry experiment, ya know liquid to solid and all that junk 🙂 Have a great day!
I wanted to do a healthier version… but even more than that, I don’t actually like white chocolate! Never have for some reason lol.
Wow! This looks so fun. Can I make this with regular sugar or powdered sugar maybe instead of agave? Does it stay hard at room temp? Do you store it in the fridge or freezer? Thanks for sharing!
I think it would work with regular sugar!
I’m not sure about how long it will stay hard… it depends on the outside air temp. (For example, if your coconut butter is hard at room temp, this probably will stay hard too. But if your coconut butter is liquid from the beginning, it means the outside temp is too hot for this not to melt as well.) I usually store it in the freezer, but fridging it is fine if you’d prefer :).
That is too funny! I was just thinking about making peppermint bark with the homemade cocoa bliss! You brilliant ESP peron, you. 😉