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
That sounds yummy! I have all the ingredients on hand, and am on my way to the kitchen as I write this to make it!
Ohh this peppermint bark looks delicious!! I’m not a big white chocolate fan so this looks even better than the real stuff!!! Especially if I include a little dark chocolate drizzle! Yum! And growing up I loved Candyland and Hungry Hungry Hippos… hmmm I wonder what that says about my current love of food!?
Candyland was THE BEST game of my life. I played it again about 5 years ago (I was 16) and beat it in about two minutes. Oh well.. Someone should make an adult Candyland. Like Boozeland or Partyland or something…
And I do like peppermint bark. Not my favorite but neccessary for winter. 😀
This looks delicious! I love homemade peppermint bark!
I remember candyland, it was fun as and this peppermint bark remind me a little of it.
THANK YOU!!! Peppermint bark is my absolute favorite, and I had resigned myself to never eating it again since becoming vegan. This rocks my world.
Looks good!
Does it have a strong coconut flavor to it though? And do you think adding cocoa powder and making it chocolate peppermint bark would work out well?
I don’t think coconut butter tastes like coconut… it just tastes more like shortbread. As for the chocolate version, see the linked “hot chocolate butter” in the post and use that for a chocolate version :).
I know what to do with my large jar of coconut butter now! I’m excited, I haven’t known what to do with it for a long time.
I LOVED the game candyland! anyone could win and come out of no where if you got a good card! And the characters so were so cute. Love the sprinkles on the bark, that’s a great idea!
These look so pretty!