It’s so easy to make your own layered white and dark chocolate vegan peppermint bark at home, with this quick 3 ingredient recipe!
Table of Contents
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
InstructionsÂ
- 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
Do u no how many calories?
Hi there. Can you use coca butter instead of coconut butter?
thanks!
Those look delicious! Too bad that I don’t like peppermint! =/
Hi Katie,for the chocolate bark version, do you still add the peppermint extract?
Sure! Or not. It’s up to you.
When you say in the recipe to melt the coconut butter, do you really mean soften it? Because I melted it and it became coconut oil. It did not combine well with the agave and was not spreadable. I poured it into a pan and stuck it in the freezer. When it was done, the coconut was on top, and there was a sticky layer of agave on the bottom. I will have to make another attempt! What can I do better next time?
Yes, you should really soften it. Coconut butter will not become coconut oil when soft (as long as you use true coconut butter. Try Artisana). It should still be thick… kind of like what happens to peanut butter if you melt it. Spreadable but not oil.
I completely ADORE white chocolate, but love that you came up with a healthier alternative. Will be making this tomorrow on my day off. Thanks so much for the recipe<3
This recipe solidified it – your recipes are THE best!! I tried making my own coconut butter without much success and then went on a hunt for actual coconut butter. I melted the jar in warm (not quite boiling) water and it worked out fabulous. This is absolutely hands down amazingly delicious!! I’m keeping it in the fridge and snacking away on it for days! Delicious!
Hi Katie, first off I LOVE all of your recipes. I am not actually vegan but was looking for some healthy dessert recipes and I found them! Thank you so much for all the time you put into them. Anyways, back to the point I made this and it tasted amazing but I poured it onto a cookie sheet with wax paper and it spread out very thin. So I was wondering how do you keep it so thick?
How much does this make? I have to make it for about 26 people on Thursday (I know, crazy right?) and I’m wondering how many batches I should make…
It makes a small amount so I would at least quadruple the recipe.
I have wanted to try Coconut Butter for a long time, ir sound so good.
I hope that I’m lucky enough to win the Artisan Coconut Butter.
Love your blog and recipes Katie.