This Christmas chocolate bark is the perfect festive treat! Ready in just 10 minutes, and loaded with smooth dark chocolate, crunchy nuts, and dried fruit. A quick, delicious holiday gift or snack!
This Christmas chocolate bark is one of my absolute favorite treats to put together during the holidays— and it only takes 10 minutes to make.
Plus, It’s super quick, easy, and so incredibly fun to customize!
Loaded with festive ingredients like crunchy pistachios, sweet dried cranberries, and candied ginger, this Christmas bark recipe is, without a doubt, my favorite of all the chocolate barks I've made over the years.
This vibrant mix of smooth dark chocolate, colorful toppings, and festive flavors makes every bite irresistible.
And the best part? You can switch it up with your favorite nuts, seeds, or dried fruits to make it truly one-of-a-kind.
Did I mention it's the perfect holiday treat to make with kids? It's a fun, creative, and mess-free way to enjoy some quality kitchen time together!
So gather your favorite toppings, melt some chocolate, and enjoy making this easy, delicious Christmas bark recipe!
Ingredients
To make this festive Christmas bark recipe, you need 4 basic ingredients.
- Chocolate: Opt for high-quality 70% dark chocolate bars or chips made with cocoa beans, cocoa butter and sugar only. You can also use milk chocolate. Avoid chocolate made with lecithin and opt for organic single origin chocolate for best results.
- Cranberries: I use unsweetened soft dried cranberries.
- Pistachio: If you use unshelled pistachios, remove their outer shells, then blanch them for 30 seconds in boiling water, then peel off their skins.
- Coconut: Opt for unsweetened shredded dried coconut or dried coconut flakes.
- Candied ginger: If you have a little more time, I recommend using homemade candied ginger over the store-bought alternative. Candied orange will work amazingly well too!
EXTRA TOPPINGS
- Sea salt flakes: Sea salt pairs very well with dark chocolate, enhancing its natural chocolatey flavor.
- Roasted nuts: Add roasted almonds, pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts for an extra layer of nutty flavor and crunchiness.
- Dried fruit: Add chopped dried apricots, mango, figs or candied orange for extra sweetness and flavor.
- Dried chilli flakes: They will give you a warm spicy kick, whilst a pinch of cinnamon is always welcome.
- Salted Caramel: A swirl of salted caramel or dulce de leche is almost impossible to resist!
- Holiday toppings: for extra festive results, add mini marshmallows, candy canes, mini-pretzels, or peanut butter cups.
How to make Christmas bark
This Christmas chocolate bark recipe comes together in as little as 10 minutes and it's super easy to prepare!
Here's a quick recipe overview with step-by-step pictures.
For the full printable recipe, scroll down to the end of the post.
STEP 1. Coarsely chop cranberries, pistachios and candied ginger. Break chocolate into small, even pieces.
STEP 2. Melt two-thirds of chopped chocolate in a dry, heatproof bowl over simmering water. Stir until smooth and remove from the heat.
STEP 3. Add the remaining chocolate, stir until smooth, then pour onto parchment paper or silicone mat to shape.
STEP 4. Sprinkle chopped cranberries, pistachios, candied ginger and shredded coconut over the top. Cool at room temperature until the Christmas bark is hard and set, then break into pieces and serve.
Storage tips
Store your Christmas chocolate bark in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
If the weather is warm, store it in the fridge to prevent melting, but let it come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
More Christmas dessert recipes
If you tried and loved this chocolate Christmas bark recipe, I have more festive desserts to share!
Some of our family favorite Christmas desserts include this Pandoro Christmas tree cake, this creamy Christmas Tiramisu, these soft Anginetti cookies, this incredibly rich zabaglione, and the cosiest Italian hot chocolate!
Did you try this recipe?
Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook!
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Recipe
Christmas Chocolate Bark
Ingredients
- 300 g 70% dark chocolate, or milk chocolate
- 120 g shelled pistachios
- 100 g unsweetened soft dried cranberries, chopped
- 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
- 50 g candied ginger
- sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Coarsely chop the cranberries, shelled pistachios and candied ginger.
- Break the dark chocolate bars into small, even pieces (skip if using chocolate chips).
- Heat two-thirds of chopped chocolate in a dry, heatproof bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and is smooth, then remove from the heat.
- Add the remaining chocolate into the bowl, stir until smooth, and allow to cool slightly. If any chocolate pieces remain unmelted, place the bowl back over the pot briefly to gently heat and melt them fully.
- Pour and spread the chocolate into a loose rectangle on a silicone mat or parchment-lined pan. Use a silicone spatula or a spoon to spread it. No need for perfection—aim for about a quarter-inch thickness.
- Sprinkle the chopped cranberries, pistachios, candied ginger and shredded coconut over the top.
- Cool at room temperature until the Christmas bark is hard and set, then break into pieces and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
custom recipe book says
Such a delightful recipe, Andrea! This Christmas chocolate bark looks festive, easy to customize, and perfect for holiday gifting. I love the addition of candied ginger for a zesty twist and how versatile the topping options are. Can't wait to try this and add a personal touch with my favorite nuts and fruits. Thank you for sharing this holiday gem
Eve says
Best Christmas bark recipe I’ve ever tried! It tastes delicious and I love that you used natural ingredients and not processed food, thank you so much!
Andrea says
Hi Mary, the leaves are purely decorative and are not intended to be ingested. As to the berries, the ones you see in the images are cranberries, perfectly safe to eat 🙂
Mary Coyle says
The chocolate bark looks delicious, but the fotos showing the bark next to holly berries, which are poisonous, and holly leaves, which if ingested can cause some nasty symptoms, almost look as if it is okay to add holly berries in place of the cranberries.