How to Make Peppermint Bark
What happens when you combine peppermint and chocolate together? Peppermint and chocolate is a divine pairing that makes for a wonderful holiday treat. What I find special about peppermint bark is that it is one of the few well-known desserts that has a medicinal herb in its title that is used as a main ingredient. It is a decadent, easy-to-make recipe that can be shared with family and friends, and it also makes a nice holiday gift for teachers and colleagues.
The roots of peppermint bark have been linked to the French dessert mendiants, where sheets of chocolate are decorated with dried fruit and nuts. The minty chocolate dessert became popularized in the late 1990s due to its unique flavor. The ingredients in this recipe, cacao and peppermint, are well-studied to have a number of health benefits on the heart and digestive tract. Cacao has been consumed as a drink for energy and digestion, with the oldest record dating back to 3000 years.1
Whether you make this peppermint bark for its health benefits or to enjoy the rich confectionery, it remains a beloved holiday treat to indulge in during the winter season.
How to Make Peppermint Bark
This peppermint bark recipe is made up of two layers of chocolate (dark on the bottom and white on top) with crushed cacao nibs and dried mint leaves as a topping. Instead of using crushed candy canes as a topping, I’ve chosen to use cacao nibs and dried mint leaves to give it the same, natural flavoring as well as a satisfying crunch with the added benefits. Enjoy this treat full of bursts of peppermint flavor and holiday cheer!
Ingredients you’ll need…
- 350g good quality dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa), chopped
- 350g good-quality white chocolate, chopped
- 2 tbsp peppermint leaf powder
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp dried cut/sifted peppermint leaf and 1 tsp cacao nibs for toppings (optional)
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt the dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler and then stir in the powdered peppermint leaf. (If you don’t have a double boiler you can make one by fitting a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan.)
- Pour the dark chocolate onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Spread out into a rectangular shape making a thin, even layer. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes.
- Melt the coconut oil in the top of a double boiler. Add 1 tsp. dried cut/sifted peppermint leaf. Allow the peppermint to infuse in the oil for 30 minutes, keeping the water at a low simmer. Remove the bowl from the stove and sieve out the coconut oil.
- Using the same double-boiler method, now combine the white chocolate and the peppermint-infused coconut oil until melted, which should take about 5 minutes. Once the dark chocolate layer is hardened and the white chocolate layer is slightly cooled down, add the white chocolate mixture on top, spreading it into an even layer.
- Add the cacao nibs and dried mint leaves on top of the white chocolate layer and refrigerate for another 30 minutes. Break apart the peppermint bark into pieces and enjoy!
- You can store the finished bark in the fridge for up to 3 weeks if sealed in an airtight container, or in the freezer for up to 3 months if wrapped in parchment paper and put inside an airtight container.
Yield: 12 pieces
Cacao (Theobroma cacao) Benefits
The cacao tree bears cacao seeds, which are processed to form the chocolate that we know and love. Cacao is especially known for being high in flavonoid antioxidants, to which it lends its cardioprotective effects. It has been found in clinical research to have a lowering effect on blood pressure, improve lipid profiles (such as bringing down LDL cholesterol), and reduce inflammation.1 Cacao is a good source of the micronutrients iron and magnesium,2 with the latter having the potential to promote better sleep and mood. In order to be able to reap the health benefits of cacao, the chocolate needs to be made up of at least 70% cacao.
Want to learn more about the benefits of cacao? Check out the cacao monograph on HerbMentor. In this comprehensive monograph, herbalist Rosalee de la Forêt dives deep into the many health benefits of cacao. You can join HerbMentor now for just $1.
Peppermint (Mentha piperita) Benefits
The distinct flavor of peppermint makes us crave peppermint bark over the holidays, and this distinct flavor is due to the higher menthol compound found in the peppermint variety of mint compared to other varieties. The aromatic oils are uplifting and give way to peppermint’s stimulating effect on the nervous system. Peppermint also has a relaxing effect on an upset stomach and relieves cramping of the visceral muscles of the digestive tract.
Here are some common questions about how to make peppermint bark…
Can I add a glycerine-extracted peppermint or hydrosol to this recipe?
Unfortunately, the addition of glycerine or a hydrosol due to it being water-based would result in the chocolate seizing and turning into a fudge-like consistency, preventing the chocolate from being made into a bark. So, I recommend sticking with the original recipe above.
Can I add sweeteners to my chocolate?
Due to the water content in maple syrup and honey, this may also make the melted chocolate seize up so I would avoid using these liquid sweeteners. Instead, you may be able to add powdered or icing sugar to sweeten the chocolate.
Can I use store-bought peppermint extract?
Oil-based peppermint extract (often referred to as peppermint oil in the baking aisle) can be used in the recipe by measuring out ½ tsp to be added to each chocolate layer after removing the melted chocolate from the heat.
Can I make the chocolate from scratch?
Yes! To do this, you may add 1/2 cup of cocoa butter, 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, and 2 tbsp of maple syrup for the dark chocolate layer. For the white chocolate layer, combine 1 cup of cacao butter, 1/2 cup of coconut butter, and 1/4 cup of maple syrup.
What kind of chocolate should be used?
A chocolate that contains cocoa butter instead of other kinds of oils (such as palm oil) is necessary in order for the chocolate to not separate after being made into a bark. Also, a 70% cacao contains the health benefits listed above: so the darker, the better.
Can I add peppermint candies to this chocolate bark?
If you’re really craving bits of candy cane in your peppermint bark, you can absolutely add these candy cane bits to the recipe. Crush up your candy cane pieces into a small size and add these to the recipe when you add the cacao nibs.
Can I use chocolate chips instead of chopped-up chocolate bars for this recipe?
Yes you can use dark chocolate chips and white chocolate chips as the chocolate for peppermint bark in this recipe. Just make sure you’re getting a high-quality chocolate that’s at least 70% cacao content for the dark chocolate — specifically looking for dark chocolate chips can be helpful when sourcing your chocolate chips. This will make for a wonderful dark chocolate bark!
Do you have other holiday treat ideas?
Yes! You could make chocolate chip cookies with astragalus, meghli, or nettle and rose shortbread cookies. All these tasty recipes make for delicious holiday treats.
Footnotes
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