30+ Creative takes on Chocolate Bark Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why is my chocolate bark not hardening? ›

That's because your chocolate wasn't tempered. Tempered chocolate sets at room temperature and has a snap just like a chocolate bar you buy from the store.

this is a great do-ahead treat!

It just gets better, too – because you can make this marbled chocolate bark in advance and keep it in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature or in the fridge or freezer for easily a month, till you're ready to gift or serve.

I may have oversold the easy part a little. While it's true that you don't need a recipe to make chocolate bark, you do need to know how to properly temper chocolate.

From the name alone, chocolate bark doesn't sound particularly appetizing. Chocolate bark is actually a sheet of chocolate that is usually covered with nuts, dried fruits, candies or even additional pieces of chocolate.

Not only does coconut oil make your chocolate coating shine, but it also helps the chocolate harden. Have you ever noticed that if the temperature outside is particularly warm, your coconut oil liquefies right in its jar? Then, if it's cold out, the coconut oil will solidify.

I recommend Ghirardelli, Guittard, or Baker's brand bars of chocolate when making bark.

The white appearance is due to a process known as 'blooming' – either 'fat bloom'. This occurs when the cocoa butter in the chocolate separates and rises to the surface due to temperature fluctuations, or 'sugar bloom', which happens when the sugar in the chocolate absorbs moisture and then crystallises on the surface.

Generally, milk and white chocolate have a shelf life of about 8 to 12 months, while dark chocolate can last up to 2 years. However, if stored properly in a cool, dry place and away from direct sunlight, chocolate may still be safe to consume past its best-before date, although the quality may have deteriorated.

To thin melted chocolate, add a small amount of neutral oil, like vegetable oil or cocoa butter, stirring gently until it reaches the desired consistency. Melt slowly to avoid overheating, and keep water out to prevent the chocolate from seizing.

Homemade chocolate bark will last in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks. I recommend storing it in the fridge to ensure that the chocolate doesn't melt! Storing for longer? Wrap the chocolate bark tightly in a couple layers of plastic wrap and keep it in the freezer for up to 6 months.

How do you cut chocolate bark without cracking it? ›

To achieve clean and neat cuts on chocolate bark, it is important to use a sharp knife. Dip the knife in hot water and wipe it dry before making each cut. This helps to warm the blade slightly, preventing the chocolate from cracking as you cut through it.

Mendiants (the French word for “mendicant”), called chocolate bark in English, are bars or disks of chocolate studded with nuts and dried fruits.

Candy Melts®, candy wafers, chocolate coating, almond bark—they're all products made for dipping, molding, and coating without needing to temper chocolate. I'll call them candy wafers here, but if you see them sold under another name, don't be alarmed. They'll all work just the same.

Chocolate chips or chocolate candy melts: These are used for the chocolate coating that the cake pops are dipped in. You can use either candy melts or chocolate chips, but you may need to thin out the melted chocolate chips with a bit of oil before dipping, as they aren't as thin as the chocolate melts.

Let it firm up

If room temperature is quite warm, it may take up to 2 hours. Fridge – Refrigerate for about 20 minutes, to harden. Don't leave too long or excess condensation will build up, and the bark may absorb off flavors. Freezer – Freeze for 5 minutes until firm.

You don't add ingredients to chocolate to make it harden, you temper it by heating it to a specific temperature, cooling it to another temperature, then heating it again. This causes the chocolate to crystalize in a way that leaves it hard and shiny. The temperatures are different for different kinds of chocolate.

Water and melted chocolate don't mix well, and if there are drops of water on your strawberries, the coating won't stick no matter how hard you try! Chocolate covered strawberries must also set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to harden properly.

Although using a freezer can harden chocolate more quickly, it may cause blooming, resulting in discoloured chocolate. White chocolate generally solidifies more rapidly than milk or dark chocolate, setting in around 10-20 minutes. On the other hand, milk and dark chocolate usually take 20-30 minutes to harden.