12ouncessemi-sweet or dark chocolatechopped into small pieces if needed
¼cupsalted pretzelsbroken into small pieces
¼cupmini M&Msin holiday colors
¼cupsalted peanuts
2-3teaspoonsChristmas nonpariels
Instructions
Line a 10x15" rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Gather your toppings of choice, chopping or crushing them if needed.
Place the chocolate into a large heat-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval. Alternatively, place the heat-safe bowl over a small pot of simmering, not boiling water. Stop heating the chocolate once it is about 85%-90% melted, the residual heat will finish melting the chocolate as you stir it.
Once melted, immediately pour the chocolate onto the prepared pan. Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate into a layer about ¼-inch thick. It won't reach the edges of the pan, and that is okay.
Working quickly, add the pretzels, M&Ms, nuts, and sprinkles evenly over the chocolate, gently pressing down if needed to adhere.
For best results, let the bark harden at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Speed up the process by placing the bark into the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes. Break or chop the bark up into large chunks for serving.
Notes
Best Chocolate for Christmas Bark: Don't use almond bark. Instead, use good-quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate. You can use melting wafers (like Ghiradelli), chocolate chips, or a chopped-up chocolate bar. For white chocolate, use white chocolate that contains actual cocoa butter, not just palm oil or coconut oil.Chocolate Christmas Bark Variations: You can use up to ¾ cup of any toppings you like. Pretzels, candied fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, candies, etc all are great options. If you like to add larger toppings, just be sure to chop them up into smaller pieces.
Cranberry Almond Christmas Bark: Sprinkle dried cranberries and sliced almonds over white or dark chocolate. Finish with sea salt if your nuts are not salted.
Melted Snowman Bark: Swap out the dark chocolate for quality white chocolate. Add candy eyes, mini M&Ms, pretzel sticks, and small peanut butter cups, to look like the parts of a snowman have melted into the snow.
Storage: It is best to store the chocolate bark in an airtight container in a cool dark place, or if your house is on the warmer side, refrigerate the bark. It will last for up to 1 week before the pretzels begin to become stale.