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    Home » Recipes » Desserts » Chocolate

    Dark Chocolate Bark

    Published: Dec 29, 2023 · Modified: Feb 6, 2024 by Chef Christina

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    Chocolate bark can be covered in chopped, roasted nuts like almonds, or filled with chewy, sweet dried fruit. Whether you choose semi-sweet or dark, chocolate bark is a come-one-come-all treat. Cut it into classic shards, or use my technique for creating cute, seasonal, or festive chocolate bark shapes. It's a literal snap to make!

    Looking down on shards of dark chocolate bark with a variety of nut, fruit and candy garnishes.
    Jump to:
    • The Story
    • Buying Chocolate
    • The Ingredients
    • On Tempering
    • Cheat Tempering Method
    • The Steps
    • French-Style Chocolate Bark
    • With Kids
    • On Cutting
    • Making Shapes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • More Chocolate Recipes
    • 💬 Reviews

    The Story

    Chocolate bark is a rich concoction of melted chocolate with a variety of mix-ins that are spread and cooled, then cut or broken into shards. The freeform chocolate treat is a perfect vehicle for nuts, fruit, candy, pretzels, and more. Even melting and cooling a bar of high-quality dark chocolate and sprinkling pink sea salt on top make for a delicious indulgence. It is a quick and easy process that doesn't require any special equipment or skill. And you can melt and spread a batch with pantry staples.

    Buying Chocolate

    There is no need to overthink when shopping for chocolate. Unless you love diving down the rabbit hole of artisanal brands and varieties. However, the better the quality of chocolate you buy, the more seductive and delicious your bark. That doesn't mean we need to spend more on a chocolate snack than on dinner. Trust me, it could easily happen.

    Squares of Ghiradelli dark chocolate strewn about a cutting board.

    I tend to keep my local market's brand of organic dark chocolate in the pantry for such occasions. And for clients, I source bars commercial couverture (premium chocolate). If you choose to work with couverture, it will need to be tempered using the professional technique recommended by the brand. Not with the steps described here. Here is a list of Fairtrade chocolate brands, if you are interested in buying from a chocolate producer that chooses respectful farming practices and sustainability.

    Steer clear of any chocolate that contains excessive emulsifiers or processed palm or vegetable oils. Most brands use soy lecithin which is fine in small amounts, a better choice would be sunflower lecithin. Avoid chocolate candy melts from the craft store for chocolate bark, they are meant for coating and are typically artificially colored and flavored.

    On Cocoa Percentages

    For a luscious, nuanced dark chocolate bark, choose a chocolate that is at least 63% cocoa. The higher the percentage listed on the label, the more chocolate liquor or cocoa solids in the chocolate. The darker the chocolate, the more intense and bitter the bite. As a starting point for any chocolate bark, reach for semi-sweet or around 60% cocoa solids.

    White chocolate is technically not chocolate. It's cocoa butter (the fat from the cacao bean) combined with loads of sugar, milk solids, and often pesky emulsifiers. To whip up white chocolate bark, choose the purest white chocolate you can find.

    The Ingredients

    All you need for crunchy, scrumptious chocolate bark is two ingredients: chocolate and your favorite mix-ins. Nutrient-dense nuts, seeds, and dried fruit add flavor, texture, protein, and fiber to your chocolate bark moment.

    Ingredients for dark chocolate bark: stacks of baking chocolate squares next to seeds, dried fruit and candied ginger on a white plate.

    On Tempering

    Most of the chocolate you buy at the grocery store is already in temper. This is a chocolatier's term, which among other characteristics, means the sugars in the chocolate are crystallized appropriately. So they will melt nicely, then set shiny and break with a lovely snap.

    Square of dark chocolate staked on a cutting board.

    Only premium chocolate called couverture needs to be tempered with professional technique. Most, if not all, retail baking chocolate contains an emulsifier like soy lecithin. The lecithin acts as insurance against "blooming" by binding the cocoa solids and butter together. It also eliminates the need for classical tempering.

    So while it's not necessary, when using grocery store chocolate I go through the motions anyway. It helps the melted chocolate arrive naturally at a temperature that spreads easily but not too quickly.

    Cheat Tempering Method

    You can certainly use a thermometer when melting chocolate at home. But as detailed above, classical tempering is not necessary for home pursuits. The most important element is to use a very dry bowl. As even a small drop of water will cause melted chocolate to seize, or harden.

    Chopped chocolate in a glass bowl set over a pot on a hot plate.

    If you do want to gauge the temperature of your finished, melted chocolate, around 90° F is the target for semi-sweet and dark varieties. To keep melted chocolate in this range, keep it on top of a damp kitchen towel on the counter. This also helps steady the bowl for stirring and mixing. If it cools off too much, place it back on the pot of gently simmering water for a few minutes.

    Melted chocolate in a glass bowl with more solid chopped chocolate on top, and a digital thermometer in the mixture.

    The Steps

    Here are the steps for tempered chocolate without a thermometer.

    1. Chop the chocolate. Roughly chop any solid bar of chocolate into small, like-sized pieces. Skip this step if using chocolate chips.
    2. Melt about two-thirds of the chocolate you plan to use. Fill a small pot with about an inch of water, and place it over medium heat on the stove. Place about two-thirds of the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof, completely dry bowl, and set it on top of the pot. Melt over low heat, and stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
    3. Let the melted chocolate cool slightly. Cooling the melted, tempered chocolate a little will allow you to pour and spread it more easily. If it's too hot, the chocolate will spread and you'll end up with thin chocolate paper instead of chunky bark. I find five to ten minutes of cooling is plenty.
    4. Stir in the remaining chocolate. Add the reserved chopped chocolate and whisk or stir with a spatula until the melted chocolate is completely smooth. If the chocolate still seems too hot and thin to spread into a typical chocolate bark thickness, simply cool longer off the heat.
    5. Pour and spread the chocolate. On a silicone baking mat or a parchment or wax paper-lined baking pan, pour and spread the chocolate into a loose rectangle. No need for perfection, one of the beauties of chocolate bark is its imperfect shape. How thin or thick you spread the chocolate is up to you. I aim for bark that's about a quarter-inch thick, like a typical chocolate bar. If you like your garnishes dispersed throughout the bark, mix them in the melted chocolate before pouring and spreading.

    French-Style Chocolate Bark

    On this side of the pond, you will often find chocolate bark with garnishes mixed in. In France, they simply sprinkle the toppings, well, on top. I love this method because it gives you a chocolate confection that is both scrumptious to eat and a rainbow of beautiful colors to admire. After all, we first eat with our eyes!

    Melted, but still warm, tempered chocolate on parchment paper with a variety of garnishes on top.

    With Kids

    I especially enjoy making a French-style bark with little kids. After I melt, cool, and spread the chocolate, they go nuts. It will buy you at least ten minutes of peace and quiet. Fun toppings for kids can be chopped pretzels (we use gluten-free), white chocolate chips, and candied citrus peel or ginger.

    Garnish ingredients for chocolate bark, pretzel sticks, white chocolate chips, peanuts, candied ginger, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds and pistachios.

    On Cutting

    At room temperature, chocolate bark and all its glorious flavor bits will take about an hour to two to set. For faster cooling, you can pop the pan in the refrigerator (sacrilege in professional circles, but hey, we're at home here). Wipe your knife with a damp cloth in between cuts for the smoothest edges.

    I like cutting it first into small rectangles, then halving the small pieces into long, thin triangles. But your kitchen, you're the boss. Break it up with your hands, or bring the kids back in and let them have at it.

    Close up of a shard of dark chocolate bark with chopped pistachios and white chocolate chips.

    Making Shapes

    I'm not one to get overly excited about Cupid's arrival on February 14th. But I do get excited about any excuse to eat chocolate. Or play with it. Or both. If you don't own any candy or confection molds, but do have a few cookie cutters lying around, you can create fun and festive chocolate bark.

    To shape your bark with a cookie cutter, let it cool until almost hard, but still soft enough that you can press the cutters through with a little force. Carve out as many shapes as you like, but don't pop out the shaped chocolate bark until it is completely set.

    Looking down on dark chocolate bark with dried fruit and sprinkles shaped into hearts for Valentine's Day.


    Print

    📖 Recipe

    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Dark chocolate bark with a variety of toppings on a white background.

    Dark Chocolate Bark

    5 from 1 review

    Print Recipe

    French or American style, chocolate bark is simple, quick, and scrumptious. A fun project for kids and grown-ups alike. Spice and mix up chocolate bark any way you like, with whatever you have on hand. For French-style chocolate bark, sprinkle the garnishes on top of the poured chocolate. Otherwise, mix the garnishes in before spreading the melted chocolate for American-style bark. 

    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 20-25 pieces, depending on size 1x

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • About 8 ounces of semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)

    Garnish Ideas

    • small pieces of dried fruit
    • sliced or chopped nuts
    • crushed pretzels
    • crystallized ginger or citrus peel, chopped into very small bits
    • rice cereal (mix in before spreading)
    • any flavor baking chips
    • marshmallows and graham cracker crumbs for s'mores chocolate bark
    • cake decorating sprinkles

    How much of any garnish you use is a personal preference. Start small, as you can always add more as you mix. 

    Instructions

    Wash your hands, gather your ingredients, tools, and equipment. 

    1. Prepare the garnishes. Cut, crush, or dice any garnishes you're adding and set aside.
    2. Chop and melt the large portion of chocolate. Chop the chocolate. Roughly chop any solid bar of chocolate into small, like-sized pieces. Fill a small pot with about an inch of water, and place it over medium heat on the stove. Place about two-thirds of the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof, completely dry bowl, and set it on top of the pot. Be very careful not to let any drops of water near the bowl of chocolate, as even the tiniest bit of water will cause melted chocolate to seize, or harden. Melt over low heat, and stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. You can also melt chocolate in the microwave, stirring in between each 30-second burst.
    3. Mix in the remaining chocolate. Let the hot chocolate cool slightly. If you have a kitchen thermometer, aim for around 95° F. But about five to ten minutes of cooling should be enough in a room temperature (72° F) kitchen. Add the reserved chopped chocolate and whisk or stir with a spatula until the melted chocolate is completely smooth. If all of the remaining chocolate doesn't melt with stirring, place the bowl back on the pot to warm it slightly and melt the remaining solid pieces. 
    4. Garnish and spread. For American-style chocolate bark, mix in your garnishes, using as much or as little as you like. The more you add, the chunkier and chewier the bark will be. On a silicone baking mat or a parchment paper-lined baking pan, pour and spread the chocolate into a loose rectangle. An offset spatula is a great tool for this, but you can use any wooden spoon or flexible spatula you have. No need for perfection, one of the beauties of chocolate bark is its imperfect shape. How thin or thick you spread the chocolate out is up to you. I aim for bark that's about a quarter-inch thick, like a typical chocolate bar. For French-style bark, sprinkle your garnishes now on top of the chocolate after pouring and spreading.
    5. Cool and cut. Cool at room temperature until the chocolate bark is hard and set. To make shaped bark, let it cool until almost hard, but still pliable. Press and remove your cookie cutter into the bark and remove carefully. Let the chocolate bark cool completely before pressing the shapes out of the whole. An easy way to get the shaped bark out is by pressing it up from underneath the parchment or wax paper. 

    Notes

    On Cooling

    Cooling the melted chocolate a little will allow you to pour and spread it more easily. If it's too hot, the chocolate will spread quickly and you'll end up with thin chocolate paper instead of chunky bark. I find five to ten minutes of cooling is plenty, and aim for an 80°-90° F range after the reserved chocolate is added. 

    On Extra Chocolate

    Don't be afraid to melt more chocolate than you think you might use.  You can always cool it and reuse it. Simply pour any leftover melted chocolate out onto parchment or wax paper. Then wrap the paper around it and store it in an airtight container. Next time you make a recipe that calls for chocolate, simply chop it into small chunks or break it up into larger pieces to melt it again.

    Storage

    Store chocolate bark at room temperature in an airtight container, or the refrigerator. But serve it at room temperature, especially any with dried fruit.

    On Nutrition Facts

    The Nutrition Information below is based on eight ounces of dark chocolate and half of a cup of chopped pistachios and a few pinches of sea salt. 

    • Author: Christina
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
    • Category: Chocolate, Sweets
    • Method: Tempering
    • Cuisine: French
    • Diet: Gluten Free

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: About 15 Shards
    • Calories: 111
    • Sugar: 5.9 g
    • Sodium: 71.1 mg
    • Fat: 7.7 g
    • Saturated Fat: 3.6 g
    • Trans Fat: 0 g
    • Carbohydrates: 9.1 g
    • Fiber: 1.6 g
    • Protein: 1.8 g
    • Cholesterol: 0.9 mg

    Keywords: how to temper chocolate, Valentine's Day treats, chocolate bark recipe, chocolate bark, dark chocolate bark, French style chocolate bark, American chocolate bark

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    Filed Under: Chocolate, Gluten Free, Kids, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan

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    1. Lara

      January 03, 2023 at 6:58 am

      Thanks for this! This has been my “go to” guilt free snack when I’m craving sweets! Love making multiple batches and saving them.






      Reply
      • Christina

        January 03, 2023 at 6:59 am

        So happy to hear it, Lara! Happy snacking. 🙂

        Reply

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    Welcome to
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    Chef Christina Bailey, Boise Private Chef, Creator of Edible Times

    I'm Christina, a classically trained, Michelin-star restaurant alum and private chef. And more importantly, Chef Mom to two little boys.
    I'm here to empower you in the kitchen. I share way more than delicious, chef-tested recipes. I explain the professional formulas, ratios, and techniques, too. To read about me and my food philosophy, follow this.



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