Vegan Peppermint Bark
Last Updated on September 17, 2022 by Annie
Make the holidays extra festive with this no-bake vegan peppermint bark. This ultra-refreshing chocolate candy is made with layers of vegan dark chocolate and white chocolate topped with crushed peppermint.
May I bore you for a minute with the tale of my travels to meet my nephew for the first time? If you wish to skip the saga involving snow, a 3 AM wake up, the pilot confessing it’s the worst day of his life, and a cat named Dumpy then Jump to Recipe. But if you are intrigued, it begins a bit like this…
On a dark and stormy night… Just kidding actually two inches of snow covered the ground prompting me to hail an Uber instead of driving myself. My driver called at 3:40 to cancel. At 4:15 I found myself in the car with a man who probably should not have been driving and spent most of the ride discussing pro athletes.
After arriving at Bradley International Airport, I found my flight to be delayed and needed to rebook my connection. Finally aboard the plane 3 hours behind schedule, we waited at the gate for 2 hours before de-boarding. And while waiting to re-board the plane a woman left her cat Dumpy with me, I guess something about me says “cat lady”.
This easily should have been one of my most frustrating flights. I am not sure if it was the unhappy passengers around me, the crying baby in the back, or the smell of B.O. that seemed to permeate the plane, but somehow I felt at peace.
There was absolutely nothing I could do about this situation. I could not change the weather. Crying babies do what they are going to do. And as much as I wanted to offer my scented lotions to everyone, I thought they may be offended. So I sat; I read, journaled, edited photos (these photos), knowing I would eventually get where I was going.
Some things in life are unavoidable and sometimes the only thing you can choose is how you react to the situation.
And now we return to your regularly scheduled delicious dairy free dessert.
Peppermint Bark
The holidays are upon us and my most treasured holiday treat has always been peppermint bark. I often began the holiday season buying a huge tin from Williams-Sonoma and snacked on it until the new year. With the massive quantities of dairy loaded up in those boxed barks, making a dairy free version this season is a must!
How to Make Vegan Peppermint Bark
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Dairy-Free Chocolate– Both dark chocolate and white chocolate are needed for this recipe. You can also use a semi-sweet chocolate in place of dark chocolate if you prefer.
- Vanilla- To flavor the dark chocolate layer.
- Peppermint Extract– For a boost of peppermint flavor in the white chocolate layer.
- Coconut oil– Melted with the chocolate to help make them smooth and spreadable.
- Crushed candy cane– For topping the final layer of chocolate.
Step-by-Step Directions
- Prepare a baking sheet: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt dark chocolate mixture: Using a double broiler, or a glass bowl over simmering water in a pot, melt dark chocolate, coconut oil, and vanilla.
- Spread dark chocolate mixture: Spread melted dark chocolate over the parchment paper. Sprinkle flak salt and put cookie sheet in the freezer for about 2-3 minutes.
- Melt white chocolate mixture: Using a double broiler, or a glass bowl over simmering water in a pot, melt white chocolate, coconut oil, and peppermint extract.
- Spread white chocolate mixture: Using a rubber spatula, spread the white chocolate over the dark chocolate, covering the whole tray.
- Top with crushed peppermint: Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy and return tray to the freezer to solidify, at least 1 hour.
- Break the chocolate bark into desired size and shape. I like to cut mine into triangular shapes.
- Store in the freezer throughout the holiday season.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Here are just a few of the tools I used to make this deliciously addictive vegan peppermint bark.
- Glass Mixing Bowls– These glass mixing bowls are both microwave safe and able to be used in a double broiler situation.
- Rimmed Baking Sheet– My favorite baking sheet I have in my kitchen.
- Rubber Spatula– My trusty rubber spatula, perfect for making sure all of the chocolate is scraped off the sides of the bowls.
Dairy Free Changes to Peppermint Bark
The most important change to make for peppermint bark is to use vegan chocolate. Here are just a few different vegan chocolate brands I have tried in this recipe.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate
Dark Chocolate
White Chocolate
Pro Tips for Vegan Peppermint Bark
- Watch the double broiler, stir often. This will prevent the chocolate from over cooking/burning/clumping.
- Let the dark chocolate set a little bit but not entirely before pouring the white chocolate on. This will help the white chocolate stick to the dark chocolate without mixing with it.
- Pre-crush your peppermint pieces before you begin or you might get distracted trying to crush them and forget about your chocolate… (just sayin’)
What to do if you over cook the chocolate
If I had to pick a week of The Great British Baking Show to bomb, it would be Chocolate Week. Hopefully the insights I’ve gained from my failures will help you avoid a similar fate.
If you get distracted, say, crushing your peppermint pieces, and you find the chocolate has gone from beautifully shiny liquid gold to a mushy lump of dirt, all is not lost!
Simply, add additional coconut oil to the chocolate and stir until it returns to the desired consistency. Voilà!
If you tried this vegan peppermint bark recipe feel free to leave a comment below, I would love to hear how it went! You can also snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy to share all your life after dairy adventures!
Check out my newsletter for even more dairy-free goodness!
Other Holiday Treats to Enjoy
Peppermint Bark
This holiday classic goes vegan with delectable dairy free chocolate and festive peppermint pieces.
Ingredients
- 9 oz. Dark Chocolate Chips Enjoy Life Brand
- 3 Tbsp. Coconut Oil Melted
- ½ Tbsp. Vanilla
- ¼ tsp. Flak Salt
- 9 oz. White Chocolate Morsels Nestle, Simply Delicious Brand
- 3 Tbsp. Coconut Oil Melted
- ½ Tbsp. Peppermint Extract
- ¼ c. Crushed Peppermint Pieces
Instructions
-
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
-
Using a double broiler, or a glass bowl over simmering water in a pot, melt dark chocolate, coconut oil, and vanilla.
-
Pour the melted dark chocolate mixture onto the parchment paper and spread out, covering the parchment paper. Sprinkle flak salt and put cookie sheet in the freezer for about 2-3 minutes. (Do not let the chocolate solidify entirely but just firm up a bit)
-
Using a double broiler, or a glass bowl over simmering water in a pot, melt white chocolate, coconut oil, and peppermint extract.
-
Pour the melted white chocolate mixture over the top of the dark chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula, spread the white chocolate over the dark chocolate, covering the whole tray.
-
Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy and return tray to the freezer to solidify, about 1 hour.
-
Break the chocolate bark into desired size and shape. I like to cut mine into triangular shapes.
-
Store in the freezer throughout the holiday season.
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