This Patriotic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter M&M Bark makes a great red, white & blue themed dessert for the holidays. It’s not only festive, but EASY! It can be used as a stand-alone treat, or added decoratively to cakes, cupcakes and other desserts.
MAKE IT YOUR OWN
Not only does this dessert come together quickly, it’s also easily customizable. Substitute your favorite type of chocolate (white, milk, etc.) and add-on a variety of toppings such a nuts, candies, sprinkles, dried fruit, etc.
We are huge dark chocolate fans in this household, which is why I chose that as the primary base for our bark. But like I said, use your favorite! Just make sure to make careful to note heating instructions on packaging for your chosen base. For the accent, I used left over white candy melts from my Patriotic Pretzel Sticks endeavor. Here is another great place to customize your bark – use whatever colors you’d like! Do you want one color, two colors, or alllllll the colors? Have at it!
For topping, I choose Peanut M&M’s to give a little extra kick of peanut butter flavor. But again, use what you love! There’s such a great variety of the Red, White and Blue Candies by M&M (almond, peanut butter, peanut, mini, etc.) that you can’t go wrong. And it doesn’t have to just stop there. Love Oreos? Crush some up and sprinkle on! Same with any of your favorite candies.
After creating your bark it can be hard to wait to dig in. For those lucky enough to have space in the freezer, simply pop your bark in for at least 15min (or until fully hardened) to help speed up the process. No room? No problem – let air dry/harden on counter. Depending on thickness of your bark, these times will vary. Just know at the end, you’ll have a delicious treat so worth any wait.
You can ultimately customize this bark and topping to fit any occasion. That’s the beauty of this quick and simple dessert. The sky’s the limit – so get crackin’ and tell us what you’ll be using!
SUPPLIES
- Dark Chocolate
- Red, White & Blue M&M's of your choice (regular, peanut, mini, peanut butter, etc.)
- White Candy Melts (Optional)
- Sprinkles (Optional)
Instructions
- Prepare: Line a countertop surface or baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
- Melt Chocolate: heat dark chocolate chips in microwave safe container for 1 min at 50% power. Stir and return to microwave, continuing to heat in 15-30 second intervals at 50% power until melted.
- Melt White/Color Candy Melts: heat candy melts in microwave safe container for 1 min at 50% power. Stir and return to microwave, continuing to heat in 15-30 second intervals at 50% power until melted.
- Spread dark chocolate: using spatula, spread and smooth out dark chocolate over prepared parchment paper until about 1/4 inch thick.
- Drizzle White/Colored Candy Melts: drizzle your white (or colored) candy melts in straight lines. Then, using the blunt end of a wooden skewer, draw figure-8s throughout the bark to create the pattern.
- Add Toppings/Sprinkle: sprinkle your chosen toppings evenly over the melted chocolate, gently pressing into the chocolate for larger candies/nuts.
- Allow to harden: if on baking sheet, place bark in the freezer for a least 15 minutes to harden. If using countertop, allow to fully and harden (time will vary).
- Break Apart & Store: once completely hardened, break up the bark and store in air tight container. Best if kept in fridge until serving.