It doesn't get much easier than this delicious Christmas Bark. Simply melt vanilla candy wafers in the microwave and spread on the sweetness. With pretzels, peanuts, M&M's and holiday sprinkles, this fun, festive, no bake confection is eye-catching and tasty, and also makes a great gift!
The busy holidays are quickly approaching, and my family is expecting dozens of batches of Christmas Butter Cookies at any minute!
This tasty Christmas Bark is usually my go-to to temporarily satisfy those cookie requests. It's so unbelievably simple to make! With microwaveable vanilla-flavored melting wafers, M&M's, sprinkles, pretzels and peanuts, it has the perfect balance of salty and sweet.
What's not to like about that NICE list?
Because it's made so easily, and with so few ingredients, bark is also great for gifting. I've been known to whip up a few batches of this during the holiday season.
You can never go wrong with an M&M and sprinkle-topped confection for any occasion--especially a red and green bedazzled one for Christmas!
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👪Why you'll love it
| Only 1 base ingredient- At its core, this treat starts with vanilla-flavored candy wafers that you melt in the microwave (so easy!). From there, it becomes quite customizable (see the next point). Highly customizable- This special treat wouldn't be any fun without the sweet and salty add-ons. In this recipe, I suggest using holiday M&M's and sprinkles for the sweet, and pretzels and peanuts for the salty. Feel free to change this up and use your favorites. Just remember that bark is no fun without some sweet and salty pleasure. No-bake- There's no oven involved in this recipe--just a microwave and a fridge. Great for the holidays- Make several batches of this, serve it at gatherings or package it. It makes such a great gift! |
Looking for more easy confections for the holidays? Check out White Chocolate Haystacks, Peanut Clusters, Creamy Marshmallow Fudge and Candied Mixed Nuts!
🥘Ingredients
- pretzel sticks- any little pretzel will do, from twists to snaps and more
- salted peanuts- I use dry roasted salted peanuts
- vanilla flavored candy melts- can substitute almond bark
- holiday M&M's
- holiday sprinkles (not pictured)
🔪Instructions
- Step 1: Arrange pretzels and peanuts on parchment paper.
- Step 2: Melt wafers/bark in microwave; then pour over pretzels and nuts.
- Step 3: Press on M&M's and sprinkles; set in fridge for 1-2 hours.
- Step 4: Once set, break into pieces.
Hint: Once wafers are melted; work quickly before the chocolate starts to set.
📖Variations
- Chocolate Christmas Bark- melt chocolate wafers for a dark colored bark; add mini chocolate chips (along with M&M's and sprinkles, of course!)
- Peppermint Bark- Follow this recipe, add ½ teaspoon peppermint extract to melted wafers; press ½ crushed candy canes on top along with M&M's and sprinkles
For a spooky Halloween version of this recipe, see Halloween Bark!
🍽Equipment
- parchment paper
- large, rimmed baking sheet
- microwaveable bowls
- stirring spoons
- spreading spatula
- measuring cups
🍶Storage
Store in an airtight container and keep on your counter--once set, there's no need to refrigerate. Enjoy within 1 week. You may also freeze the bark in freezer safe packaging for up to 3 months.
💭Top tip
Follow the package directions for the melting product you bought. Make sure your microwave is at half power, otherwise wafers can dry out. It's also best practice to stir out a few lumps that are remaining rather than placing the bowl back in the microwave for another 30-second interval towards the end of the melting process.
🗨️FAQ
Christmas Bark is a variety of "bark", which is a confection that typically begins with almond bark, candy wafers, or melting chocolate being melted in the microwave or double boiler. The mixture is then spread onto parchment paper, is sometimes additionally flavored, and then decorated with a variety of candy, nuts, pretzels, cookies, etc. The bark sets in the fridge for 1-2 hours and is then broken into pieces before serving.
Provided that it's stored in an airtight container and kept away from heat, it can easily last on the countertop for a week.
Yes, you can! With proper freezer-safe packaging, it will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
🥄Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
🍴Pairing
Making this for holiday tins? These are my favorite sweets to gift with Christmas Bark:
📋Recipe
Christmas Bark
Ingredients
- 2 cups pretzel sticks broken in half
- ½ cup salted peanuts
- 24 ounces vanilla flavored candy melts can substitute almond bark
- 10 ounce bag holiday M&M's
- Holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange pretzel pieces and peanuts in a single layer on the parchment paper.
- Place melting wafers in a microwave-safe dish. Melt wafers in the microwave at half power in 30 second intervals, stirring in between. This should take between 2-3 minutes total.
- Immediately drizzle about half of the melted wafer mixture over the pretzels and nuts. Use a spreading spatula as needed to evenly distribute the mixture.
- Spread the remaining melted wafer mixture on top. Then gently press on the M&M's. Add your desired amount of sprinkles.
- Chill for 1-2 hours. Once the bark easily lifts up from the parchment paper, it's ready to be broken into pieces. The easiest way to do this is with your hands. You will end up with varying sizes and shapes, which makes the bark look textured and even more appealing.
- Store in an airtight container and keep on your counter--once set, there's no need to refrigerate. Enjoy within 1 week. You may also freeze the bark in freezer safe packaging for up to 3 months.
Sheila S. says
We love this bark recipe...the salty and sweet crunch is so good. I sometimes don't use the premium baking squares because they're so expensive and it still comes out so good!
Kitchen Ready Betty says
Glad you enjoy it, even without the premium melting squares. It really is a super easy recipe for the busy holiday season.