Christmas just isn’t complete for me without candy canes. The red and white stripes just scream out holiday and festive joy! I’m sure a lot of you feel the same way as well.

So, I’ve got a treat for all the candy cane lovers out there. If you’ve run out of ideas for Christmas desserts, check this recipe out. These candy cane heart peppermint barks are just to die for.

Ingredients Needed

You’ll need just a few simple ingredients to make this delicious concoction. The total cooking time is also under an hour.

1. Chocolate Melts

The first ingredient you will need is melting chocolates. Aim for the highest quality chocolates you can find. As these are one of the main focus points of the treat, you’ll want good quality chocolates.

I used 2.5 lbs. of high-grade white chocolate in white.

If you’re looking for brands that sell good chocolate, you can give Bada Bing Bada Boom Chocolate Candy a try. The chocolates that they carry in their line are made with products that have been traded ethically.

Ingredients are hand-picked so that customers receive the best version of their products. You can taste the select grade traceable cacao in these chocolates.

If you can’t get your hands on these, try and look for chocolate melts that do not have a waxy texture. Also, chocolates that do not have any added hydrogenated oil are great for making cake pops and treats like this.

2. Candy Canes

The next thing that you will need is candy canes. You can choose the size depending on your taste and the look you are going for. For my recipe, I used a mixture of both mini and large candy canes.

3. Silicone Mat

Next, add a silicone mat to your baking pan. This will help you save time cleaning up any sticky residue that the chocolate and candy cane might have left. Adding a silicone mat also makes things less messy and more manageable.

The Process

Here’s the step-by-step making process for your convenience.

Step 1: Forming the Hearts

Now we come to the fun part, making the hearts. Candy canes come canes-shaped. So all you need to do to make a heart is put two of these together side by side. The candy canes need to be facing each other. You’ll see that they look like hearts that are just a tiny bit long.

Candy Cane Heart Peppermint Bark

What I did was make a few with the large or regular sized ones and a few with the mini ones. The two candy canes you use to make one heart needs to be of the same size.

Step 2: Melting the Chocolate

Get a double boiler to melt your chocolate melts. Stir the melts to ensure that they come out silky smooth. This will take you just about 5 minutes.

If you want a quicker option, you can employ a microwave for this. But then, you’ll have to take out the melts every 5 to 10 seconds, stir it, and put it back in the oven.

Candy Cane Heart Peppermint Bark

How long you need to melt the chocolate will depend on the brand and size of the chips. The smaller the size, the lesser time required. Bigger chunks need to be put in the oven for longer and stirred less frequently than smaller chocolate melts.

If you can get 85 to 90% of the chocolate to melt, you can stir the whole lot to melt the other 10 or 15%.

Step 3: Gluing the Candy Canes Together

After you’ve melted your chocolate, it’s time to stick the candy canes together.

Take both the candy canes that form one heart and dip the stick part into the melted chocolate. Then lay them on the silicone sheet with the ends touching.

Candy Cane Heart Peppermint Bark

If you want to make the bond a bit stronger, you can add more chocolates to the part where the two candy canes meet. Just to be on the safer side, I had added more chocolate with the help of a spoon.

Treat the melted chocolate as glue, and this crafty dessert should come together quite quickly.

After you’re done “gluing” all the hearts together, you have to stick these in the refrigerator for just a few minutes. Leaving them in the fridge overnight is a better option if you ask me.

Step 4: Preparing the Candy Cane Sprinkles

If you’re leaving them in the fridge for a few minutes, you can use this time to crush up some candy canes for the decoration.

Candy Cane Heart Peppermint Bark

Using mini candy canes is a better option for this task. They will break much faster and easier. What I did to break the candy was put them in a zip lock back and just bash it with a rolling pin. Get all your anger and frustration out on it!

Remember not to crush it too finely. Otherwise, the candy just turns into a powder. And then you can’t tell if its candy cane or just powdered minty sugar.

Step 5: Filling the Hearts

After this, melt some more chocolate. Use the double boiler method or the microwave oven. Whichever floats your boat.

Once the chocolate is coming to a manageable or pourable texture, you’re ready to fill in the hearts.

Just any ordinary spoon will do for this task. I had used a tablespoon to scoop out a fair amount of chocolate and pour it into the middle of the heart. The whole thing needs to be on the silicone mat during this procedure. Otherwise, they will stick to the bottom of the pan.

Spread the chocolate with the back of the spoon to get a more even layer. A bit of the chocolate might escape the boundary, but that alright. It adds a more homemade rustic vibe to it, in my opinion.

Step 6: Let it Rest

Before the chocolate sets, add your crushed candy canes. Sprinkle them on as dense or sparse as you like.

Let these chill in the fridge, and voila, you’re done.

Final Words

You’ll surely be a hit among your friends with this trendy new candy cane heart peppermint bark. They adorable to look at and just take a few minutes to make. Add these to your Christmas party snack list, and your guests will surely fall in love with your creativity and baking!