When it comes to desserts, sometimes simpler is better. This simple Halloween bark is a perfect example of that, and it’s ideal for when you’ve made other chocolate treats and have leftover chocolate.
I love that this can be as simple or complex as you like. You can just use some fun Halloween sprinkles and candy eyes, or you can have more fun with mixing different kinds of chocolates and adding in other candies.
The key is to spread it thinly and press everything in gently while it’s still melted, then leave it alone. Wait until it’s completely hardened before you try to break it into pieces to ensure it cracks nicely and doesn’t pull and stretch.
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What kind of chocolate should you use?
This works with any kind of melted chocolate. The key is that it needs to be smoothly melted, so you need to either use high quality chocolate – my preference – or add a bit of vegetable oil to your chocolate so it melts smoothly.
I make all kinds of chocolate bark every time I melt chocolate because it’s the best way to use up the leftovers. It doesn’t matter if I started making witch hat oreo cookies or brownie batter truffles, you always need extra melted chocolate to properly dip what you create.
Chocolate bark works well with milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or dark chocolate. It can work with white chocolate, but it tends to not crack as well.
For that reason, I tend to swirl white chocolate or colored chocolate melting discs into the more traditional chocolate, which can create a really pretty background for your Halloween chocolate bark.
What other mix-ins work well for Halloween bark?
To make this, you definitely need candy eyes. They come in multiple sizes, but I like the 1cm eyes rather than the mini eyes for bark.
There are great Halloween-themed sprinkles you can find, and I like the ones that have ghosts and Halloween colors. You can also find bats, gravestones, and so much more. Pick your faves, and have at it.
Broken bits of Oreo cookies also add a great contrast and flavor to your Halloween bark. Candy corn – if you like it – is another classic mix-in to include.
Other great ideas are:
- Broken pretzels
- Halloween M&Ms
- Reese’s Pieces
- Halloween-themed gummy candies
- Mini candy bars
- Pumpkin candies
What’s the best way to melt chocolate?
The key to well-melted chocolate is to ensure you don’t overheat it. It’s really easy to do that in the microwave, so I prefer to gently melt chocolate over the stove in a heavy saucepan.
If you do choose to use the microwave, melt it in short 20 second bursts then stir it. Repeat until the chocolate is mostly melted.
Regardless of how you melt the chocolate, melt is almost all the way, then stir it until it finishes melting. This helps ensure it remains tempered, which gives it the shiny and glossy finish once it hardens again.
How to Make Halloween Chocolate Bark
Place a silpat or piece of parchment paper on your counter or in a cookie sheet. If you plan to chill it in your fridge – which I don’t generally do as it can mess with the tempering – clear out space if you need to.
Melt your chocolate, and scrape it all out onto the parchment paper or silpat. Use a spatula to spread it into a thin layer.
If you plan to mix in additional colors, add dollops of the colors onto the base you just made and use your spatula to gently swirl them. If you plan to make layers, you need to let the chocolate harden completely, then add the second layer and spread it atop your first layer.
Immediately add you mix-ins. Do not let your chocolate even start to harden before you add them.
Sprinkle them evenly across the chocolate. Quickly add your candy eyes in groups of two that creates the look of creatures peeking out from the chocolate, and press them gently into your chocolate.
Let your chocolate harden completely. I prefer to leave it on the counter, but you can also place it in your fridge if you need to serve it more quickly.
Once it’s completely hardened, break it into pieces. Ideally, you can keep the pairs of eyes together, but since this is Halloween, it’s fine if they don’t.
Keep this in a tightly sealed container on your counter. Depending on what mix-ins you use, it can last up to two week or less if you have cookies or pretzels that may start to go stale after four or five days.
Bookmark this simple Halloween chocolate bark recipe to make again!
Halloween Chocolate Bark
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk chocolate
- 1 tablespoon Halloween sprinkles
- 20 eyes Candy eyes
Instructions
- Set parchment paper or silpat on your counter.
- Melt chcolate, stirring regularly.1 cup milk chocolate
- Scrape all chocolate onto parchment paper or silpat. Use a spatula to spread into a thin layer.
- Press mix-ins gently into melted chocolate. Add candy eyes in groups of two.1 tablespoon Halloween sprinkles, 20 eyes Candy eyes
- Let chocolate harden completely, then break into chunks.
- Store in a tightly sealed container on your counter for up to a week.
Notes
- You can make this with any type of chocolate you use, including swirling them together for a fun look.
- Scale this up or down, depending on how much extra chocolate you have and how many you wish to serve.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
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