Peppermint bark is a popular and seriously delicious dessert recipe during the holiday season! This recipe mixes in cinnamon spice with the standard recipe for an extra distinct flavor. Then, you use Greek yogurt as the base instead of regular yogurt, which gives the bark additional protein and consistency.
The smell of peppermint cinnamon bark alone is enough to make your mouth water. Even better, this recipe uses only a few ingredients and is simple to make. It is the perfect side snack to the main course in any holiday gathering. If you are serving the peppermint cinnamon bark to multiple friends and family, you can expect it to disappear very fast!
What is yogurt bark?
Peppermint yogurt bark is a must-have holiday snack that consists of three main ingredients-melted chocolate, crumbled candy canes, and vanilla Greek yogurt. They are bite-size, cracker-like mint squares that taste hard and crunchy. The prep time is fast and it is one of the easiest treat recipes you can make. The recipe requires tempering in order to melt the chocolate carefully and efficiently.
Tempering refers to heating solid chocolate into liquid and cooling it after, which makes it look and feel like smooth Nutella. This technique improves the chocolate’s hardness and consistency. Then, it is ready to be spread on a pan along with peppermint, cinnamon, and yogurt. The tempering is usually accomplished by using a double boiler, since chocolate does not react very well to high, boiling heat.
Peppermint Cinnamon Greek Yogurt Bark
Equipment
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- stainless steel pot or double boiler
- large heat-resistant bowl or double boiler
- wooden spoon or spatula for mixing and layering
Ingredients
- 2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt or unflavored
- 1½ tsp peppermint extract
- 1½ tsp cinnamon extract
- 6-10 candy canes, crushed
- ¾ pound semisweet chocolate, chopped up
- ¾ pound any other chocolate type *Optional*
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This recipe is designed for a large baking sheet, around 9×13 inches. Set the sheet aside.
- Fill a large pot with water (at least 3 inches deep) and let it simmer on a stove over medium heat. Do not boil the water.
- Reduce the heat to low and add an extra heat-resistant bowl on top (or use the top pan if using a double boiler). Put the chocolate inside and stir frequently until it is smooth and melted. Add the extracts in after.
- Pour the chocolate into your baking sheet and spread it evenly with a spatula or spoon. It should fill the sheet evenly.
- (Optional) If you are trying to stack two different chocolate types, repeat steps 3-4 for your second chocolate variety.
- Spread the vanilla Greek yogurt nicely over the chocolate base. It should fill the sheet evenly. For best results, try not to make the yogurt spread too thick.
- Finally, scatter your crushed candy canes over the entire mixture. Make sure it fills as much area as possible.
- Grab the baking sheet and store it in your freezer for no less than 2 hours. The Greek yogurt and chocolate must be completely solid when finished.
- When ready to serve, take it out of the freezer and let it thaw for 5-10 minutes. Cut the bark into individual pieces and serve.
Other ingredients to use for your peppermint bark
Toasted and/or chopped nuts, such as pecans, almonds, and peanuts, are great ingredients to add on top of the yogurt spread. Macadamia nuts would be even better if you’re trying to maintain the bark’s taste while adding extra crunchiness.
You can also use a different chocolate base. White chocolate and dark chocolate are viable alternatives to semisweet milk chocolate. Use mini marshmallows and little candy canes if you want to make hot cocoa peppermint bark. Another idea is to use two different types of chocolate and stack them together during spreading.
Finally, you can add dried fruits and seeds-cranberry works particularly well since it complements the flavor of the bark nicely. You can even add granola or rolled oats to it if you prefer.
