Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark
This festive Valentine’s Day chocolate bark has layers of semi-sweet chocolate and bright pink candy topped with freeze-dried raspberries and heart sprinkles.
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Table of Contents
- About Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark
- What’s in chocolate bark?
- What type of candy melts should you use?
- What type of chocolate should you use?
- How long is chocolate bark good for?
- Can you freeze chocolate bark?
- Notes & tips for chocolate bark
- More fun candy recipes
- Other festive recipes for Valentine’s Day
- How to make Valentine’s Day chocolate bark
- Recipe Details
About Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark
Valentine’s Day means different things to different people, but one perk we can all agree upon is the delicious chocolate candy that’s available.
And what better way to show someone you care than with bright and festive candy that you made yourself?
This Valentine’s Day chocolate bark does exactly that: it’s a simple, classic treat that’s fun to make, decorate, and gift. Plus, this particular recipe includes freeze-dried raspberries for decoration and flavor, giving this classic candy a fun and fruity twist.
What’s in chocolate bark?
To make chocolate bark, you only need three key ingredients:
- Chocolate – Whether it’s from chopped chocolate or candy melts, the chocolate in this recipe is the main attraction. You’re essentially creating thin chocolate bars (or “bark,” as the name says). This particular recipe has a mixture of semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate.
- Freeze-Dried Fruit – Used as both decorations and flavor, the little bits of dried fruit give this chocolate bark a special touch. I used raspberry, but you could use any type of freeze-dried fruit that you’d like.
- Decorations – A totally optional ingredient, but it’s also what makes this dessert fun to make and eat. The decorations can be as simple as festive sprinkles (like this recipe) or other flavor additions like nuts or chopped candy.
What type of candy melts should you use?
Candy melts (also called melting wafters) are pretty common – you can find them in the baking supply area, and they’re small, flat disks, typically sold by the bag – but I do think there are significant differences in quality depending on the brand of candy melts you buy.
Wilton is by far the most common brand of candy melt, and they are sold in a variety of colors. This makes them a popular pick, since you can buy the exact color you need and can get right to crafting your festive treats. Wilton makes things simple and easy.
However, I’ve not been impressed with the quality of Wilton candy melts and typically look for alternatives. If given the choice, I would highly recommend picking up Ghirardelli brand candy melts and using oil-based food coloring to get the look that you want. You could also use their bar chocolate or chocolate chips. These are my favorite candy melts to work with due to the superior quality and taste.
But, all that being said, if you’re pressed for time or would simply prefer to, you can use pink candy melts instead. Your chocolate bark will still turn out delicious no matter which method you go with.
What type of chocolate should you use?
There are many different brands of chocolate chips – even some made by popular candy companies – but from my experience, the best chocolate for baking, fudges, or truffles is Ghirardelli. It consistently performs well while baking, has a great texture (never chalky), and has a delicious flavor. This brand is a little more expensive, but trust me, you’ll appreciate the flavor and consistency you’ll get from the premium quality.
You can find their semi-sweet chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate bars either in the bakery aisle of most grocery stores or you can buy them online.
How long is chocolate bark good for?
Once it’s prepared, chocolate bark can be stored in a sealed container on the counter or in the refrigerator for up to one to two weeks.
Can you freeze chocolate bark?
Yes, you totally can!
Once prepared, chocolate bark can be stored in a sealed container or freezer bag for up to three months.
Notes & tips for chocolate bark
- This recipe uses semi-sweet chocolate, but feel free to substitute this for dark, milk, or white chocolate.
- If you’re willing to sacrifice some of the festive color shown here, you can substitute the pink food coloring for any that you’d like (red, purple, etc). And if you go this route, don’t worry – you’ll still have the sprinkles to give this candy some holiday flare.
- Don’t want to use freeze-dried fruit? No problem! If you’d still like a fruity flavor, you can mix in a dash of raspberry extract to the white candy melts instead. You can also skip the fruit flavor entirely and focus on using more festive sprinkles for decoration.
More fun candy recipes
Other festive recipes for Valentine’s Day
How to make Valentine’s Day chocolate bark
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – Start off by melting your chosen chocolate and the pink candy, whether that be mixing white candy melts with pink food coloring or using pink candy melts.
Step 2 – Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper, then pour the melted chocolate inside. Use a spatula to spread it into an even layer.
Step 3 – Drizzle the melted pink candy over the chocolate. If desired, drag a butter knife or toothpick through the chocolate to create decorative patterns.
Step 4 – Decorate the top of the pink candy with freeze-dried raspberries and heart sprinkles.
Step 5 – Allow the candy to cool completely.
Step 6 – Break apart into serving-sized pieces.
Step 7 – Serve and enjoy!
Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark
Ingredients
- pink food coloring
Instructions
- Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil, extending pieces over sides for easy handling. If using foil, spray with cooking spray.
- Place semi-sweet chocolate and white candy melts in individual microwave-safe bowls. Heat each in the microwave for 30 seconds on 50% power, then stir. Continue to heat for 15 second intervals, mixing in between, until all chocolate and candy have completely melted.1 cup semi-sweet chocolate, 3/4 cup white candy melts
- Add and mix in pink food coloring to the melted white candy until it reaches the hue of your choice.pink food coloring
- Pour melted semi-sweet chocolate into prepared baking dish, spreading it out into an even layer about 1/4 inch thick. Drizzle the melted pink candy on top of the chocolate in a decorative pattern. If desired, use a butter knife or toothpick to drag through the colors, creating swirl designs. Finish by topping the wet candy with freeze-fried raspberries and heart sprinkles.1/3 cup freeze-dried raspberries, heart sprinkles
- Refrigerate chocolate bark for at least 1 hour or until set.
- Once firm, break the chocolate bark into serving-sized pieces.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I’m not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.
