Simple Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark

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Chocolate bark is one of those super easy treats that I always forget about…and this simple valentine’s day chocolate bark is no exception.  Now, I’ve never been someone who’s been into all the mushy gushy valentine’s day traditions. But what I can stand behind is sweet treats. And I think it’s fun to make valentines to send to family and friends, because, well…crafting.

And I know it’s not food related, but I do love a good craft.  So we get out the construction paper and the glue and make homemade valentines.  Not only is this a great way to spend an hour with my kiddos and just fun, but it’s also nice to talk about the people we love and why we love them.  It’s all about finding the little moments.

And for my kids, it’s also not just about crafting with construction paper, but crafting with food too.  And this valentine’s day chocolate bark is the perfect recipe to get your kids involved. No need to be neat and precise when making this recipe.  Rather, it’s about imperfection and making something that you like the look of…it will taste good no matter what!

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What mix-ins work well in this valentine’s day chocolate bark?

I think that anything red, white or pink works perfectly for Valentines Day! If you know me well, you’ll know that I don’t do pink (no pink clothes, no pink for my girls, I’m just not into it).  However, this recipe can be an exception…in the spirit of love💕.  

While, I’m really going to try to stick to the classic valentine’s day colors here. I’ve got some other twists on this chocolate bark on the blog and some others coming up over the next few months, so stay tuned for those.  Or better yet, get on my email list and never miss a recipe again 🙂

In this recipe, I’m suggesting oreos, m&m’s and colorful sprinkles with drizzle of white chocolate (that I’ve made pink), but any of the following toppings would work as well.  You’ll just want to make sure you keep the colors in the same family.

• Candy canes
• Red hots: if you like a bit of heat
• Candy hearts
• Candy melts of all colors
• Want to get crazy?  Add flaming hot cheetos for a totally new texture and sweet/salty taste sensation

When would you serve valentine’s day chocolate bark?

Since this chocolate bark is so easy to put together you, could make it a DIY station at a school valentines day party, a weekend project with the kiddos, or even as an after dinner treat with your special someone.  

It’s great for a crowd since it can be made so quickly and with very few ingredients. Additionally, it can be made super allergy friendly. Just use dairy free chocolate chips (I like this brand from Costco and this brand at my regular grocery store). Then customize the toppings based on the dietary needs of your guests. You can easily find nut free, dairy free and gluten free toppings at local store.

How do you make chocolate bark?

Making chocolate bark for valentine’s day is as easy as gathering up your mix-ins and melting your chocolate chips in the oven for a few minutes. Then let you creativity take center stage.

You’ll want to preheat your oven and chop your mix-ins before you put the chocolate chips in to melt.  

To make the bark, spread the bag of chocolate chips out in one layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.  You’ll want the chips close-ish together so that when they melt they end up touching either other.

Put the baking pan in the oven for 3-5 minutes, you just want the chips to melt enough that you can spread the melted chocolate easily.  Once melty, take out of the oven and with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, gently spread the chocolate into one even layer. This becomes the base of your bark.

Then, while the chocolate is still melty, spread your toppings over the chocolate, pressing down only enough that things stick, not so that they are submerged.

Let the chocolate cool.  I like to do this in the fridge or even outside (if you have a place safe from critters and live in a cold climate). You want the chocolate to harden well for the next step.

Once hardened, break into pieces and enjoy, package for gifting, or put in an airtight container for storage.

Tips and Tricks:

• This is a great recipe to make with the kids.  Once the chocolate is melted and spread thinly, you can let them add the toppings however they want.  Once it’s cooled, little hands do a great job breaking the bark up into random pieces as well.
• Chocolate bark ships really well, so send some with those homemade valentines you just crafted!  Just pack it up tightly in an airtight container and watch the smiles you get back over Facetime when your family or friends get this treat!  A really great way to send love through the mail.

Looking for other easy dessert recipes? Check these out!

• Sweet and salty chocolate bark
• one bowl brownies
• no-churn mint chip ice cream

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Want to make these now?  Are you missing some ingredients? Amazon Now can get them to you in a few hours,  Instacart can get them to you today.  Or add them to your Peapod grocery list and don’t be stuck without them again!