Yes, healthy peppermint bark!
Candyland!
By far, my favorite holiday candy is my Coconut Butter Candy Melties.
Apparently, everyone else’s favorite holiday candy is peppermint bark. So I figured I’d combine my favorite with everyone else’s favorite to get something we all can love:
When it’s difficult to keep from eating the whole thing before I can even take a photo, I know a recipe is a success. Staying away from this bark was hard!
Candyland Healthy Peppermint Bark
(gluten-free)
- 1/2 cup coconut butter (Cacao butter might work, but I haven’t tried.)
- 12 drops pure peppermint extract (scant 1/4 tsp), or more if desired
- 1 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup OR stevia drops to taste (I even like it unsweetened, so you can try that too!)
- optional sprinkles, crushed candy canes, or other garnishes
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. (Make sure to melt your coconut butter into a thick paste first if it’s rock-hard. I like to stick the jar in a warm—not hot—oven for just a few minutes then stir. If your coconut butter refuses to melt into a spreadable paste, you can add a little melted virgin coconut oil to the jar, stir, and it works like a charm!) Spread the mixture onto wax paper, then put it in the fridge or freezer to harden. After just a few minutes in the freezer, it’s become delicious bark!
Chocolate Peppermint Bark: Replace the coconut butter with Homemade Hot Chocolate Butter.
Do you remember the game Candyland?
My sister and I played that game all the time! That and Shoots-n-Ladders. We especially liked to play with my grandma, and we’d team up against her… But looking back, I’m pretty sure she let us win.
For more coconut recipes:Â Over 100 Healthy Coconut Butter Recipes.
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
Candyland, shoots & ladders and operation were my 3 absolute favorite games as a kid. I would KILL my brother in Operation 😉
I love that you made this with coconut butter. I never understood the peppermint bark obsession b/c I think white chocolate is kinda gross. 1. It’s not chocolate and 2. It’s way too sweet!
Maya says
I TOTALLY agree. White chocolate is one of the very few foods I just cannot stand. This sounds so good Katie!
I loved all board games: Clue, Memory, Guess Who, Scattegories…the best was when we played Monopoly. My sister and I were both too nice and felt bad for anyone that had gone bankrupt and gave them a “gift”. Needless to say I’m pretty sure we never finished a game.
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Haha I agree too! I always hated white chocolate… now I don’t mind in the slightest that it’s not vegan.
Maya: my sister and I were the opposite! We got so competitive at Monopoly… my poor mom. We’d gang up on her and put hotels everywhere!
Shannon Roche says
This bark is so beautiful!
Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles says
Delish! ….I love combining family’s favorites into one amazing teat. That way everyone is a happy camper. Speaking of happy campers- I would be one if I were to eat some of that!
katie @KatieDid says
such amazingly crisp photos Katie. Well okay you always have amazingly crisp photos. I am digging coconut everything lately, I bet this is sooo decadent!
Ali @ Peaches and Football says
I LOVED the game Candyland growing up. My parents used to own a toy store and when we did radio commercials I remember one of the things I said I loved was Candyland. 🙂
I’ve never tried peppermint bark but you’re the 3rd person to blog about it this season. Maybe I need to see what all the hype is about and give it a try. Mmm
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
I’ve never actually tried real peppermint bark (the white chocolate kind) either! I guess I’ve always been too busy eating the chocolate holiday desserts :).
Megan says
Heck yes! I have been wanting to make peppermint bark and finally, here is a version that I will not feel guilty about eating! This looks so fantastic and festive. And I absolutely played Candyland and Shoots & Ladders. I bet we still have our old version around somewhere. Did you ever play Race to the Roof? I was volunteering last year and played those games with some little kids and was amazed at the fancy new boards they have!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
I’ve never heard of that one. But I love board games, so I’ll have to check it out!
Rachael says
Candyland was my absolute favorite game! I love this rendition you created and especially love that the base is coconut – since I am trying to stay away from chocolate (we will see how long that lasts). Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes; I have loved each one I try 🙂
Sarah the offical CCK drooler says
These are so pretty! Bet they would make an awesome gift * light bulb moment*. Is the coconut butter supposed to stand in for the traditional white chocolate? If so, why? With all respect, isn’t this a chocolate covered blog ? 🙂 But seriously, it looks like white chocolate. Does it taste like it? Am going to try this after chemistry. Hey… maybe i can convince my mom that this sort of IS a chemistry experiment, ya know liquid to solid and all that junk 🙂 Have a great day!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
I wanted to do a healthier version… but even more than that, I don’t actually like white chocolate! Never have for some reason lol.
Tracy says
Wow! This looks so fun. Can I make this with regular sugar or powdered sugar maybe instead of agave? Does it stay hard at room temp? Do you store it in the fridge or freezer? Thanks for sharing!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
I think it would work with regular sugar!
I’m not sure about how long it will stay hard… it depends on the outside air temp. (For example, if your coconut butter is hard at room temp, this probably will stay hard too. But if your coconut butter is liquid from the beginning, it means the outside temp is too hot for this not to melt as well.) I usually store it in the freezer, but fridging it is fine if you’d prefer :).
Kelly @ Foodie Fiasco says
That is too funny! I was just thinking about making peppermint bark with the homemade cocoa bliss! You brilliant ESP peron, you. 😉
Anna @ The Guiltless Life says
Haha I’ve seen bark cropping up all over the place – it’s not my favourite but the creamy looking texture of this one could sway me… 🙂
Amanda says
Oh my WORD! This is gorgeous!
You have the best blog ever!
Annie @ Naturally Sweet Recipes says
What an awesome recipe Katie! It look delicious, I’m thinking of maybe making this as a few gifts. Thanks!
Rebecca @ Naturally Healthy and Gorgeous says
That looks so good! Why do I always read your blog when I”m hungry already?!?!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Candyland indeed! Yum!
Leslie says
What a creative idea, to use coconut in place of the white chocolate!
I love how your mind works, girl.
And I’m still waiting for that cookbook.
I’ll be first in line… although I bet I’ll have to fight off quite a few hundred others to get there ;).
Leslie says
Oh, and I loved Candyland as a kid. Haven’t played it in years!
Holly says
Would be good with melted chocolate spread over the coconut bark layer, too…. perhaps?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
YES!!! Definitely yes!
Val says
this looks soooo good!!! I can imagine its hard to stay away from that.
Jennifer says
Chutes and Ladders! My sister and I used to play that all the time. I seem to remember that there was a looong chute down the middle of the board that if you were near winning meant going back to the beginning. I also seem to remember that my sister and I used to go UP that chute instead of DOWN…. We weren’t good at following directions. 🙂
Jennifer JCD says
Stellar!!! I think you read my mind. I was set on making peppermint bark tonight and was going to search for a vegan recipe today at lunch. Well… look at this! Perfect! I’m super excited to make this tonight!! (First, I need to make coconut butter…)
An I definitely remember Candy Land; I still play it with my Brownies on occasion. 🙂
Good Girl Gone Green says
That sounds yummy! I have all the ingredients on hand, and am on my way to the kitchen as I write this to make it!
Emily @ Glitz Glam Granola says
Ohh this peppermint bark looks delicious!! I’m not a big white chocolate fan so this looks even better than the real stuff!!! Especially if I include a little dark chocolate drizzle! Yum! And growing up I loved Candyland and Hungry Hungry Hippos… hmmm I wonder what that says about my current love of food!?
Sarah says
Candyland was THE BEST game of my life. I played it again about 5 years ago (I was 16) and beat it in about two minutes. Oh well.. Someone should make an adult Candyland. Like Boozeland or Partyland or something…
And I do like peppermint bark. Not my favorite but neccessary for winter. 😀
Hilliary @Happily Ever Healthy says
This looks delicious! I love homemade peppermint bark!
Ashley @ Southern Purple Vegan says
I remember candyland, it was fun as and this peppermint bark remind me a little of it.
Rachel says
THANK YOU!!! Peppermint bark is my absolute favorite, and I had resigned myself to never eating it again since becoming vegan. This rocks my world.
Jamie @ Don't Forget the Cinnamon says
Looks good!
Does it have a strong coconut flavor to it though? And do you think adding cocoa powder and making it chocolate peppermint bark would work out well?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
I don’t think coconut butter tastes like coconut… it just tastes more like shortbread. As for the chocolate version, see the linked “hot chocolate butter” in the post and use that for a chocolate version :).
Aja says
I know what to do with my large jar of coconut butter now! I’m excited, I haven’t known what to do with it for a long time.
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says
I LOVED the game candyland! anyone could win and come out of no where if you got a good card! And the characters so were so cute. Love the sprinkles on the bark, that’s a great idea!
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes says
These look so pretty!
Nancy says
I have some peppermint stevia for Christmas hot (real) cocoa. Do you think it would work? Just subtle amount with some crushed candy? I make cocoa crack coconut oil.butter, cocoa and flavored stevia. I like the idea of no white block stuff. bleh.
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
I bet it would!
Char @ www.charskitchen.ca says
mmmmm I love chocolate almond park, but have yet to try a white or peppermint version. Looks great, Katie!
Kristen-vanillabeanvegan says
The peppermint bark looks great, Will have to try it along with the hot chocolate version. Love your blog!! Maybe i will make them as little christmas gifts for family, I sure they will enjoy. Have a great day!!
Amanda says
I definitely want to try the chocolate version too. Chocolate is better than non chocolate any day! 🙂
Looks so good!
Alisha says
I’m a teacher and for fun I made it into “sight word” candy land !! Love the chocolate idea ! I want to try it tonight! But my husband wants me to make red velvet cookies?! Do you have in your kitchen any great recipes for the healthy version?! Everything I find is SO fattening!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
I don’t :(.
But maybe use my pumpkin-stuffed cookie recipe and just sub some sort of cream cheese filling (like this: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2009/05/26/cheesecake-mousse-yeah-you-read-that-right/) for the pumpkin filling? And then use some red food coloring if you want them red? Just in case you feel like experimenting, here’s the cookie recipe: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/10/14/chocolate-cookies-filled-with-pumpkin-pie/
Lauren @ What Lauren Likes says
This is so festive and I love it 🙂
natalie @ southern fit foodie says
Looks delicious! You can never go wrong with coconut butter in my opinion.
I loved candyland growing up! I sometimes used to “stack the deck” so that on about my fifth draw, I would get Queen Frostine and be close to the end. Evil, I know.
Dalai Lina says
Curious, if you leave it out, does it soften up again? I’m thinking I have to keep it in the freezer to stay hard…xoxo
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
It depends on the outside air temp. (For example, if your coconut butter is hard at room temp, this probably will stay hard too. But if your coconut butter is liquid from the beginning, it means the outside temp is too hot for this not to melt as well.) I usually store it in the freezer, but fridging it is fine if you’d prefer .
Amy says
Just wanted to say how beautiful the first picture is–the background is a great contrast! It jumps out of the page when you first see it. Great job!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Aww thank you, Amy! 🙂
Beth says
Do you have nutrition facts available for this bark? Looks delicious 🙂
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
It depends on what sweetener you use and how big you cut each piece.
Maria says
Candyland is BY FAR my favorite game!! I had to purchase it for my nieces so they could also experience the *magic* that only Candyland can supply!
I’m looking forward to making this peppermint bark and maybe playing a couple rounds with the little ones! 🙂
Emilia says
I love coconut butter and peppermint bark, this looks like the perfect meet up between the two. I can only imagine how heavenly the melty coconut butter would taste against the mint. Divine!
[email protected] says
I was OBSESSED with candy land when I was little! I pretty much begged my parents to play it with me everyday! Such a great childhood memory!
Michelle says
Oh my goodness Katie! I’ve been looking for this everywhere! You have no idea how happy I am right now. 🙂 How did you know I wanted this? I can’t wait to try it!
shannonmarie (rawdorable) says
I make something similar with raw cocoa butter. I’ll have to try your version with coconut butter.
Of course I remember Candyland. I still play it with my kids 🙂
Pure2raw twins says
oh yum!! got to love coconut butter, so easy to use to make amazing things
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says
Do I remember Candyland? Oh yes and play it at least 5x a week the past year or so. The best part of having a child, or one of them, is re-living all the old games and puzzles. Memory, Candyland, Sesame Street episodes…some of it is still the exact same!
Great job on the bark….looks delish! I’ve been on a white choc dessert making obsession the past month or so! Lots of barks, brittles, puppy chows, etc. Love white choc!
julie @ the semi-reformed nerd says
I swear I am *addicted* to peppermint bark this time of year. Williams Sonoma can’t keep it in stock when I’m even remotely nearby. This recipe looks awesome!
Rande @ The Vegetable Centric Kitchen says
Freaking fantastic idea, this one’s a must-try!
Lauren (PB&G) says
Katie I absolutely LOVE this idea.. dare I hope that there’s a chocolate version in the works??
Lauren (PB&G) says
Oh silly me – you already thought of that! YUM!
Kit-Kat says
I love candy land (the old game…. the new versions are so dumbed down!) I still play it with my little brother. When I was little, I always wanted to get Queen Frosting. Haha, and it was terrible if you almost finnished, but wound up picking Plumpy’s card! 🙂 I also loved to play Chutes and Ladders.
The bark looks so professional! Yum! Better than what Costco displays for sale!
AikoVenus says
I love it! ^^ My favorite game + one of my favorite treats! I might transform these into cookies, though. ^^
Katelyn @ Chef Katelyn says
Ahahha wait, it seriously does remind me of peppermint bark!
Katie @ Nutrition in a peanut shell says
I loved Candyland! I had the CD-Rom version too 😀
bitt of raw says
this is stunning! i never would have guessed coconut butter. it could even be raw with just dried fruit bits in there.
imnotsupernice says
we know you don’t eat the ALL of the food you make. stop lying. it’s transparent
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Actually, I’ve never claimed to eat everything I post. Read my faq page ;).
But this particular recipe, I do not share. It’s all mine!
Amanda says
I really love white chocolate but it’s nice to have a much healthier recipe. Sounds great! And I loved Candyland when I was little. My game looked so worn out by the time I grew up!
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
I just caught up on your last 3 posts in one go (it’s been one of those weeks!) and am now laughing, as I posted last night on chocolate peppermint bark and edible food presents 😛 I wish I’d been more up-to-date in my reading and then I could have realised this before instead of after!
BroccoliHut says
LOVE this! Such a great use of coconut butter!
Becca R. says
Yummmy. Sounds great!
Katie, just thought you’d like to know that today, December 16th, is National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. You can Google it if you don’t believe me. 🙂
I’ll tell you on Facebook, too, just to make sure you find out ASAP and start celebrating. haha.
-Becca
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
LOL someone else just told me that, too. I can’t believe I almost missed it!! 😕
LizAshlee says
What a fun recipe…coconut butter comes in so handy this time of year…actually..always! Happy Friday! 🙂
kayleigh says
OMG! this, this is what i’ve been waiting for! Can’t wait to try it 🙂 Thanks, Katie!!
Allie says
Yum! I found this recipe through pinterest and made it right away.
Your site ROCKS!
Grace says
what’re the nutrition facts for this bark?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
It depends on what sweetener you use and how big you cut each piece
[email protected]? says
How lovely and scrumptious looking!
Kathleen says
Oh my gosh, that looks deadly. 🙂
Kendall says
Hi Katie, I tried to make this today (using homemade coconut butter) and after I added the in the agave the whole thing solidified, almost like a dough. It also would not melt despite my best efforts. The finished product tastes great, but isn’t a bark so much as a crumble. Any ideas on what I did wrong?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Hmmm… did you melt the coconut butter BEFORE adding the agave? It’s important to melt the coconut butter, then add the other ingredients, and then freeze.
Michelle {Feed Your Skull} says
I know this is a year old comment 😉 but thought to mention that make sure your agave wasn’t refrigerated or if so bring to room temperature first. Any cold ingredients would solidify the melted coconut butter quickly.
Stephanie says
I LOVE white chocolate, and I have definitely missed it! Can’t wait to try this out and see if it can compare to the ‘real’ white chocolate peppermint bark. Either way, I’m sure this will be delicious!
Grace says
So if I use stevia drops…what would the nutrition for the recipe be?
Autumn says
yep, it’s good 🙂
Chocoholic says
Can you make a recipe that would be really good for a youtube cooking show??
luna says
Do u no how many calories?
Moaureen Hann says
Hi there. Can you use coca butter instead of coconut butter?
thanks!
Tanya @ Playful and hungry says
Those look delicious! Too bad that I don’t like peppermint! =/
Shelley says
Hi Katie,for the chocolate bark version, do you still add the peppermint extract?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Sure! Or not. It’s up to you.
Anne says
When you say in the recipe to melt the coconut butter, do you really mean soften it? Because I melted it and it became coconut oil. It did not combine well with the agave and was not spreadable. I poured it into a pan and stuck it in the freezer. When it was done, the coconut was on top, and there was a sticky layer of agave on the bottom. I will have to make another attempt! What can I do better next time?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Yes, you should really soften it. Coconut butter will not become coconut oil when soft (as long as you use true coconut butter. Try Artisana). It should still be thick… kind of like what happens to peanut butter if you melt it. Spreadable but not oil.
Deb says
I completely ADORE white chocolate, but love that you came up with a healthier alternative. Will be making this tomorrow on my day off. Thanks so much for the recipe<3
Alyssa says
This recipe solidified it – your recipes are THE best!! I tried making my own coconut butter without much success and then went on a hunt for actual coconut butter. I melted the jar in warm (not quite boiling) water and it worked out fabulous. This is absolutely hands down amazingly delicious!! I’m keeping it in the fridge and snacking away on it for days! Delicious!
L says
Hi Katie, first off I LOVE all of your recipes. I am not actually vegan but was looking for some healthy dessert recipes and I found them! Thank you so much for all the time you put into them. Anyways, back to the point I made this and it tasted amazing but I poured it onto a cookie sheet with wax paper and it spread out very thin. So I was wondering how do you keep it so thick?
Alexis says
How much does this make? I have to make it for about 26 people on Thursday (I know, crazy right?) and I’m wondering how many batches I should make…
Unofficial CCK Helper says
It makes a small amount so I would at least quadruple the recipe.
JoyceT says
I have wanted to try Coconut Butter for a long time, ir sound so good.
I hope that I’m lucky enough to win the Artisan Coconut Butter.
Love your blog and recipes Katie.
elizabeth says
anyone else experiencing any issues making this? i tried to mix thoroughly but it seemed like my agave and coconut butter were separating when i poured it in the pan… there was a light spot in the middle and i’m not quite sure why. i am going to try attempt #2 in a smaller pan as well so it won’t be quite so thin!
also, i loved candyland sooo much! still do 🙂
Unofficial CCK Helper says
I’ve not had that problem, but maybe try melting the coconut butter a bit more?
Hannah says
Hey! I was wondering about how much bark this recipe makes? Thanks!
Elyse @ Lizzie Fit says
I’ve been wanting to make a vegan version of peppermint or almond bark but can’t find vegan white chocolate chips ANYWHERE! This is perfect 😀
cleanliving808 says
Love this recipe! put it on top of dark choclotare ( 100% sweetened with stevia and xylitol)
mmmmm so good 🙂 who needs ghirradelli!
Bekah says
I love this, thank you. I am a super sensitive Celiac who is also dairy, soy, mostly grain, and processed sugar free (besides my enjoy life chocolate:-) they now make a dark chocolate one!). The holidays are not fun for me especially since I loved so many things about the holidays, especially peppermint bark! I have not found a soy free white chocolate. So, I decided to tweak this one. I took a little over a 1/4c coconut butter and almost 1/4c cacao butter (both melted), 15 drops of peppermint extract, 1 1/2tlb maple syrup, and 2 drops vanilla stevia(for a small hint of vanilla). Refridgerated that, then melted chocolate put on top with crushed candy canes. Thank you so much for this! My husband loved it too, and he’s not really into “healthy or healthier desserts”
Charity says
My son and I made this last night. I appreciated how easy the recipe was to make and enjoyed making my own coconut butter (Thanks for the idea!). My son declared these “the tastiest things ever!”
Ashlie says
Where can you find coconut butter? Which store? Is it with the nut butters or oils? Does it taste like coconut? (probably a weird question).
Phoebe says
I loved this, but i dont know if it’s how i made it or something else but i found the texture kind of… i dont know slimy? Has anyone else found this and figured out a way to change it?
Crystal June says
How much bark does this recipe make?
Julie Dove says
Depends on how big your candy molds are or how big of pieces you break it into 🙂
Suzanne says
Thanks Katie! I was looking for a vegan white chocolate recipe to make double peppermint bark, dark with white on top. This even worked for my non vegan kids! I was a bit concerned when I added the maple syrup, as the colour went an unfortunate muddy white, but it turned out perfectly after freezing – it looked exactly like traditional white chocolate, but tasted so much better!(I never liked white chocolate either)
If anyone else is looking to do the double ‘chocolate’ recipe, the lower layer was 1/2 cup semi sweet vegan chocolate chips, melted, then mixed with 3-4 drops peppermint oil and around 3 tbsp. of maple syrup, then spread out and frozen around 10 minutes. Add the ‘white chocolate’ on top, followed by vegan candy cane bits.
So good! 5 stars if I could get the rating system to work!
Jim says
Would it work with coconut oil? I don’t have a way to make or obtain coconut butter
Julie Dove says
Taste won’t be as buttery or rich. But you can always experiment.
Dee says
My husband and I became no oil, low-fat vegans (Forks Over Knives), in August to become healthy. We are seeing great results. However, my husband is diabetic. Do you have a recipe to replace those starlight mint hard candies. They are always in his office and is such a temptation. I would like to make a healthy alternative that he can take with him and leave those for others to eat.
Thanks for your help!
Jason Sanford says
Hmmm that is such a fun idea for a recipe! She doesn’t have one yet but we’ll definitely put it on her list to try!
Jason (media relations)