Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark

Looking for a sweet way to show your love to someone special? Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark is sure to get their attention! Dark chocolate and white chocolate gets drizzled over graham crackers and topped with salty pretzels and peanut butter M&M’s for a special treat for your favorite Valentine.

It can become expensive when trying to show everyone just how much you love and appreciate them on Valentine’s Day. So a simple sweet treat is a great choice to make for those who you care about most. Wrap it in a pretty package for a beautiful, tasty treat!

Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark is a decadent combination of sweet and salty flavors. It begins with a layer of crispy graham crackers for the base. Add dark chocolate and white chocolate to create a beautiful swirled pattern. Top with your favorite toppings, like salty heart-shaped pretzels and pink and white peanut butter M&M’s. Press them gently into the chocolate and refrigerate until firm. Break the bark into bite-size pieces and packaged them in decorative boxes.

You’ll have a quick and easy treat that will brighten the day of all of those who are dear to you. Show everyone just how much you love them by making a batch of Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark. It’s affordable and so, so sweet!

Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark Recipe

What’s needed:

• GRAHAM CRACKERS– Provides a sturdy base for the melted chocolate.
• DARK CHOCOLATE– Gives a rich layer of sweetness to the bark. Ghirardelli Chocolate is the one I reach for when making bark. The chocolate stands alone, so it needs to be good quality and flavorful.
• WHITE CHOCOLATE– Whether you tint it pink or leave it white, it adds a contrast in color and flavor to the dark chocolate.
• MINI TWIST PRETZELS– These add crunch and saltiness, a must for any good bark recipe.
• VALENTINE’S DAY M&M’s– These peanut butter filled M&M’s add another element of saltiness and a crunchy, yet creamy bite to the bark. Find them in the candy aisle of your grocery store.

How to melt chocolate?

There are a two easy ways to melt chocolate.

• The safest way is to use a double boiler. Put your chocolate chips in a glass or metal bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. You only need an inch or two of water in the saucepan. The steam from the simmering water will slowly melt the chocolate without make it seize up. Stir the chocolate while melting to make it smooth. Remove it from the heat when melted. This is the method I use most often.
• The second way to melt chocolate is by using a microwave. Place the chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl and heat on high for 30 seconds. Stir and heat for another 30 seconds. Stir well until melted. Microwaves vary, so you may need to continue warming the chocolate in 15 second intervals until melted and smooth. Be careful not to overheat the chocolate.

Tips for melting and tinting white chocolate:

• White chocolate tends to seize up much quicker than dark chocolate. So it is important to use a double boiler and melt the chocolate at a low temperature. It is also helpful to stir in a teaspoon of coconut oil or vegetable oil to the white chocolate. This gives it the body it needs to melt into a smooth, spreadable consistency. It also gives the chocolate a nice shine.
• When tinting white chocolate, remove it from the heat and add just a few drops of food coloring or gel. I find that the gel works better. Use a coloring gel that is oil based, as water based coloring may make your white chocolate seize up. Continue adding one drop at a time and stirring to incorporate until you reach the desired color.

How to make Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark?

• Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Place 16 graham crackers on the sheet, fitting them to cover the pan.
• Using a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate and pour it over the graham crackers. Using an offset spatula or a butter knife, spread the chocolate to the edges of the pan.
• Likewise, melt the white chocolate (see tips for melting) and tint as desired. Drizzle it over dark chocolate in a diagonal or circular pattern.
• Working quickly before chocolate begins to harden, add mini twist pretzels and peanut butter M&M’s over the chocolate. Press them down gently to adhere to the chocolate. Candy hearts and sprinkles can also be used. Refrigerate for two hours or until set.
• Break the Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark into pieces and wrap in festive plastic bags with a ribbon or place them in decorative boxes and tins. Recipe makes 24 pieces.

Where can I find pretty packages for my treats?

• Walmart is a great spot to find cellophane bags for wrapping candies and treats that you want to give as gifts. You’ll find them in the baking aisle and in the party planning section of the store.
• The Dollar Store is an affordable choice when looking to stay on a budget and find things that can be gifted for a reasonable price. Be sure to shop well before the holiday, as items tend to get purchased quickly. Look in the ‘seasonal’ section to find items like tins and boxes and bags that can used to gift candies and treats.

Looking for more sweet treats, check out these yummy no bake recipes:

• Chocolate Caramel Crunch Bars
• Homemade Caramels
• Dark Chocolate Buckeyes
• White Chocolate Pretzel Bark

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Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark

Chocolate, graham crackers, pretzels and M&M's get layered to make Valentine's Day Chocolate Bark. Such a sweet treat that easy to make!

Servings: 24 pieces

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Chilling Time: 2 hours hrs

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Ingredients 

• 16 graham cracker squares
• 11 ounces dark chocolate
• 6 ounces white chocolate
• 2 cups pretzels, mini twists (heart shaped)
• 1/2 cup M&M's, pink, red and white

Instructions 

• Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Place 16 graham crackers on the sheet, fitting them to cover the pan.
• Using a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate and pour it over the graham crackers. Using an offset spatula or a butter knife, spread the chocolate to the edges of the pan.
• Likewise, melt the white chocolate (see tips for melting) and tint as desired. Drizzle it over dark chocolate in a diagonal or circular pattern.
• Working quickly before chocolate begins to harden, add mini twist pretzels and peanut butter M&M’s over the chocolate. Press them down gently to adhere to the chocolate. Candy hearts and sprinkles can also be used. Refrigerate for two hours or until set.
• Break the Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark into pieces and wrap in festive plastic bags with a ribbon or place them in decorative boxes and tins. Recipe makes 24 pieces.
  

Equipment

• 1 large sheet pan
• 1 double boiler, for melting chocolate

Notes

Tips on melting and tinting white chocolate:

• White chocolate tends to seize up much quicker than dark chocolate. So it is important to use a double boiler and melt the chocolate at a low temperature. It is also helpful to stir in a teaspoon of coconut oil or vegetable oil to the white chocolate. This gives it the body it needs to melt into a smooth, spreadable consistency. It also gives the chocolate a nice shine.
• When tinting white chocolate, remove it from the heat and add just a few drops of food coloring or gel. I find that the gel works better. Use a coloring gel that is oil based, as water based coloring may make your white chocolate seize up. Continue adding one drop at a time and stirring to incorporate until you reach the desired color.

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.004gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 127mgPotassium: 150mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 9IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 2mg