Cranberry Bliss White Chocolate Bark
This festive white chocolate bark recipe needs just 4 ingredients and minutes to prep! Inspired by Starbucks’ Cranberry Bliss Bars, this Christmas bark recipe is sweet and zesty, studded with dried cranberries and topped with orange zest and an extra white chocolate drizzle.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: No-bake
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free
- Skill Level: Easy
Who else can’t help but think that the frosted tops on Cranberry Bliss Bars look just like chocolate bark?! I decided to take that inspiration to make actual white chocolate bark for Christmas this year. And not just any white chocolate bark, but one that tastes like cream cheese frosting! The sweet-tangy bark is bejeweled with chewy dried cranberries and finished with a sprinkling of orange zest and a final drizzle of white chocolate.
With only five ingredients and a few minutes of prep time, this is one of the easiest Christmas candy ideas. It makes a delicious and beautiful holiday dessert or edible gift. Well, unless you eat it all first!
Reasons You’ll Love This White Chocolate Bark
- Festive cranberry orange flavors. These bars are loaded with juicy dried cranberries and citrus zest. It’s the best contrast to the creamy white chocolate!
- Easy to prep. These bars need 4 ingredients and about 20 minutes of hands-on prep. They’re even great to make ahead. Simply pop them into the fridge to set until it’s time to serve!
- No baking. Leave your oven free for all the sugar cookies that need baking! White chocolate bark is a perfect no-bake holiday treat.
Ingredients You’ll Need
When trying to recreate the flavor of cream cheese frosting in this chocolate bark, the answer came from this recipe from The Kitchn. Lemon zest gives the white chocolate the tanginess of cream cheese! Here are notes on the ingredients you’ll need (you’ll find precise measurements in the recipe card below):
- White chocolate – Melting wafers or almond bark will melt more smoothly than chocolate chips. Whatever you use, be sure it is of good quality for the best flavor and consistency.
- Lemon and orange zest – You’ll need the zest of one large lemon and about the same amount from an orange.
- Dried cranberries – Some are left whole to mix into the bark, and some are chopped for sprinkling on top.
How To Make White Chocolate Bark
This easy holiday candy comes together in minutes! Follow the steps below.
- Preparations. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking sheet. Chop half of the cranberries, and zest the lemon.
- Melt the chocolate. Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. You can also melt it in the microwave, but do this in increments, as white chocolate overheats and seizes easily. Afterward, stir in the lemon zest and whole dried cranberries.
- Spread the chocolate into the pan. Working quickly, pour the chocolate onto the lined baking sheet and spread it into an even, thin layer. Immediately sprinkle the chopped dried cranberries and orange zest over the top and gently press the toppings into the chocolate. It’s important to do this while the chocolate is still wet.
- Let it cool. Now, place the sheet pan in the fridge until the chocolate has firmed up, about 1 hour.
- Give it a drizzle. Melt the remaining white chocolate, transfer it into a small sandwich bag, cut off the tip, and pipe it over the bark. Then, return the pan to the refrigerator for a few minutes so that it firms up.
- Break up the bark. Last but not least, break the bark into pieces. It’s ready to serve right away on a dessert charcuterie board, or you can store it in an airtight container.
Christmas Bark Gifting Ideas
Give this white chocolate bark as-is or combine it with more homemade treats like peppermint fudge and spiced candied nuts. It makes a great edible gift for teachers, friends, family, and neighbors during the holiday season. These are a few easy ways to package your chocolate bark for gifting.
- Buy gift boxes for packaging food items. They are available in white, which you can dress up with ribbons or bows, or in festive holiday designs.
- Slip some pieces into gift bags with twist ties. If you like, you can slip those bags into some decorative tins.
- Fill mason jars. Add a handmade gift tag for another festive option. These mason jars even come with blank gift tags and chalkboard stickers!
- On-theme packaging. Why not put this Bliss bar-inspired white chocolate bark in a Starbucks mug?!
Proper Storage
- Store in a cool, dry place. If you keep it in an airtight container and away from any heat sources (including bright windows), chocolate bark will hold for several weeks at room temperature.
- Freeze. Chocolate bark freezes wonderfully for up to 2 months. To avoid condensation, I recommend placing the bark in plastic freezer bags and squeezing out as much air as possible. Then, place the bags inside a plastic storage container to protect the bark and keep it from breaking.
Helpful Tools
- Small Silicone Spatulas: I like these for stirring melted chocolate. These are the spatulas I use in my kitchen all the time.
- Silicone Baking Mats: While you can use wax paper, these silicone mats have become more affordable and are even better for peeling off the bark without sticking. Great for cookies too.
- Small Offset Spatula: This works really well for spreading the white chocolate on the pan. I also use it for frosting cakes and cupcakes.
- Microplane Zester: The best gadget for getting just the aromatic zest but not the bitter white pith. You can use it for grating, ginger, chocolate, and Parmesan cheese, too.
Cranberry White Chocolate Bark
Ingredients
- 16 ounces good-quality white chocolate, divided (set aside 2 oz.)
- Zest of one large lemon
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries, left whole
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
- Zest of one orange
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking sheet.
- Place a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water and add the chocolate.
- Stir until almost completely melted, remove from heat, and stir in lemon zest and whole dried cranberries.
- Working quickly, pour the chocolate onto the lined baking sheet, and using a spatula, spread it into an even layer about a 1/4-inch thick.
- Immediately after spreading out the chocolate, sprinkle the chopped dried cranberries and orange zest over the top. Gently press the toppings into the chocolate.
- Place the sheet pan in the fridge until the chocolate has firmed up, about 1 hour.
- Melt remaining 2 oz. chocolate, transfer into a small sandwich bag, cut off the tip and drizzle over the bark. Return to the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up.
- Break the bark into pieces.
- Store the bark in an airtight container in a cool, dark place or in the refrigerator for up to one month.
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Can you use sweetened dried cranberries? Thank you.
Absolutely, Jan! One of the best things about bark candy is how versatile it is. You can add just about any dried fruit you like to it!
1 what type of white choc do you recommend. 2. What do you suggest when the White chic is to thick what do you use to thin it down. 3. Please respond to these questions
Hi Debbie. I like to use Guittard or Ghiradelli brands of white chocolate. If the chocolate is melted completely, you shouldn’t have issues with it being too thick. If you mean you want the bark thinner rather than thick, you can use a larger pan to spread it onto. Good luck!
This bark looks amazing! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
I live simple hot coco and variety of cookies
Looks like a winner! White chocolate cranberry sounds like a great combination. Thanks for sharing with us at the #HomeMatersParty
Can you do this recipe
In a crockpot?
I have not tried it. I know there are a lot of crockpot candy recipes, but with the lemon zest in this one, I’m not sure how that would affect it.
This cranberry bliss bark looks yummy! Love the “coffee house” bars so I’m sure I’ll love this!