Leprechaun Bark
Whip up this happy-go-lucky Leprechaun Bark with dark chocolate, white chocolate, and any mix of pretzels, candy, and sprinkles you like! This simple St. Patrick’s Day treat is as much fun to make as it is to eat, and is an easy yet high-impact project to do with kids.
Today I’m sharing another super cute, super easy treat you can whip up with or for your kids for a simple St. Patrick’s Day-themed treat: leprechaun bark. This one is no bake!
I hope we can all recognize that there is nothing remotely “authentic” or “cultural” about this, and yet find value in the existence of something easy and tasty that makes our kids smile. They may even hop into the kitchen to make their own batch! 🙂 So if you’re making leprechaun traps and setting out pots of gold, considering adding this to your fun plans.
Related: St. Patrick’s Day Rolo Pretzel Candy
Ingredient Notes
Here are a few notes and shopping tips about the ingredients you’ll need. Find full amounts in the print-friendly recipe card below.
- Dark or semi-sweet chocolate bars – roughly 8 ounces.
- White chocolate bars, almond bark, or candy melts – roughly 4 ounces.
- Pretzels – really you can use any toppings you like, but I especially enjoy the salty crunch of pretzels with chocolate.
- St. Patrick’s Day-themed sprinkles or candies – my kids really found it fun to use Airhead rainbow sours, probably because this type of candy is a major novelty in our house. We bought it in strips, which we just cut into small pieces, but it also looks like you can buy bite-sized pieces. Lucky Charms, Lucky Charm marshmallows, or regular mini marshmallows would also be super cute.
Grab the exact St. Patrick’s Day sprinkle blend used for the batch shown here, or this mix is another sweet option. We supplemented this with rainbow sprinkles and tiny gold rocks we already had from past projects.
Pro Tip
Be sure to use chocolate bars or melting wafers for this recipe, not chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are specifically designed to resist melting into a smooth consistency, which is why they hold shape in cookies. For dipping or candy bark such as this, it’s far easier to use bars or wafers that are meant to melt. Good brands include Ghirardelli’s, Baker’s, or Lindt, or the pound plus chocolate bars sold at Trader Joe’s.
Easiest Leprechaun Bark
The beauty here is absolutely the simplicity. You’ll melt the chocolate, swirl lightly on parchment paper, add any and all the toppings you want, then let it set.
This said, both types of chocolate harden quickly once they are spread thin, so there are two key timing elements to make the experience frustration-free:
- Melt both types of chocolate simultaneously, and be ready to pour and swirl the white chocolate immediately after spreading out the dark chocolate – if you’re going for the swirled look. If you are only using one type of chocolate or prefer to layer one on top of the other, you needn’t worry about having them both ready to pour at the same time.
- Have all your toppings opened and ready before melting the chocolate. To make sure they stick to the bark, you’ll need to sprinkle them on right away before the chocolate begins to harden.
To make this fun for myself and both my kids, I set up three pieces of parchment paper and set a handful of pretzels, sprinkles, and rainbow candy in front of each one. Then, I was able to just pour out a portion of chocolate for everyone and let each kid decorate their bark any way that they like.
I find it easy enough to lay out parchment directly on the countertop for this, but you could easily use a parchment-lined baking sheet instead. In fact, that would help contain any excess sprinkles, if you’ve got little helpers.
How Long to Let Chocolate Bark Set
Allow the bark to set, uncovered and untouched, for about 1 hour at room temperature, ideally without any warm overhead lights. You want it to cool completely! When fully set, cut or break the bark into pieces of your desired size.
Storage
Store leprechaun bark in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
I prefer not to keep candies like this in the fridge to minimize condensation and changes in texture to the chocolate. However, if it is hot and humid where you live, it is fine and quite possibly better to store chocolate bark in the refrigerator so it stays cool and set.
Related Recipes
In the market for more St. Patrick’s Day treats? Rosemary cheddar Irish soda bread, caraway Irish soda bread muffins, chocolate Guinness cupcakes, and this vegetarian shepherd’s pie are some favorites we enjoy most every year! This year we added St. Patrick’s Day-inspired Rolo pretzel candies to the mix as well, and they were a big hit!
Need a quick gift for class parties or a small St. Patrick’s Day celebration? Package up a few pieces of this bark in cellophane bags, tie on a sweet green or gold ribbon, and you’re all set!
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Leprechaun Bark
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate bars
- 4 ounces white chocolate bars
- 1 cup small pretzels
- 1/4 cup St. Patricks-themed, gold, or rainbow sprinkles
- 1/4 cup rainbow sour candy such as Airheads
Instructions
- Lay a large piece of parchment paper or a silicone mat flat on the counter. Open pretzels, sprinkles, candy, or any other toppings and have them nearby.
- Melt the two types of chocolate, dark or semi-sweet and white, at the same time. You can do this using either a double boiler or the microwave. To melt in the microwave, break the chocolate up into large pieces and place in separate medium microwave-safe bowls. Melt on 50% power in 45 second increments in the microwave, stirring after each burst, until both are fully melted and smooth.8 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate bars, 4 ounces white chocolate bars
- Pour the dark chocolate into a thin layer on top of the parchment or silicone mat. Immediately drizzle the white chocolate on top, then use a small knife, spatula, or a toothpick to swirl the layers together. Sprinkle the top with pretzels, sprinkles, and candy as desired.1 cup small pretzels, 1/4 cup St. Patricks-themed, gold, or rainbow sprinkles, 1/4 cup rainbow sour candy
- Let the bark set, uncovered, for about 1 hour at room temperature. When completely set, break into pieces of your desired size. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Be sure to use chocolate bars or melting wafers for this recipe, not chocolate chips. Chocolate chips, of any variety, are specifically designed to resist melting into a smooth consistency. Instead use pure chocolate bars or melting wafers, such as Ghirardelli’s, Baker’s, or Lindt, or the pound plus chocolate bars sold at Trader Joe’s.
- For the white chocolate part, you can also use almond bark or candy melts, which are often available at well-stocked grocery stores as well as craft stores like Michaels.
- If you need to thin out one or both types of chocolate a little bit, mix in 2-3 teaspoons of coconut oil, let it melt and stir into the melted chocolate.
- It’s best to store chocolate bark at room temperature as long as it’s not very hot and humid where you live. If it is, it’s fine to store in the refrigerator instead.
