Looking For a Quick & Simple Homemade Gift? Make Chocolate Bark!

updated Jun 5, 2019

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I’m in graduate school, which means that instead of spending December baking and listening to the Peanuts Christmas album the way I’d like to, I’m spending most of my free time in a lonely, silent room studying for finals. Yes, it’s grim — but it doesn’t mean I’ll be skipping homemade-gift-making entirely. This year I’ve decided to make a few batches of chocolate bark to give away to friends and family. The process is quick, incredibly simple, yet never fails to impress.

Strawberry-Almond Granola Bark (Image credit: Emma Christensen)

(Image credit: Margaritas In the Rain)

Hawaiian Bark with Kona Coffee, Macadamia Nuts & Coconut Flakes at Margaritas In the Rain

If you can melt chocolate, you can make chocolate bark. And if you can’t melt chocolate, here’s some guidance:

→ The Best Way to Melt Chocolate: Alice Medrich’s Smart, Easy Method

(You can also melt chocolate in the microwave by chopping it up, placing it in a microwave-safe bowl and microwaving it in 15-second increments, until it is completely melted.)

From there, you pour the melted chocolate into a parchment-lined pan, sprinkle on the toppings of your choice, let it cool and you’re done. So easy. If you have a little more time, you can make multiple layers with different types of chocolate, for an even more impressive treat. I’m going to keep it simple — and fairly healthy! — with a combination of dark chocolate, roasted almonds, dried cherries and a little sea salt, but here are seven more ideas to appeal to every palate.