Celebrate National Peppermint Bark Day Dec 1 with a Christmas Peppermint Bark Recipe

Move on over Pumpkin Spice – it’s time for Peppermint Bark season! Celebrate National Peppermint Bark Day Dec 1 with a Christmas Peppermint Bark Recipe! Yep, that’s right…we haven’t all fallen victim to the “Pumpkin Spice ALL the Things” mentality. I actually prefer Spiced Apple during the holiday season, I just find it to be a much more appealing flavor. 

Wednesday, December 1, has officially been declared National Peppermint Bark Day by National Today, marking the kickoff of the Christmas holiday season and the official start time for Americans to enjoy their preferred holiday treat.

Read on for some fun facts about this fun day and How to Celebrate National Peppermint Bark Day December 1 with a Rebel Chick recipe too!

This Celebrate National Peppermint Bark Day Dec 1 with a Christmas Peppermint Bark Recipe post may contain affiliate links which means we receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Celebrate National Peppermint Bark Day Dec 1 with a Christmas Peppermint Bark Recipe

I love peppermint anything during the Christmas season, and I ALWAYS LOVE CHOCOLATE. Peppermint bark can be made with white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate – AND you can use tons of different mix ins as well; the sky is the limit!

To explore consumer interest in the popular holiday confection, National Today recently conducted a nation-wide survey that revealed that Peppermint Bark is the nation’s favorite Christmas holiday treat, capturing 34% of consumer votes and beating out both gingerbread at 16% and candy canes which were preferred by only 21% of consumers surveyed.

National Today’s Peppermint Bark Survey also revealed that:

• Peppermint Bark is the preferred holiday treat to consume while decorating a Christmas tree
  • 39% of those surveyed cited Peppermint Bark as the preferred treat while gingerbread cookies and candy canes only represented 30% of the market share combined.
• Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark tops the consumer charts as the ‘most wanted’ foodie gift this year
  • 42% of those surveyed put Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark at the top of their foodie wish list this year, as the most ‘desired’ foodie gift. Trailing behind at 26% was a box of holiday chocolates and decorated sugar cookies – a notoriously beloved holiday treat, fell by the wayside with only 15% of people adding them to their wish list.

So why do consumers love Peppermint Bark so much? Of those questioned, 83% love the flavor, 66% love the crunch and 48% love the seasonality of it. 

All together that makes for the perfect combination and the ultimate holiday confection, wouldn’t you think?

To help all of you folks celebrate National Peppermint Bark Day, National Today has teamed up with the big name in kitchen goods, Williams Sonoma, who are actually the original creators of Peppermint Bark for a bit of interesting peppermint bark history.

The History of Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark

The Original Peppermint Bark, made its debut in Williams Sonoma stores in 1998 after more than twenty rounds of testing in the Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen to develop the now coveted, top-secret recipe.

I recall when peppermint bark first showed up in the windows of our Williams Sonoma store in the Falls, but has it really been that long?! It is so true what the say about time passing more quickly as we get older, seriously!

From start to finish, each small batch of Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark takes more than 24 hours to make, and each year, 12 weeks are spent preparing the bark to accommodate the demand for it during the holidays and the limited Peppermint Bark selling season.

Every holiday season, over 1 million pounds of Guittard chocolate and 65,000 pounds of peppermint candy pieces are used to create Williams Sonoma’s iconic Peppermint Bark.

The adoration of Williams Sonoma’s Peppermint Bark has led to the confection becoming a cultural phenomenon celebrated and replicated by retailers and consumers all over the world. The popularity of the product even led to Williams Sonoma developing over 18 different Peppermint Bark flavored products from coffee capsules to cookies.

WS Collection of Peppermint Bark Products:

• The Original Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark, 1lb, $29.95
• The Original Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark, 2lb, $54.95
• Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark, Personalized, $39.95 
• Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark Sampler, $48.95
• Williams Sonoma Classic and Dark Peppermint Bark Sampler, 3lbs, $89.95
• Williams Sonoma Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark Bites, $19.80-$59.40
• Williams Sonoma Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark, 1lb, $32.95
• Williams Sonoma Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark, 2lb, $54.95
• Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark Advent Calendar, $29.95
• Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark Bites, $16.95-$59.40
• Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark Trio in Dog Tin, $34.95
• Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark Paws, $26.95
• Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark Pretzels, $26.95
• Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark S’mores, $34.95 
• Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark Truffles, $34.95 
• Williams Sonoma Salted Peppermint Bark Bites, Set of 4, $19.80
• Williams Sonoma Salted Peppermint Bark, $32.95
• Williams Sonoma Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies, $29.95
• Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark Cookies, $29.95 

But where’s the fun in just buying your Peppermint Bark from William Sonoma? I shared this super easy Christmas Peppermint Bark recipe a few years ago, I recommend giving it a try for a super simple homemade treat! 

Try Our Christmas Peppermint Bark Recipe

I’ve made quite a bit of cookie and candy bark in my day – it was the preferred homemade holiday treat of my coworkers back when I worked in an office.

This Christmas Peppermint Bark Recipe is simple to make, I mean, it is simple enough that you can even get the kids involved!

With winter break coming up, it’s the perfect time to bring the kids into the kitchen with you and let them participate in the fun!

How to Make this easy Homemade Christmas Peppermint Bark Recipe

To print this Christmas Peppermint Bark Recipe, simply click the recipe card below!

Christmas Peppermint Bark Recipe

Print

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients

• 12 oz package of Wilton peppermint candy melts located at major retailers or craft stores
• 1/3 C. crushed peppermints

Instructions

1. Pour the Peppermint candy melts into a microwave safe dish and heat in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring until melted.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil.
3. Pour the melted candy melts out onto the foil and gently spread out with the back of a large spoon (see photo).
4. Sprinkle with crushed peppermints.
5. Place the baking sheet in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.
6. Remove from the fridge and break into smaller pieces.

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‘Tis the season for giving, after all! The recipe is so easy that you can always make more for yourself later!