Peppermint bark is an iconic holiday treat but the store-bought version isn’t exactly keto friendly. So what’s a peppermint lover to do? Make your own, of course! It’s ridiculously simple, just as tasty, and far better for you than the sugary kind.
This Keto Peppermint Bark graces my holiday cookie tray every year, along with other classics like keto sugar cookies and keto peanut butter blossoms. It’s the kind of recipe you can whip on a whim to bring to a party. Or you can package it up and give it as low carb edible gifts.
It’s always one of the first treats to disappear around my house, so I often find myself making several batches. You only need a handful of ingredients, a few minutes at the stove, and time to let the chocolate set. That’s it!
I love making mine into cute holiday shapes, but you can also pour it into a pan and make the classic squares. Everyone will love it, no matter what.
Why you will love this recipe
- 5 simple ingredients
- No baking required
- Looks and tastes just like the classic
- Great for gift-giving and cookie swaps
- Low carb and sugar-free
Ingredient Notes
- Dark chocolate: You can use your favorite brand of keto dark chocolate. I like Lily’s or ChocZero.
- White chocolate: Again, you can use your favorite brand.
- Cocoa butter: This helps the chocolate melt more smoothly while also allowing it to set firmly. You can replace with coconut oil but do be aware that the peppermint bark will be more melty at room temperature.
- Peppermint extract: I recommend choosing an oil based extract as it will be less likely to make the chocolate seize.
- Peppermint candies: There really aren’t any good sugar-free peppermints that don’t have junky ingredients. That’s why I just crush two of them and sprinkle sparingly on the peppermint bark. You could also use sugar-free sprinkles.
How to Make Sugar Free Peppermint Bark
- Melt the dark chocolate: I always recommend doing this double-boiler style, as the gentle heat is less likely to seize the chocolate.
- Add to molds or a pan: You can use little silicone molds to make holiday shapes like gingerbread or Christmas trees. Or you can spread the chocolate in a parchment-paper lined pan. Make sure to freeze them for at least 30 minutes.
- Melt the white chocolate: This can be finicky and seize easily so make sure to read my Tips for Success below.
- Add to the molds: Spread the white chocolate over the dark chocolate.
- Decorate: Add the crushed candies or another garnish. Refrigerate until firm.
Expert Tips
Use gentle heat: It is imperative that you don’t over-heat the chocolate, as it can seize easily. Keto white chocolate is especially finicky. Cocoa butter helps a great deal in getting it to melt smoothly. But you must also stay vigilant, and stand near the pan, stirring almost constantly.
For the white chocolate, I recommend getting it to the point where it’s mostly melted but still has some small lumps. Remove it from over the pan and continue to stir. The residual heat from the bowl will melt it fully.
I always recommend oil-based peppermint extract for recipes like this. Conventional extract with alcohol can cause the chocolate to seize when you try to stir it in.
I found my cute mini gingerbread men molds at a local thrift store. The cavities are about 2 inches high and an inch wide. That makes them perfect for 24 peppermint bark candies. The closest I can find on Amazon are these ones. They have some other cute shapes too!
You can also use mini muffin cups or just spread the mixture in an 8×8 inch pan lined with parchment paper.
Sugar Free Keto Peppermint Bark
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Layer
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) sugar free dark chocolate chips
- 3/4 ounce (21.26 g) cocoa butter
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract, (oil based recommended)
White Chocolate Layer
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) sugar free white chocolate chips
- 3/4 ounce (21.26 g) cocoa butter
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract, (oil based recommended)
Garnish (optional)
- 2 sugar-free peppermint candies, crushed
Instructions
Dark Chocolate Layer
- In a heat proof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, combine the chocolate chips and cocoa butter. Stir constantly until melted and smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract.
- If using silicone molds, add enough chocolate to cover the bottom of each mold completely. Shake the molds gently to even out the chocolate. (You can also line an 8×8 pan with parchment and simply pour the chocolate in.)
- Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
White Chocolate Layer
- In a heat proof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, combine the chocolate chips and cocoa butter. Stir constantly until almost melted, then remove from over the pan and stir until smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract.
- Add enough white chocolate to each mold to cover the dark chocolate and shake gently to even it out.
- Sprinkle the top of each with a little of the crushed peppermint candy and refrigerate until firm.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Most peppermint bark is loaded with sugar and has upwards of 20 grams of carbs per serving. But this version uses sugar-free chocolate and peppermint candies, making it completely keto-friendly.
Store the bark in an airtight container in the fridge for the best texture. It will stay fresh for weeks. You can also freeze the bark for several months.
This keto peppermint bark recipe has 7.2g of carbs and 3.9g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.3g net carbs per serving.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I made this recipe exactly as printed. It is perfect!
Can you use paraffin wax instead of cocoa butter?
I am sorry, I don’t use it. You will need to experiment.
I don’t have cocoa butter but I do have coconut oil. what would be the equivalent in terms of measurement?
1 tbsp = 1/2 ounce.
Hi Carolyn! Looks fabulous! Are these stable at room temp?
Yes, unless your house is quite warm!
I love Williams-Sonoma Peppermint Bark and didn’t think a Keto version could even come close but I was proved wrong with this amazing recipe! I did make a few adjustments. I used a mini gingerbread man/penguin silicone mold instead of the cookie cutters. And for the white chocolate layer, I used Lily’s white chocolate chips, about 1/4 – 1/3 oz of cocoa butter, and added finely crushed sugar-free peppermint candies instead of the extract because I like the crunch the candies add.
Looks delicious!! Would the recipe be the same using Choczero white chocolate peppermint chips and their regular chocolate? In terms of adding the oils to it? Thank you! We appreciate you!!
Do the chocolate layer the same way. Do the white chocolate layer the same as the dark chocolate layer but take care melting it and still definitely use a bit of cocoa butter to help it melt more smoothly. White chocolate seizes very easily!
I snagged some bags of Lily’s white chocolate peppermint chips. How can I use those for the top layer? Do I need to add anything when I melt them? Thanks!
White chocolate does not melt very easily – it likes to seize. I’d add 1/2 ounce cocoa butter or 1 tbsp coconut oil.
Lily’s now makes WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS!!!
AMAZING, and they are the best!
Fellow ketos rejoice!
https://lilys.com/products/white-chocolate-baking-chips
I found it at Whole Foods
Also a baking bar!
https://lilys.com/products/white-chocolate-baking-bar
Just made these. Used a mini gingerbread man silicone muffin pan. They are so cute! I will adjust the amount of time in the freezer before adding the crushed peppermint candies. 10 minutes was too long. I might just make it a minute or 2. I did use less peppermint extract since that can be overpowering. Will use the full amount next time. These are sooooooo good. Thanks for all your work.
I bet they are cute!
For those of you that are making this recipe and have a dog – please do NOT use anything with xylitol in it! I’m referring mostly to the suggestion of using xylitol based peppermint candies as an alternative. Look up ‘xylitol poisoning in dogs’ for the reasons why.
For the white chocolate layer, try adding some thickly reconstituted dry heavy cream. Adds some creaminess and also helps with the liquidity of the cocoa butter. You just need enough water to make a paste. But, then you need to mix and mix and mix to tear down the powder and ensure it isn’t grainy.
I “Bake Believe White Chocolate Chips“ at Walmart. They are made with stevia and are a pretty good product. I can’t wait to try these. I want to make a Keto Christmas tray for my cousin. Thank you for all the great holiday cookie ideas.
Please look at the label of your bag… They are primarily sweetened with erythritol. They are good, I just don’t want you to be deceived by the front label.
Yum, yum and more yum! I love everything about this recipe. Peppermint is one of my very favorite flavors even outside the holidays.
I made a batch of this, and truthfully I adapted the recipe rather liberally. I wasn’t crazy about the potential fat bomb texture of the white layer, and I didn’t need it to be dairy free. Since white chocolate contains milk and vanilla, I added 1 oz cream cheese, 1/4 t vanilla powder, and an extra 1/2 oz cocoa butter, and I decreased the coconut oil to 2 T. Such a small amount of cream cheese doesn’t combine well with so much pure fat, so I also added a heaping 1/4 t xanthan gum and whisked vigorously. This made a somewhat grainy mixture that hardened into a reasonably
homogenous white layer with a slightly softer texture similar to white chocolate. I think the xanthan gum contributes nicely to this texture. I left the extract out of the chocolate layer for contrast, and used 6 crushed xylitol peppermints. Excellent! My husband and I think it’s great. I’m sorry I can’t honestly rate the recipe, but I’m very grateful for the foundation on which I experimented. Thanks, Carolyn.
One thing to note: my white mixture was softer than the original recipe, and it took less than 10 minutes to firm up in the fridge. I’d already sprinkled the peppermints, and was glad I’d done so. I think 10 or 20 minutes in the freezer would make it impossible for the peppermints to stick.