Pistachio Cranberry White Chocolate Bark

Pistachio Cranberry White Chocolate Bark, a silky layer of white chocolate studded with salty pistachio nuts and tart dried cranberries will make you feel like a rockstar in the kitchen. This candy bark is easy to make and nearly impossible to mess up. Plus the green pistachios and red cranberries scream Christmas!

If you're a white chocolate fan, try White Chocolate Chex Mix or Easy Peppermint Bark Candy Recipe.

Everyone likes bark during the holidays. It's a nice break from all the cookies (what?) and since this particular holiday candy recipe is laden with pistachios and dried fruit, you're getting a side dish of protein and fruit with it.

This is an Ina Garden recipe that I've tweaked slightly. She uses dried apricots, which I didn't have. I did have dried mango but I was thinking mango and cranberries might not get along.

This bark reminds me of my peppermint bark recipe, and pairs well with this Chocolate Peppermint Martini.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Top tips
Pistachio Cranberry White Chocolate Bark

Ingredients

Shelled, salted pistachios
Dried cranberries
White chocolate disks or chips

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

You'll melt white chocolate disks or chips using a double boiler (I use a makeshift one with a large mixing bowl and dutch oven), pour the chocolate onto a parchment lined pan, sprinkle with pistachios and dried cranberries then let set.

pistachio cranberry white chocolate bark on a piece of white paper tied with red and white string — Pistachio Cranberry White Chocolate Bark looks festive wrapped in parchment paper and tied up with string or twine for an easy gift.

Hint: If you don't have a double boiler and don't want to jerryrig one, you can melt the white chocolate in a microwave. However, white chocolate burns easily and all microwaves vary in power. If you're going to use a microwave, be sure to do so in ten to 15 second increments, stirring the white chocolate thoroughly in between heating sessions.

Substitutions

White chocolate: substitute milk or dark chocolate
Pistachios: you can use any other salted nut here, such as pecans, cashews, or peanuts if you’re using a larger nut or a harder nut, like a hazelnut, I would chop the nuts a bit into smaller pieces.
Dried Cranberries: substitute any dried fruit such as dried cherries. If you’re going to use a larger fruit, like apricot or mango, chop the fruit into smaller pieces before using.

Variations

You could also forget the dried fruits and nuts and swap out those for bite-size candy like M&M's or crushed cookie pieces or pretzels. Just use an equal measure for each.

Equipment

Double Boiler or large heat safe bowl resting on top of a stock pot
Spatula
Quarter sheet pan (a quarter sheet pan is 12.8 by 9.5 so if you don't have one of these, you can use a 13x9 baking pan instead. Your bark will just be a bit thinner.
Parchment paper

A double boiler really isn't necessary. Create your own using the equipment you already have or heat the melt chocolate slowly in a microwave.

I use a large glass mixing bowl and rest it over a stock pot. Make sure the bowl rests over the pot and not down inside the pot. You don't want any water to touch the bowl.

While we're talking about water, you want to be sure that the equipment you use to melt the chocolate--whether double boiler or in the microwave--is completely dry and scrupulously clean.

A drop of water or a pinpoint of dirt or grease can cause your chocolate to seize and harden.

What Happens When Chocolate Seizes?

When chocolate seizes, it becomes lumpy and grainy.

According to Cook’s Illustrated, if even a tiny amount of moisture is introduced while you're melting chocolate, "the liquid and the sugar will form a syrup to which the cocoa particles will cling, thereby creating grainy clumps. How much liquid it actually takes to trigger this reaction depends mostly on the amount of chocolate and its sugar content."

Storage Tips for White Chocolate Bark

Store Christmas bark in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Or freeze white chocolate bark for up to six months.

Moisture is the enemy of chocolate so be sure you've wrapped the bark well.

Wrap white chocolate bark in wax paper then plastic wrap then tuck the wrapped bark into an airtight container before freezing.

Top tips

Melt the white chocolate low and slow to avoid burning it.

Use a decent white chocolate. If budget is a concern, almond bark will work but try to get the best white chocolate you can. I used Ghirardelli for this bark and it was good but I wish I'd used a fancier brand like Callebaut.

Are White Almond Bark and White Chocolate the Same?

No. Almond bark is vegetable fat, imitation vanilla flavoring and sugar. White chocolate, which incidentally doesn't contain chocolate, consists of cocoa butter, milk powder and sugar.

How Long Will Bark Stay Good?

You can store bark for up to a week at room temperature in an airtight container. Or store white chocolate bark in the freezer for up to six months. Be sure to wrap the bark well and store in an airtight container.

Can bark be made ahead of time and frozen?

Yes, you can make chocolate bark ahead and freeze it, tightly wrapped, for up to six months. Let thaw in the refrigerator and then bring to room temperature.