Christmas pomegranate bark is made with just 3 ingredients for a last-minute dessert or holiday gift that is sweet, salty, crunchy, and utterly delicious! Whip it up in minutes for a gluten free, dairy free friendly, crowd-pleasing recipe perfect for the holiday season.
This Christmas Pomegranate Bark recipe is sponsored by Lily’s Sweets. All thoughts are my own. Thank you so much for supporting brands that make The Fit Peach possible!
Making Christmas bark is one of my favorite (and easiest) traditions! Don’t get me wrong, I love the time spent in the kitchen baking classic holiday treats like gluten free sugar cookies and chewy gluten free peanut butter blossom cookies. However, there’s just something about the sweet and salty combination of pomegranate bark that can’t be beat. One bite and I guarantee it will become a holiday tradition for you, too!
If you’re looking for more great Christmas recipes, you won’t want to miss out on this Christmas cookie platter or my favorite sugar cookie martini!
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Christmas Pomegranate Bark
- Ingredients and Notes
- How to Cut a Pomegranate
- How to Make Christmas Bark
- What Size Baking Pan is Best?
- What Kind of Toppings Can I Use for Christmas Pomegranate Bark?
- Expert Tips
- How to Store - Fridge or Freezer
- How to Gift Christmas Pomegranate Bark
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Pomegranate Bark
- Just 3 ingredients are all you need
- Super quick and easy to make
- Naturally gluten free and dairy free friendly
- Great to prepare ahead of time for parties, gifts, and more
Ingredients and Notes
- Chocolate - I prefer to use Lily’s chocolate bars - specifically the sea salt extra dark chocolate variety. However, any chocolate you have on hand and like best is fine.
- Pomegranate Seeds - Used for a festive pop of color and extra flavor. You can usually find ready-to-use pomegranate seeds in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. However, for a more budget-friendly option, I just scoop them out of the fruit on my own.
- Pistachios - Sprinkled on top for a hint of salty flavor and extra crunch.
How to Cut a Pomegranate
Use an extra sharp knife, and slice off the top ½ inch of the pomegranate. Then, slice along the white pith of the fruit, doing your best not to cut into any of the arils. Next, peel back each section of the pomegranate, submerging them in a large bowl of water. Keeping the fruit in the bowl, began removing the arils with your fingers. Once removed from the pomegranate, the arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl, and any excess pith will float to the top, making them easy to separate. This also helps ensure pomegranate juice doesn’t splatter outside of the bowl!
How to Make Christmas Bark
This Christmas pomegranate bark is so easy, I almost hesitate to call it a recipe. However, it’s so tasty that not sharing it would be a crime. All you’ll need is a baking sheet, parchment paper, and a little bit of patience for it to set!
Step 1: Melt the chocolate. Arrange the chocolate bars in a large rectangle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure they’re placed down so that the smooth part of the chocolate is facing up.
Turn the oven off, and place the baking sheet on the middle rack, letting the chocolate melt. Remove the sheet from the oven, and tap it on the counter to create a smooth slab of glistening chocolate.
Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and pistachios evenly over the chocolate while it is still melted and hot. Set the baking sheet aside for the bark to set.
Step 3: Create the Christmas pomegranate bark. Once hard, break the large slab of chocolate into pieces as big or small as you’d like. Then, store it for later, or enjoy it right away!
What Size Baking Pan is Best?
The size of the pan depends on how thick or thin you prefer your pomegranate bark. For instance, I prefer to use a 10 x 15 inch pan. However, a 9 x 13 inch pan will work, too. Your bark will just be a little thicker. Or, if you prefer thinner pieces, opt for a larger pan instead.
What Kind of Toppings Can I Use for Christmas Pomegranate Bark?
Almost any toppings will work with this Christmas bark! Here are a few options:
Salty
- Pretzels
- Popcorn
- Chips
- Salted nuts
Fruits
- Dried apricots
- Dried cranberries
- Dried mango
- Fresh berries - The bark will need to be stored in the fridge if you use fresh fruit!
- Freeze-dried strawberries
Candy and cookies
- Crushed candy canes
- Chopped up cookies
- Chocolate chips
- M&Ms
Expert Tips
- Parchment paper is key to creating this Christmas pomegranate bark with ease and preventing it from sticking to the bottom of the pan! Otherwise, it’s extremely difficult to break apart. (I know from experience ;))
- Be sure to leave a little bit of room around the edges of the pan so that the chocolate can spread out when melted.
- Every oven is different. So, be sure to check that the oven is just a touch warm before sliding in the baking pan with the chocolate bars. If the oven is too warm, it will cook the chocolate which we don’t want!
How to Store - Fridge or Freezer
The best part about this Christmas bark is that it can be stored at room temperature! Of course, you can also store it in the fridge or freezer, too. Either way, go ahead and break it up into bark pieces, and store it in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge or a month in the freezer. If using fresh fruit on top, it will only keep for a week in the fridge.
How to Gift Christmas Pomegranate Bark
This bark makes a great holiday gift! Box it up in these small gift boxes with tissue paper. Or, these plastic bags also are great for gifting. You can also add a little note providing the recipe and instructions so your recipients can make it again at home!
Frequently Asked Questions
I used Lily’s Sweets Chocolate Bars which melt very well in the warm oven. I also like them, because their chocolate has less sugar than other varieties.
It will take a few hours to set up when set out on the counter. You can expedite the process by placing the pan in the fridge, but you will have a bit of condensation build up on the chocolate if you do.
You will get 24 - 30 smaller pieces of bark or 12 - 14 pieces of larger bark. It all depends on how big or small your break it up!
For more holiday treats, check out these recipes:
PS : If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star review and comment below! Also be sure to follow along with me on Instagram and Pinterest to stay up to date on all tasty recipes here at The Fit Peach!
Recipe
Christmas Pomegranate Bark
Ingredients
- 6 Lily’s Chocolate Bars - I used Sea Salt Extra Dark Chocolate
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds - 1 small pomegranate
- ½ cup pistachios - chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Assemble the chocolate bars into a large rectangular shape on the parchment paper. Make sure they are upside down so the smooth side of the bar is facing up. Leave a little room around the edges of the baking pan which will give the chocolate space to go when it’s melted.
- Turn the oven off and slide the baking pan onto the middle rack. Let the chocolate melt in the warm oven for 5 minutes.
- When the chocolate is glistening and soft, take the pan out of the oven and tap it on the counter a few times. This will release the melted chocolate from their “bar” shapes and create 1 nice smooth large slab of chocolate.
- While the chocolate is melted, sprinkle pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios over top. Set the baking pan aside on the counter to set.
- When the chocolate has set, take the large slab of chocolate and break it into pieces. Store the bard in an airtight container out on the counter or in the refrigerator.
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