Salted Caramel Chocolate Bark recipe makes a quick, easy, impressive treat during the Christmas holiday season. Gooey caramel layered over rich dark chocolate and sprinkled with salty pecans is guaranteed to be gobbled up fast!
The possibilities are endless – turtle bark, white chocolate bark, peanut butter bark, chocolate pretzel bark, and this ooey gooey Salted Caramel Chocolate Bark. It’s a madness I cannot stop.
Gourmet bark makes the perfect gift for the holidays and Christmas. Making homemade bark is fast, easy, economical, and can be made in advance. Check out how to make chocolate bark to discover some unique ways to gift it.
How Long Can Caramel Chocolate Bark Be Stored?
First, chocolate should be completely set before breaking into pieces. Transfer to an airtight container. Store container in a cool, dry place, ideally less than 70ºF. Properly tempered chocolate will keep for several weeks and doesn’t need to be refrigerated.
If you have to store it in the refrigerator, make sure it’s in an airtight container to prevent moisture, smells, or condensation spoiling the chocolate. Have it come to room temperature again before serving.
Substitutions and more Christmas Bark Recipes
Salted Caramel Chocolate Bark tastes like turtles candies, but much simpler to make. However, if you aren’t a pecan fan, here are some other substitutions.
lightly crushed pretzels
peanuts or almonds
substitute milk chocolate chips for the semi-sweet chocolate
toasted coconut
drizzle melted peanut butter chips over top
instead of sprinkling with sea salt, decorate with festive sprinkles, or both!
M & M’s or other chopped candy
crushed cookies, such as Oreos or Nutter Butters
Best Way to Melt Chocolate For Gourmet Bark
Quality bark depends on two essential factors – the chocolate and tempering.
TEMPERING: Don’t be intimidated because tempering can easily be done in the microwave. Tempering simply means melting chocolate to a temperature that breaks down the crystals in the cocoa butter.
The benefit of tempering chocolate is to give it shiny, glossy sheen. Chocolate will look dull, streaky, or grainy if not melted properly. Tempered chocolate will also be firm, break off with a snap, and hold it’s shape.
If you have a candy thermometer or instant read thermometer properly tempered chocolate should read a temperature of 88°F- 90°F.
Easy Technique for Tempering Chocolate
Place 2/3 chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.
Microwave on high in 15-30 seconds intervals until chips are completely melted. This will take about 2 minutes total, but watch carefully the last 45 seconds.
Add the remaining 1/3 chocolate, stirring constantly to combine and melt. Stir chocolate continuously until it is smooth, and glossy. Don’t be tempted to put it back in the microwave to finish melting the added chips. Let it sit a minute and stir again. It will eventually melt from the residual heat.
CHOCOLATE: Gourmet bark doesn’t require expensive chocolate. Certain quality chocolate baking chip brands work great for tempering. Check out HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE BARK for recommended quality, yet affordable chocolate.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PECAN BARK
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Set aside.
Melt chocolate and spread a 1/4″ layer on prepared baking sheet, reserving a few tablespoons for topping.
Melt caramels with milk in microwave until 50% melted. Stir mixture until smooth.
Drizzle melted caramel over chocolate layer.
Top immediately with pecans or other suggested toppings.
Drizzle remaining melted chocolate over toppings.
Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to set the chocolate.
OTHER TIPS FOR MAKING CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BARK
Make sure all your equipment is absolutely dry and free from any water droplets, otherwise your chocolate will seize and be grainy.
Properly tempered chocolate will start to harden around the edges almost immediately.
Be sure to spread the chocolate thinly, about 1/4″ thick. Using an offset spatula helps with getting the job done quickly and evenly.
If your chocolate hardens, simply reheat using either technique for tempering chocolate, and use again.
Don’t forget to line baking sheets with wax paper or parchment before spreading on melted chocolate.
Have toppings ready to sprinkle onto melted chocolate. If the chocolate is starting to harden, press gently on the toppings to work into chocolate.
Refrigerate for 10 minutes immediately after adding the toppings to set the chocolate.
Before breaking or cutting bark, wait until chocolate is fully hardened. Otherwise you’ll leave smudges or fingerprints on the chocolate.
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Salted Caramel Chocolate Bark
Salted Caramel Chocolate Bark recipe tastes like homemade turtles, but without all the work! This quick, easy dessert is a hit every Christmas holiday.
Prepare a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Set aside.
Place two-thirds of the bag of chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high in 15-30 seconds intervals, stirring each time, until chips are completely melted. This will take about 2 minutes total, but watch carefully the last 45 seconds. (If using a thermometer to take temperature it should read 110-115ºF / 43-48ºC)
Add the remaining one-third of the bag of chocolate and stir to combine and melt. Continue to stir until all the chocolate is melted, smooth, and glossy. Don't be tempted to put it back in the microwave to finish melting added chips. Let it sit a minute and stir again. It will eventually melt from the residual heat. (If using thermometer to take temperature it should read 88-90ºF / 31-33ºC )
Pour melted chocolate on prepared baking sheet, RESERVING 2-3 TABLESPOONS TO DRIZZLE ON TOP. Use an offset spatula to spread chocolate to about 1/4" thick. Set aside while melting caramel.
Place unwrapped caramels and milk in another microwave safe bowl. Melt on high in 30 second intervals until mixture is hot throughout, but caramels are about 50% melted. Remove for microwave and stir until smooth and caramels fully melt. This will take up to a minute of stirring. Drizzle caramel over chocolate layer. (CHOCOLATE DOES NOT NEED TO BE SET BEFORE DRIZZLING ON CARAMEL)
Immediately sprinkle with chopped pecans and drizzle with remaining chocolate (can reheat chocolate for a bit it has started to harden). Sprinkle drizzled chocolate with fleur de sel or coarse sea salt.
Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes, or until set. Do not break into pieces until chocolate is completely set. Remove from refrigerator to serve and store or caramel will become hard.
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I made this at Christmas and it was quite a hit! Love the recipe. One question I have is, can I use homemade caramel sauce instead of using caramel candy? Or would it be too thin?
Hi Renee,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Yes, you can use homemade caramel sauce as well. It may be a little thinner, but that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. Those Ghirardelli chocolate squares with the caramel have a thinner caramel inside and they are damn good!
Best,
Melissa
Hello Linda,
I am so sorry you were put off by the ads. I sincerely apologize this was a frustrating experience for you. I know some people don’t like the ads, so I put the “jump to recipe” and “print recipe” buttons at top to bypass them.
Unfortunately the ads are the nature of the beast when you run a website. Although the recipes and information are free to my readers, I do spend about 40-50 hours a week on recipe development, photography, writing posts, and scheduling social media. The ad revenue is how I get paid for the hours I put in.
My ad agency had direct control over ad placement and the frequency of the ads. The ads are placed through an ongoing auction between them and the advertisers. I’m guessing that since you wrote during the Super Bowl a lot more ads were being served than normal.
Again, I’m so sorry my site was frustrating, but I wanted to follow up and let you know the ads are how I am compensated for the job I do.
Wishing you the best,
Melissa
she has sold out??? What do you do for a living? Do you work for free? I love her recipes and truly appreciate they are offerred to us to view for free. Thank you Melissa for all your hard work!
Cathy Blatnik says
Does this need to be stored in the fridge?
Melissa says
Hi Cathy,
No, just store in in an airtight container at room temperature.
Best,
Melissa
Renee Schaefer says
I made this at Christmas and it was quite a hit! Love the recipe. One question I have is, can I use homemade caramel sauce instead of using caramel candy? Or would it be too thin?
Melissa says
Hi Renee,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Yes, you can use homemade caramel sauce as well. It may be a little thinner, but that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. Those Ghirardelli chocolate squares with the caramel have a thinner caramel inside and they are damn good!
Best,
Melissa
Melissa says
Hello Linda,
I am so sorry you were put off by the ads. I sincerely apologize this was a frustrating experience for you. I know some people don’t like the ads, so I put the “jump to recipe” and “print recipe” buttons at top to bypass them.
Unfortunately the ads are the nature of the beast when you run a website. Although the recipes and information are free to my readers, I do spend about 40-50 hours a week on recipe development, photography, writing posts, and scheduling social media. The ad revenue is how I get paid for the hours I put in.
My ad agency had direct control over ad placement and the frequency of the ads. The ads are placed through an ongoing auction between them and the advertisers. I’m guessing that since you wrote during the Super Bowl a lot more ads were being served than normal.
Again, I’m so sorry my site was frustrating, but I wanted to follow up and let you know the ads are how I am compensated for the job I do.
Wishing you the best,
Melissa
Linda says
you have sold out, way too many ads!
Alex says
Does that mean u think she shouldn’t be paid for her recipes that we are enjoying
Shannon says
she has sold out??? What do you do for a living? Do you work for free? I love her recipes and truly appreciate they are offerred to us to view for free. Thank you Melissa for all your hard work!
Melissa says
This truly means a lot. Thank you, Shannon!