Halloween is fast-approaching so I thought I’d bring you a recipe that’s all treat and no trick to celebrate this spookiest of holidays!! We’ll be making chocolate bark which is a wonderful low risk/high reward recipe as you simply need to melt down some chocolate and throw fun stuff on it before it cools yet you’re left with something that looks and tastes amazing. This particular bark is perfect for a Halloween movie night since it features a concession stand-worthy popcorn and candy combination. And speaking of popcorn, I’m going to plead with you to make your popcorn fresh from kernels either on the stovetop (as outlined in this post) or with a hot air popcorn popper (if you have one handy) instead of using the bagged version. Popping popcorn on your stovetop is a deeply satisfying culinary experience – and super fun for kids to watch – so please have the experience! If you do, make sure to let the steam out of your pot frequently during the popping process as doing so is key to getting crispy rather than chewy popcorn!
Please note that I did not include the exact measurements for each type of candy because I strongly encourage you to purchase far more candy than is necessary and just eat the leftovers. I won’t tell a soul!! Also, because I follow a plant-based diet, this recipe is (technically) vegan-friendly. If you’re super strict about possible cross-contamination with dairy products, you’ll want to avoid Oreos and any chocolate chips that may contain milk due to being processed at plants that also process dairy products. Personally, being vegan/plant-based for me means spending my dollars on products that aren’t created using ingredients derived from animals rather than bending over backwards to keep my body absolutely dairy-free. When it comes to candies, there are ingredients you’ll need to watch out for there as well including confectioner’s glaze and certain red food dyes. Here is a helpful article to help you navigate all that if you’re interested! Now, let’s get to that recipe…
INGREDIENTS
20 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
2 cups Assorted Candies (I used Halloween Oreos cut in fourths, Skittles, Sour Patch Kids and some skull and bones candies)
1 cup Popcorn
Salt (on popcorn to taste)
HOW TO MAKE IT
Add your chocolate chips to a large microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave, stir and heat again for 20-second increments (stirring in between) until the chocolate is completely melted. Next, pour the chocolate onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and spread with a spatula until the chocolate is about 1/4 inch thick. Randomly sprinkle – or meticulously place – the candies of your choosing onto your melted chocolate along with the lightly salted popcorn. To return your chocolate to solid form, place your newly-created bark into the refrigerator for at least an hour (two or three is better) before chopping into shard-like pieces or perfectly-formed squares (totally up to you!). Lastly, serve or eat and enjoy!!
HOW TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER
Serve with a bowl of popcorn, an assortment of veggies with dip and one of the movies from my 31 Halloween Movies for Kids post!!
That’s it for this super simple, sweet tooth-satisfying treat!! Make sure to pin the image below so you have it handy! Thank you so much for reading!!
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