Festive Cranberry Pistachio Bark is an easy, three-ingredient treat that is perfect for holiday entertaining or gifting to friends and family!
Holiday favorite Cranberry Pistachio Bark, with eye-catching pops of red cranberries and green pistachios held in a creamy white chocolate, is straightforward to make! Sweet and tart, with a touch of salty flavor, this cranberry pistachio Christmas bark is full of seasonal goodies that make bellies jolly!
Wonderful Christmas Bark
Making treats for everyone to enjoy is one of my favorite things about the holidays. Of all of the different cookies and barks we make, Cranberry Pistachio Bark is an absolute must-have, to the point where I would get phone calls from family and friends asking where their bark was if I didn’t make it! This is also the time that I absolutely go for the best white chocolate I can find. With only three ingredients, each one shines, from the crunchy pistachios to the sweet-tart cranberries and the rich, creamy white chocolate. There is so much to love about this gorgeous treat, and along with how irresistible the bark tastes, I really love that it takes almost no time to make during this busy season!
Everyone loves simple Peppermint Bark; it fills the room with its mouthwatering holiday scent, and Copycat Trader Joe’s Cowboy Bark is loaded with sweet-and-salty goodies everyone loves!
Other Recipes to Serve with Cranberry Pistachio Bark
- Cranberry Hot Toddy is the perfectly delicious way to warm up, from your head to your toes!
- Love the idea of this bark, but wish it were in your favorite fudge form? Say no more, White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Fudge is precisely what you’re craving!
Ingredients
Chocolate: To make this bark, you will need chopped white chocolate. Choose a white chocolate that you love the flavor of, and not a cheaper chocolate that can taste overly sweet.
Cranberries: For this recipe, you will need dried cranberries. Left half of the cranberries whole and chop the other half.
Pistachios: You will also need shelled pistachios to make this bark. Just like with the cranberries, chop half of the pistachios and leave the other half whole.
How to Make Cranberry Pistachio Bark
STEP ONE: Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a double boiler. Add half of the chopped white chocolate to the bowl. Heat the chocolate, stirring often until there just a few lumps. Carefully take the bowl off the heat and stir in the remaining chopped chocolate until it’s all melted. If needed, you can put the howl back over the water for 30-60 seconds to help.
STEP TWO: Stir the whole pistachios and dried cranberries into the melted chocolate
STEP THREE: Spread the mixture evenly over the prepared baking sheet. Then sprinkle the chopped pistachios and cranberries over the bark.
STEP FOUR: Set the baking sheet in the fridge to harden for at least 30 minutes. Once firm, cut the bark with a knife or break it by hand for a rustic look.
Tips for Success
- To neatly cut the bark into squares, allow it to harden most of the way in the fridge, then set it out on the counter to warm to room temperature. Cut the bark with a sharp knife, then return it to the refrigerator to continue hardening.
- Using salted pistachios in this bark gives it a little salty kick, or you can sprinkle coarse salt over the bark before putting it in the fridge.
- Once the bark has hardened and been cut, store it in a cool, airtight container. The fridge isn’t ideal because moisture can accumulate on the bark, giving the chocolate a streaked look. If you have to store the bark in the refrigerator, try layering the bark between paper towels to prevent moisture from collecting on it. Enjoy the bark for up to a week.
Why do I need to use a water bath to melt the chocolate?
White chocolate has a lower melting point than other chocolates, and a water bath is a great way to control heat so you get the best melt. Low and slow is best when melting any chocolate, but predominantly white chocolate! When using a water bath, you want to make extra sure that no steam, water droplets, or even a damp spoon come in contact with the chocolate, as this will cause the chocolate to separate. Adding in more chopped chocolate to the melted chocolate once you take the melted chocolate off the pot is known as tempering and is what creates the wonderfully smooth yet hard chocolate surface, so be sure not to skip that step!
What do I do if I overheat my chocolate?
Overheating chocolate can be easy to do if you’re like me and try to multitask while cooking! If you notice that your chocolate is lumpy and not smoothing out no matter how much you stir, you’ve overheated the chocolate. To try to rescue the chocolate, take it off the heat and stir in butter, margarine, heavy cream, or milk, one teaspoon at a time. Whichever ingredient you choose, be sure to warm it first, as cold liquid will make things worse. The result will be a less shiny, dull-looking chocolate that still tastes great but doesn’t look as nice, so you may want to save that batch for the family or use it to drizzle over cookies or glaze other confections.
More Holiday Delightful Treats!
- Snickerdoodle Fudge
- Toffee Peanut Clusters
- Christmas Crack
- Peppermint Brownie Brittle
- Candied Pecans
Equipment
- Double Boiler (see note)
Ingredients
- 14 ounces white chocolate chopped, divided
- ¼ cup pistachios shelled
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
Topping
- ¼ cup pistachios shelled and chopped
- ¼ cup dried cranberries chopped
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Fill a double boiler with 1 inch of water and place it over medium-high heat until simmering. Reduce the heat to medium and add half of the white chocolate to the top pot of the double boiler. Heat until melted, and only a few lumps remain. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate until the residual heat has melted it all. (If needed, return to the heat for 30-60 seconds.)
- Fold the whole pistachios and dried cranberries into the melted chocolate. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and spread evenly to your desired thickness. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios and dried cranberries over the chocolate.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until completely hardened. Cut or break into pieces before serving. (see note)
Notes
- If you don’t have a double boiler available, you can use a medium saucepan and a glass or metal mixing bowl. The bowl needs to cover the entire top of the saucepan, but not touch the water underneath. Be careful while you cook, as the steam will heat the bowl.
- If you prefer to cut the bark into pieces, it will be easier if it’s not fresh from the fridge. Let the bark come to room temperature or cut it before it hardens completely.
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