Chocolate Reindeer Bark (only 6 ingredients!)

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This chocolate reindeer bark is a fun dessert recipe to make for Christmas! It’s sweet, salty and so delicious. With only 6 ingredients and minimal hands-on time, it’s easy to make, too!

A closeup of reindeer chocolate bark topped with pretzels, red M&M, candy eye sprinkles, and Christmas colored sprinkles before slicing.

Why this recipe works

Chocolate bark is always a must have on any Christmas dessert table. This chocolate reindeer bark is no exception! It’s absolutely adorable!

Better yet? It’s easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. This is the perfect recipe for making at home with your kids. All you need is a microwave to make this Christmas bark recipe. No stove top necessary!

Use your favorite chocolate in this recipe to suit your own tastes. I use semi-sweet chocolate, but dark chocolate bark is always a fan favorite, too.

Whether you’re making this chocolate bark as an easy make-ahead dessert for your dessert table at your next Christmas party OR you’re looking for a fun and easy dessert to box up and gift to your friends, family, and neighbors… this chocolate reindeer bark recipe is perfect!

This is a Christmas dessert idea you will love making with your family! Break it up into pieces to get a reindeer on each piece! It’s an activity and dessert all wrapped up in one easy recipe.

It’s adorable. Is there anything cuter than little reindeer faces on chocolate? I don’t think so! You can change up the sprinkles and nose colors if you’d like, too. Have fun with it!
It’s easy. You don’t need a stove top for this recipe. You can melt the chocolate in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. Did I mention this recipe only requires 6 ingredients? It doesn’t get much easier than that.
It’s perfect for sharing. Place your reindeer bark in a cookie tin or a pastry box and wrap it up with a bow. It’s an edible gift that everyone will love!

You’ll love this recipe because:

It’s adorable. Is there anything cuter than little reindeer faces on chocolate? I don’t think so! You can change up the sprinkles and nose colors if you’d like, too. Have fun with it!
It’s easy. You don’t need a stove top for this recipe. You can melt the chocolate in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. Did I mention this recipe only requires 6 ingredients? It doesn’t get much easier than that.
It’s perfect for sharing. Place your reindeer bark in a cookie tin or a pastry box and wrap it up with a bow. It’s an edible gift that everyone will love!

Here’s what you’ll need:

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Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

Chocolate chips – I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can also use milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips. You can technically also use white chocolate chips, but I like the brown background for the reindeers since they are brown. You can use chocolate candy melts as well if you prefer.
Coconut oil – I use coconut oil to help thin out the chocolate for melting. It also keeps it shiny and smooth and helps with hardening. You can use vegetable oil if you prefer, but it won’t help the chocolate harden. If you use candy melts instead of chocolate chips, do not use coconut oil as there is already oil added to the candy melts.
Mini pretzel twists – You will need the mini pretzel twists which are the classic pretzel shape. Cut them in half to get two antlers for each reindeer. Keep in mind that you will need more pretzels than listed in the recipe because they do easily break. I find I have a 50% success rate in cutting them perfectly. Just eat the rest. If you’re gluten-free, use gluten-free pretzels for this recipe.
Red M&Ms – I like to use red M&Ms that are flipped over so you can’t see the logo in this recipe for Rudolph noses. You can also do mostly brown M&Ms for the other reindeer and one red M&M for Rudolph for a fun twist. If you don’t have M&Ms near you, use any red round candy.
Candy Eyes – You can buy candy eyes at craft stores and most local grocery stores in the baking aisle. You can also easily find them online for purchase.
Christmas sprinkles – Use your favorite Christmas sprinkles to decorate the parts of the Christmas chocolate bark that don’t have reindeers on them. I went for something small so that it wouldn’t distract too much from the reindeer faces.

Use a sharp knife to cut the mini pretzels into two antlers. You will need more pretzels than you think because they are easy to break apart incorrectly!

Step-by-step instructions

This chocolate reindeer bark recipe is so easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. Follow the step-by-step instructions below with matching photos to help you make this Christmas chocolate bark recipe perfectly every time.

For the ingredient list with measurements, full instructions, printable recipe and additional notes, please scroll down to the recipe card.

A glass mixing bowl with semi-sweet chocolate chips and coconut oil before melting. — Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave-safe bowl.

A glass mixing bowl with melted semi-sweet chocolate chips and a Christmas spatula. — Microwave in 30-second increments until the chocolate chips are melted. Stir until smooth.

Semi-sweet chocolate that has been spread into a rectangle on top of a parchment lined baking sheet on a pink table. — Spread the melted chocolate out into a rectangle on a parchment lined baking sheet.

An overhead view of reindeer chocolate bark with semi-sweet chocolate melted in a rectangle and topped with pretzels, candy eye balls and red M&Ms to make the reindeer faces. — Top the chocolate with red M&Ms, candy eye balls, pretzel halves and Christmas sprinkles.

A cutting board topped with sliced reindeer chocolate bark. — Slice or break apart into pieces.

Expert Tips

Place a rimmed baking sheet under the parchment paper for easy handling of the chocolate bark before and after it hardens.
Move quickly after pouring the chocolate onto the parchment paper. The chocolate will start to cool and harden after pouring, so you don’t want to delay too long with your decorating.
Mise en place all of your ingredients in small bowls before starting. This way, you will be ready to decorate as soon as your chocolate is poured out onto the baking sheet.

FAQs

How long does chocolate bark last?

Chocolate bark will last at room temperature for about 5 days and in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

How to store chocolate bark?

Store the chocolate bark in an airtight container, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. If you store it in the refrigerator, keep in mind that your chocolate may “bloom” and get some spots on it. If I’m making it ahead for a party, I’ll store the chocolate bark at room temperature in a cool dark place.

What type of chocolate is used for reindeer chocolate bark?

I like to use up any leftover chocolate chips, chunks, or bars when I’m making chocolate bark so it tends to be a mish-mash of types of chocolate. For this recipe, I used semi-sweet chocolate. Dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips would also work great. Candy melts or chocolate almond bark are also perfect for this recipe. Just omit the coconut oil for candy melts or chocolate almond bark.

Can this recipe be made gluten-free?

To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free mini pretzels and ensure that the candy eyes and sprinkles that you choose are gluten-free.

Pieces of chocolate reindeer bark stacked on top of each other on a dessert plate.

Chocolate is easy to burn in the microwave. For best results, microwave the chocolate chips in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until about 90% of the chocolate chips are melted. Stir to help the remaining 10% of chocolate chips melt. If they aren’t melting, keep microwaving in 10 second intervals.

Related recipes

Chocolate Reindeer Bark

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 12 minutes

This chocolate reindeer bark is such a fun treat for the Christmas holiday season! Semi-sweet chocolate is melted and then topped with crunchy pretzels, candy eye sprinkles, red M&Ms, and festive sprinkles for an adorable rudolph dessert!

Ingredients

11 oz semi-sweet, milk or dark chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil
20 ct. candy eyes
10 ct. red M&Ms or red Sixlets candy
10 ct. mini pretzel twists, sliced in half to form antlers
1 tablespoon Christmas sprinkles

Instructions

Place the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave in 30 second increments, just until the chocolate is almost melted. Stir to combine.
Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Pour the chocolate out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread with a spatula until it's a rectangle that is 1/4-inch thick.
Place candy eyes in pairs of two all over the chocolate.
Place a red M&M right below each set of candy eyes.
Over the eyes, place two broken pretzels for the antlers.
Decorate with Christmas sprinkles.
Let the chocolate harden at room temperature for a few hours. You can also place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to harden for about 30 minutes if you prefer.
Slice or break into pieces before serving.

Notes

Depending on your microwave, the chocolate should take just about 60-75 seconds to melt completely. Be sure to microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between each, so that the chocolate does not start burning on the bottom. Stirring the chocolate will also help the chocolate chips melt more quickly and evenly.
You may need more pretzels than stated in the recipe, as they are sometimes difficult to cut in half. Alternatively, if you don’t want to deal with cutting the pretzels, just use one mini pretzel for each ear. It will still be adorable!
Coconut oil is used to thin out the chocolate chips and also give it shine. If you use something other than chocolate chips, such as chocolate almond bark or chocolate candy melts, omit the coconut oil as those products already have oil added for this reason and are made for melting.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 370Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 335mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 2gSugar: 36gProtein: 5g

Chocolate Reindeer Bark