Spring Bark

As soon as the Easter candy hits the grocery store shelves, I get the urge to make this pretty pastel spring bark. There’s just something about those soft colors and sweet treats that put me in a festive mood. Remember that reindeer bark I made back in 2009? I decided to give it a springtime twist a few years ago. This version features Golden Double Stuf Oreos, vanilla chocolate bark, and pastel candy corns—all swirled into a cheerful, colorful slab of goodness. I meant to add pretzels too, but forgot—note to self: don’t rely on memory alone when you’re improvising in the kitchen! It’s even better with the salty crunch of pretzels to balance the sweetness, but it still turned out delicious. Sweet, creamy, crunchy… what’s not to love?

Now that I’m gluten-free, I can use gluten-free versions of pretzels and Oreos. It’s a lot more difficult to find gluten-free candy corn, especially in a seasonal variation like pastels. Amazon is the only place I’ve found some, and they taste great! You could also add or substitute pastel-colored M&M candies and even add some festive sprinkles. Again, just check for GF sprinkles if you need that modification.

I packaged up a batch as a little thank-you gift for a friend, and it was such a hit! It would be perfect on a spring dessert table, wrapped up as party favors, or tucked into an Easter basket for a sweet surprise.

This is such an easy treat to make. Like my reindeer bark, it’s based off a recipe on this blog and it basically just entails melting the chocolate, mixing in the various ingredients, and spreading it on a cookie sheet to harden. If you want to add sprinkles, wait until after the mixture is spread on the cookie sheet. Then, break it into pieces and enjoy!