Red White And Blue Bark: A No-Bake Patriotic Treat for Memorial Day and July 4th

Red White and Blue Bark

If you can melt chocolate and sprinkle toppings over the top, you can make this red white and blue bark. That is genuinely the whole skill set. There is no oven, no mixer, no candy thermometer, and no long list of steps you have to read three times before you feel ready to start.

I started bringing this bark to our neighborhood Fourth of July cookout a few summers ago, and it has quietly turned into the thing people ask about before they even ask what I am putting on the grill.

The first year, my nephew took charge of the sprinkles, my niece handled the crushed cookies, and both of them still talk about it like they built a rocket together. That is the magic of a dessert like this.

It looks like you fussed for hours, and the hardest part is waiting for the fridge to do its job.

Here is how it works. You melt a big batch of white candy melts and spread them into a thin, even layer in a foil lined pan.

Then you drizzle melted red and blue candy melts over the top, swirl everything together with a skewer, and cover the surface with crushed Oreos, red white and blue M&M’s, star sprinkles, and jimmies. Into the fridge it goes.

Once it is hard, you break it into shards and you are done.

Because the colors are so bold, this is the dessert I reach for on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and any summer cookout that needs a little red, white, and blue on the table. It travels well, and it looks right at home on a paper plate next to burgers and watermelon.

Notice the balance. The white layer is the canvas, so it gets the largest amount by far, while the red and blue are accents that get drizzled and swirled. Keep that ratio in mind and your bark will always look the way it should.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is how forgiving it is. You can change the whole personality of the bark just by swapping colors and toppings. Make it orange and black, or a deep dark brown, for Halloween.

Go red and green for Christmas. Soft pink and gold works beautifully for a baby shower, and pastel shades are lovely for Easter. The method never changes, only the bags of candy melts you pick up at the store.

Toppings are just as flexible. The classic version uses red white and blue M&M’s, a handful of crushed Oreos, star sprinkles, and jimmies.

You could also use crushed pretzels for a salty crunch, chopped nuts, mini marshmallows, or a dusting of edible glitter if you are feeling fancy. Whatever you sprinkle on top needs to stick, so add it while the candy is still soft.

You do not need much equipment either. A jelly roll pan that measures 11×15 inches is ideal, but a regular 9×13 inch pan works too, and the bark will simply be a little thicker.

You will also want aluminum foil, cooking spray, a small saucepan, a large glass bowl that fits over the saucepan, a rubber spatula, two small microwaveable bowls, a resealable plastic bag, a rolling pin, and a small wooden skewer or a butter knife for swirling.

Candy melts are easy to find at most craft stores or online, and they come in every color you could want.

Keep every drop of water away from your candy melts. Even a tiny splash of liquid can make melted candy seize up and turn grainy, which is the one thing that can ruin an otherwise foolproof batch.

A few small habits make the whole process smoother. Crush the Oreos before you start melting anything, because once the candy is melted you want to move quickly while it is still fluid.

Line the pan and spray it very lightly, since too much spray can leave a greasy film on the bottom of the bark. Spread the white layer as evenly as you can, because thin spots break more unevenly later. And when you swirl, go gently.

You are not trying to blend the colors into one shade, you are pulling pretty ribbons of red and blue through the white.

This is also a wonderful make ahead dessert. Once the bark is fully hardened, you can break it into pieces and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

I like to stack the pieces in a tin with parchment between the layers so nothing sticks together on the way to a party. It makes a lovely gift too.

Tuck a few shards into a clear bag, tie it with ribbon, and you have a homemade treat that looks like it came from a candy shop.

So if you have been looking for a patriotic dessert that does not ask much of you, this is it. Ten minutes of hands on work, a short chill in the fridge, and a tray of swirled, sprinkle covered bark that disappears fast.

Grab your candy melts, call in a helper if you have one, and let the kids do the sprinkling.

Ingredients

This recipe makes 8 servings, and everything here is easy to pick up at the grocery store or a craft store. Candy melts are the star, and they are sold in bags by color, which is what makes the red, white, and blue look so clean and bright.

• 16 oz bright white candy melts, or an equal amount of white chocolate
• 6 oz royal blue candy melts
• 6 oz red candy melts
• Red white and blue M&M’s, as many as you like for the top
• A handful of Oreo cookies, crushed into bite sized pieces
• Red white and blue star sprinkles
• Red white and blue jimmies

A quick note on the chocolate. Candy melts are made for melting and they set up with a smooth, snappy finish, which is exactly what you want in a bark. If you would rather use white chocolate for the base, use the same 16 oz amount, and chop it finely so it melts evenly over the double boiler.

The toppings are where you get to play. The amounts are flexible, so sprinkle with a light hand at first and add more if you want a fuller look. You will also need aluminum foil, cooking spray, and a pan, either an 11×15 inch jelly roll pan or a 9×13 inch pan.

Instructions

The whole recipe comes together in about 10 minutes of hands on time, so read through the steps once before you begin and then work steadily. Melted candy waits for no one, so having your pan lined and your cookies crushed ahead of time makes everything calmer.

1. Crush the cookies. Place the Oreo cookies into a resealable plastic bag, seal it, and gently hit the bag with a rolling pin to break the cookies into pieces. Set them aside. You want bite sized chunks, not fine crumbs, because bigger pieces give the bark a nice crunch.
2. Prepare the pan. Line an 11×15 inch jelly roll pan, or a regular 9×13 inch pan, with aluminum foil and spray it very lightly with cooking spray. Set it aside.
3. Start the double boiler. Place a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water on the stove and heat it on LOW until it is barely simmering. Pour the bright white candy melts into a large glass bowl that fits inside the saucepan so the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
4. Melt the white candy melts. Set the bowl over the top of the saucepan to create a double boiler. Stir with a rubber spatula until the candy melts are melted and smooth. Do not let any liquid come into contact with the candy melts.
5. Set up the colored melts. Pour the red candy melts into a small microwaveable bowl, and pour the blue candy melts into another microwaveable bowl.
6. Microwave the blue melts. Microwave the blue candy melts at 70% power in 30 to 45 second intervals until they are most of the way melted. Take the bowl out and stir so the residual heat melts the remaining bits.
7. Microwave the red melts. Repeat the same process with the red candy melts.
8. Build the white layer. Pour the melted white candy melts into the prepared jelly roll pan and use the rubber spatula to smooth them into an even layer.
9. Add the color. Alternate drizzling the melted red candy melts and the melted blue candy melts in vertical lines over the surface of the white layer. If you prefer a looser look, you can also spoon bits of red and blue in a non pattern over the surface instead.
10. Swirl it. Using a small wooden skewer or a butter knife, swirl in a figure eight pattern to pull the red and blue into the white. Repeat this over the entire pan. You are not looking for a pattern here, just pretty swirls.
11. Add the toppings. Sprinkle the swirled candy melts with the crushed Oreo pieces, red white and blue M&M’s, star sprinkles, and jimmies. Work fairly quickly so everything sticks to the soft surface.
12. Chill. Refrigerate the bark for 1 to 2 hours, or until it is completely hardened.
13. Remove it from the pan. Lift the edges of the aluminum foil to take the bark out of the pan, then separate the bark from the foil.
14. Break it up. Break the slab into pieces of whatever size you like.
15. Store and serve. Keep the bark refrigerated until you are ready to serve it.

Two things are worth repeating because they make the biggest difference. First, dry is everything. Steam, a stray splash, or a wet spoon can turn melted candy melts grainy in seconds, so keep the bowl dry and do not let the water in the saucepan touch the bottom of the glass bowl.

Second, the microwave method for the red and blue melts is short for a reason. Candy melts hold their shape even when they are nearly melted, so stopping early and stirring to finish the job keeps the colors bright and the texture smooth.

If your kitchen is warm, the bark may feel slightly tacky when you take it out of the refrigerator. That is normal. Work quickly when you break it up, and put the pieces back in the refrigerator if you are not serving right away.

You can also change the look of the drizzle however you like. Vertical lines give you a tidy, striped swirl, while spooning the colors on in random spots gives you a looser marbled effect. Either way, the figure eight swirl is what ties it all together.

Recipe details

Prep time is 10 minutes and total time is 10 minutes, because there is no baking or cooking involved. The recipe makes 8 servings. After that, the bark simply chills in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours before you break it into pieces, so plan a little extra time if you are making it for a party.

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Red White and Blue Bark

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Red White and Blue Bark If you can melt chocolate and sprinkle toppings over the top, you can make this red white and blue bark. That is genuinely the whole skill set.

• Total Time: 10 min
• Yield: 8 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

16 oz bright white candy melts or equal amounts of white chocolate
6 oz royal blue candy melts
6 oz red candy melts
Red white and blue m&m’s
Handful oreo cookies crushed into bite sized pieces, crushed into bite sized pieces
Red white and blue star sprinkles
Red white and blue jimmies

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Instructions

1-Place oreo cookies into a resealable plastic: Place oreo cookies into a resealable plastic bag, seal, and gently hit with a rolling pin to break cookies into pieces. Set aside.
2-Line an 11×15″ jelly roll pan (or: Line an 11×15″ jelly roll pan (or regular 9×13″ pan), with aluminum foil and spray very lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.
3-Place a small saucepan with about 1: Place a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water on the stove and heat on LOW until barely simmering. Pour bright white candy melts in a large glass bowl (that fits inside the saucepan so that the bottom of the bowl does NOT touch the water).
4-Place bowl over the top of the: Place bowl over the top of the saucepan, creating a double boiler. Use a rubber spatula to stir candy melts until melted and smooth. Do not allow any liquid to come in contact with the candy melts.
5-Pour red candy melts in a small: Pour red candy melts in a small microwaveable bowl, and pour blue candy melts in another microwaveable bowl.
6-Microwave the blue candy melts at 70%: Microwave the blue candy melts at 70% power, in 30-45 second intervals, until most of the way melted. Remove from microwave and stir to let the residual heat melt the remaining bits.
7-Repeat process with the red candy melts: Repeat process with the red candy melts.
8-Pour melted white candy melts into jelly: Pour melted white candy melts into jelly roll pan and use rubber spatula to smooth into an even layer.
9-Alternate drizzling melted red candy melts and: Alternate drizzling melted red candy melts and blue candy melts in vertical lines over the surface of the melted white candy melts. (you could also just spoon bits of red and blue in a non-pattern over the surface as well).
10-Using a small wooden skewer or butter: Using a small wooden skewer or butter knife, swirl in a figure eight pattern to swirl the red and blue into the white. Repeat over the entire pan. You’re not looking for a pattern here, just pretty swirls.
11-Sprinkle swirled candy melts with oreo pieces,: Sprinkle swirled candy melts with oreo pieces, m&m’s, star sprinkles and jimmies.
12-Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or until hardened: Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or until hardened.
13-Lift edges of aluminum foil to remove: Lift edges of aluminum foil to remove bark from pan, and separate the bark from the foil.
14-Break into pieces: Break into pieces.
15-Keep refrigerated until ready to serve: Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

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• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 0 min
• Method: no_cook