Name: Reindeer Christmas Bark
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 12 ounces baking chocolate (chocolate chips or almond bark can also be used); 48 Itty Bitty Pretzels; 48 candy eyes; 48 brown mini M&Ms (regular M&Ms could be used too); 24 red M&Ms; holiday sprinkles (optional)

This Reindeer Christmas Bark recipe delivers two dozen sweet, salty and fun holiday treats, perfect for sharing at the family Christmas party! Calls for only 20 minutes of hands-on prep time!

Add more edible reindeer fun to this holiday season by checking out my Cute & Easy Reindeer Cupcakes or Reindeer Cookies!

A small plate with Reindeer Christmas Bark on it with a bottle of milk in the background.

What To Expect With This Christmas Chocolate Bark!

This sweet, tasty Reindeer Christmas Bark would please Santa himself! Since it’s quick and easy to make using only 5 ingredients it’d also please his elves too!

Once you’ve made this simple Christmas Bark recipe it’s time to spread the Christmas cheer! Place a reindeer or two inside cellophane bags and tie them off with holiday-themed ribbon.

Afterward, pass them out to the kids at the family Christmas party! Or send them to school for your child to share with their classmates!

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Rebecca’s Recipe Review

Taste: The base of this sweet treat is melted milk chocolate! On top are sweet M&Ms, festive sprinkles, and salty pretzels! All combining for everyone’s favorite snack combination, sweet AND salty!

Texture: As soon as the firm chocolate hits your mouth it begins to melt! Giving way to the crunchy candies, sprinkles, and pretzels!

Ease: 2/10

Pros: An easy, quick treat the kids can help with! Also, great for gifting in cellophane bags that are tied off with holiday ribbon.

Cons: None.

Would I Make This Again? Yes, we make this every Christmas season!

A piece of christmas bark decorated as a reindeer on a wooden table with more in the background.

Ingredients For Reindeer Christmas Bark

Baking Chocolate – Can be chocolate chips or almond bark
Bitty Pretzels
Candy Eyes
Brown Mini M&Ms
Red M&Ms
Holiday Sprinkles

Fun & Tasty Variations To Try When Making Christmas Bark!

Use Different Chocolate – If milk chocolate isn’t your favorite, use dark, semi-sweet, or even white chocolate!
Swirl The Chocolate – Use a toothpick to swirl two different types of chocolate together! It adds more flavor and fun to this Christmas Bark!
Triangle Shape Head – Instead of shaping the chocolate into a circle for the reindeer head, shape it into a triangle!
Pretzel Face – Mix it up to make different reindeer faces! Try placing a square pretzel onto the circle of the melted chocolate. Then dip the bottom of a Rolo into melted chocolate and place it onto the pretzel. Add a mini red M&M for the nose onto the Rolo and place the candy eyes onto the pretzel.
Different Designs – Use half of the ingredients to make reindeer and the other half to make other designs! Try making snowmen, a Christmas tree, or just bark with crushed candy and festive sprinkles!

How To Make Reindeer Christmas Bark

Melt the chocolate in the microwave at intervals, stirring between each, until smooth.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Spoon dollops of melted chocolate out onto the parchment paper. Swirling it to create a circle, being careful not to make it too thin.
Add itty bitty pretzels to the tops of each to make the reindeer antlers.
Add candy eyes to each circle.
Add brown mini M&Ms to the outer sides of the antlers, standing upright to make the reindeers ears.
Add a red M&M just below the eyes to make the nose.
Add sprinkles if desired, and then transfer the baking sheet of reindeer to the fridge to chill.

Rebecca’s Recipe Tips

Melt The Chocolate – This can be done in the microwave or using a double boiler on the stovetop. Either way, make sure the chocolate is completely melted and smooth! That way, there aren’t any lumps throughout the reindeer! Chocolate usually seizes up when melting if it’s cooked for too long or gets too hot. Be sure you stir the chocolate every 30 seconds when you’re working through the melting process. This way, you can keep a close eye on it to prevent the chocolate from seizing up!
Line Baking Sheets – Lining your baking sheets with parchment or wax paper allows the bark to be peeled off easily!
Chocolate Thickness – When spreading the melted chocolate out into circles be careful that you don’t spread it out too thin. A 2-inch diameter with a good amount of thickness is best!
Chocolate Shape – You’re free to make this Christmas Bark in whatever shape you’d like! Some like to make bark by spreading it all out on a lined baking sheet. Afterward, they decorate it, let it set up, and then break it apart in irregular shapes!
Pretzels – Itty Bitty Pretzels work the best for 2-inch reindeer. I find that full-sized pretzels can make the reindeer a little disproportionate. To make it more proportionate, you could break the full-size pretzels up, creating antler shapes. Though if you really want to use full-size pretzels, then consider making the reindeer bigger than 2 inches in diameter.
Gently Press Decorations In – Be sure to get your pretzels and candy on when the chocolate is still melted! When placing your edible decorations on gently press them in to help them adhere nicely to the chocolate.
Chill – Once the reindeer are assembled it’s time to chill them so that they harden. This can be done in the freezer or fridge.

Reindeer Christmas Bark on a wooden table with sprinkles.

Storage Instructions For Christmas Bark Candy

It’s best stored in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag with the excess air squeezed out. It can then be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for two weeks.

More Fun Reindeer Recipes:

Festive Reindeer Hot Chocolate Cones – Complete with a FIY Free Printable Tag!
Reindeer Oreo Balls – Perfect for all of the holiday parties on your calendar!
Easy Reindeer Cakes – A no-bake recipe that’s made with Ding Dong Cakes!
Cute & Easy Reindeer Cupcakes – Finished to look like Santa’s favorite reindeer!
Christmas Reindeer Food Poem & Recipe – A must-have for the kids on Christmas Eve!

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you’ve tried this recipe, please let leave a review in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos, or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there.

5 from 2 votes

Reindeer Christmas Bark

Author Rebecca Hubbell

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Chill Time 1

Total Time 1 20

This Reindeer Christmas Bark recipe delivers two dozen sweet, salty and fun holiday treats, perfect for sharing at the family Christmas party! Calls for only 20 minutes of hands-on prep time!

Ingredients

▢ 12 ounces baking chocolate chocolate chips or almond bark can also be used
▢ 48 Itty Bitty Pretzels
▢ 48 candy eyes
▢ 48 brown mini M&Ms regular M&Ms could be used too
▢ 24 red M&Ms
▢ holiday sprinkles optional

Instructions

Break up or chop the chocolate and microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring after each one, until the chocolate has fully melted.
12 ounces baking chocolate
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Once the chocolate has melted, spoon out about 1 tablespoon (or .5oz.) of chocolate onto the parchment paper and swirl into a circle with the back of the spoon. Don't make it too thin, I recommend keeping them about 2-inches in diameter.
Add two itty bitty pretzels to the tops of each circle to make the antlers.
48 Itty Bitty Pretzels
Add two candy eyes to each circle in the middle.
48 candy eyes
Add two brown mini M&Ms to the outer sides of the antlers, standing upright to make ears.
48 brown mini M&Ms
Add a red M&M just below the eyes to make the nose.
24 red M&Ms
Add sprinkles if desired then transfer to the fridge to chill until hard.
holiday sprinkles

Notes

What’s The Best Way To Store This Christmas Bark Candy? It’s best stored in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag with the excess air squeezed out. It can then be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for two weeks.
How Come The Chocolate Seized Up When I Was Melting It? Chocolate usually seizes up when melting if it’s cooked for too long or gets too hot. Be sure you stir the chocolate every 30 seconds when you’re working through the melting process. This way you can keep a close eye on it to prevent the chocolate from seizing up!
Do I Have To Make The Reindeer A Perfect Circle? No, you’re free to make this Christmas Bark in whatever shape you’d like! Some like to make bark by spreading it all out on a lined baking sheet. After they decorate it, let it set up, and then break it apart into irregular shapes!
Can I Use Full-Sized Pretzels To Make This Christmas Bark Instead? I find that full-sized pretzels can make the reindeer a little unproportionate. To make it more proportionate you could break the full-size pretzels up, creating antler shapes. Though if you really want to use full-size pretzels, then consider making the reindeer bigger than 2 inches in diameter.
Fun & Tasty Variations To Try When Making Christmas Bark!
- Use Different Chocolate – If milk chocolate isn’t your favorite, use dark, semi-sweet, or even white chocolate!
- Swirl The Chocolate – Use a toothpick to swirl two different types of chocolate together! It adds more flavor and fun to this Christmas Bark!
- Triangle Shape Head – Instead of shaping the chocolate into a circle for the reindeer head, shape it into a triangle!
- Pretzel Face – Mix it up to make different reindeer faces! Try placing a square pretzel onto the circle of the melted chocolate. Then dip the bottom of a Rolo into melted chocolate and place it onto the pretzel. Add a mini red M&M for the nose onto the Rolo and place the candy eyes onto the pretzel.
- Different Designs – Use half of the ingredients to make reindeer and the other half to make other designs! Try making snowmen, a Christmas tree, or just bark with crushed candy and festive sprinkles!