Cranberry & Pistachio White Chocolate Bark

Cranberry and pistachio white chocolate bark is so festive and it’s perfect for Christmas! It’s like almond bark but with pistachios rather than almonds. This easy holiday treat recipe is so simple to make and if you are like me, a fan of white chocolate, cranberry and pistachio, you’ll love it!

This Christmas bark with pistachios and cranberries is perfect for cookie swaps, school parties and any holiday event.

You might also enjoy crinkle Grinch cookies, cranberry lemon pistachio cookies and cranberry bliss bars (a Starbucks copycat!)

Since there are only three ingredients in this Christmas bark with pistachios and cranberries, choose quality ones. I’m sure you already know what your favourite brand of white chocolate is. Also pick out some good quality nuts and cranberries. It is the green pistachio and red cranberries that make this sweet treat to perfect for the holiday season.

Shelled pistachios mean you won’t have to shell them yourself which can be a tedious job. However some shelled ones can be rather salty so make sure they aren’t too salty. If you like almond bark more than pistachios, you could always sub your preferred type of nut.

For the best result, the cranberries for this cranberry and pistachio white chocolate bark should be dried. Do you prefer raisins or another kind of dried fruit? No problem, youwill find that anything goes with this bark recipe.

There is less sugar in dried cranberries than raisins, for example. They are sweet but offer more of a tart taste. This makes them a great contrast with the sweetness of the chocolate. Of course their soft, chewy texture contrasts beautifully with the pistachios too.

This cranberry bark makes a great gift or even stocking stuffer for Christmas. Everyone enjoys a lovely homemade gift that they can eat! Simply place in a cellophane bag for giving this fun treat as a gift. If you don’t get to it this year, add this to your lift of home baked gifts next year. It will be a merry Christmas indeed!

How to Make Cranberry and Pistachio White Chocolate Bark

Since there are just three ingredients in this Christmas bark with pistachios and cranberries, you might expect it’s easy to prepare. And you’d be right! The red and green of the cranberries and pistachios stand out festively in the snowy white chocolate or white chocolate chips. It’s so simple to make and not a chore at all.

Once you’re ready to make this pistachio cranberry chocolate bark, you can create this easy holiday treat recipe. First of all, you need to melt the chocolate. There are two options. You can either use a double boiler or the microwave using a microwave-safe bowl. If you want to melt it in the microwave using a heat proof bowl, stir the chocolate in 30-second intervals to get creamy white chocolate.

Let the melted chocolate cool for a few minutes and then stir in the nuts and fruit. Spread the cranberry and pistachio white chocolate bark mixture over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. You don’t have to spread it too thin and smooth out to get an even layer. It’s fine if not all of the parchment paper is covered with the white chocolate pistachio mixture.

Now just pop the cookie sheet with the white chocolate, cranberry and pistachio bark in the refrigerator and let it set. This is preferred over letting it set at room temperature. It takes around half an hour to set. Cut it into pieces with a sharp knife or break it up with your hands. If using hands, be mindful that your fingers may melt the chocolate and cause finger prints in the cranberry-pistachio bark.

Christmas Bark with Pistachios and Cranberries Variations

If you like almond bark or peppermint bark as well as this one you might want to tweak the recipe further. Any of the ingredients can be swapped. Perhaps you aren’t so keen on white chocolate. If you prefer another kind, such as dark chocolate or semisweet, you can absolutely use that instead. Flavours like peppermint or even orange can be added to the recipe to change it up.

Another idea would be to combine more than one kind of chocolate, either mixing them together or swirling the two different mixtures over the baking sheet for a marble type effect.

Swapping the cranberries and/or pistachios is also possible. In fact, that’s the great thing about an easy holiday treat recipe like almond bark. You can really personalize it and throw in anything you like!

Anything would be nice in this cranberry and pistachio white chocolate bark. Consider chopped mixed nuts, mini marshmallows, raisins, dried blueberries, broken pretzel sticks, Skittles, M&Ms… and the list goes on! Don’t add too much. Keeping the ratio of chocolate and add-ins similar means it will hold together better.

I just love making this easy holiday treat recipe. It’s so very simple! Cranberry and pistachio white chocolate bark takes just minutes to prepare. It’s a must-make on my Christmas baking list. So whether you are new to making bark or a seasoned pro, you will find it super-simple.

You know, I don’t think Christmas would be quite the same without making Christmas bark with pistachios and cranberries. Everything about this delicious homemade bark is festive and special. If you have kids, let them stir in the fruit and nuts.

How to Store Christmas Bark with Pistachios and Cranberries

This white chocolate, cranberry and pistachio treat will last for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Bear in mind that if you add cookie crumbs, pretzels or similar, it won’t last as long. These add-ins will get stale after 4 or 5 days. However, this cranberry and pistachio white chocolate bark is so good, I’d be surprised if it even lasted that long in my house!

If you are a fan of this easy holiday treat recipe, you might also like Vegan Gluten Free Pistachio Cookies, Cranberry Lemon Pistachio Cookies or Cranberry Orange Biscotti.

Cranberry & Pistachio White Chocolate Bark

Let me know if you try to make this cranberry pistachio white chocolate bark. It is a holiday favourite and so easy to make. Just find someone to help shell the pistachios if you can’t find them unshelled!