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Unicorn Bark is one of my favorite treats to make for a kid’s birthday party. It’s white almond bark spread thin, swirled with pink and lavender, and scattered with sprinkles. This bark takes about thirty minutes from start to finish and is a great recipe for kids to help with. No candy thermometer needed!
My youngest granddaughter, also my namesake 💗, is a little girl who loves unicorns. She has unicorn stuffies to sleep with, unicorn t-shirts, and a big play unicorn. So basically, this recipe is for her!
I made this bark using melted white vanilla almond bark instead of white chocolate chips because almond bark melts a little smoother and doesn’t need any tempering. That means no candy thermometer and just easier to deal with.
I added pink and lavender melting wafers, which come already colored and already formulated to melt thin, so it’s a little easier than trying to swirl dye through the base.
Little Lucy absolutely loves this recipe, and if you have a little unicorn-loving child, I bet they will too.
Testing results for unicorn bark
- I have made this white chocolate bark using Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips (which I think tastes better), but it’s a little more challenging because the chocolate can come out grainy and sets faster. For ease of use, I prefer working with the almond bark. And the kids don’t care either way!
- Our testing revealed that you need to melt the base and the colors at different power levels. Eighteen ounces of almond bark melts on full power in a large bowl, but three ounces of wafers in a small bowl heat far faster. Half power keeps the edges of the wafers from scorching before the center softens.
- We found that spreading the white base to a quarter-inch creates the perfect thickness level, which allows enough depth for the swirled colors to blend.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Ingredient notes
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients in this recipe.
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
White almond bark: There are tons of choices out there for almond bark to melt. Walmart has a good one, and of course, Amazon. I like to use Ghirardelli White Melting Chocolate, but it is so darn expensive now that I have to use something else. Just try to get as high a quality as you can for the best flavor.
Melting wafers: These can be found at Michaels or online. Some larger grocery stores may have them, but not usually a big selection of color choices.
Unicorn sprinkles. Any pastel blend works. Scatter them while the chocolate is still wet, or they won’t anchor and will drop off when you break the bark.
Pin this now to save it for laterHow to make unicorn bark
- Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Melt the white almond bark in the microwave, stirring between bursts, until it’s completely smooth.
- Melt the pink and the lavender wafers in separate bowls at a lower power, stirring between bursts.
- Spread the white base on the lined pan, drop the pink and lavender over it in random spoonfuls, then drag a knife or a toothpick through to marble the colors.
- Scatter the sprinkles across the wet surface, freeze until firm, then cut or break into pieces.
Why almond bark melts so easily
Almond bark and candy melts are confectionery coatings rather than chocolate. The cocoa butter has been replaced with a vegetable fat, usually palm kernel oil, and that fat melts and resets easily. Real white chocolate has cocoa butter, which does make it taste better. But it’s harder to get the melting just right without ending up with graininess. You may need to temper white chocolate, which is why I go for the almond bark in this recipe.
Things to watch for: Be sure you melt the colored wafers at half power in the microwave. If they get overheated, they can turn grainy, and then you’ll never get them smooth.
Another thing to be careful of is water — a single drop is enough to seize your melted candy into a stiff paste, because the sugar in the coating grabs the water and pulls the whole mixture into a grainy mass in seconds. Dry the bowl and the spatula completely before starting, and don’t cover a bowl while it’s melting, since condensation on the lid can drip straight back in.
If a finished sheet of bark dries with pale streaks or a chalky film across the surface, that’s fat bloom. It happens when the coating gets warm enough for the fat to migrate to the surface and recrystallize there, usually from cooling too slowly or from sitting somewhere warm. Bloom is cosmetic, and the candy still tastes fine, but it’s the reason the freezer set works better here than the counter.
Variations
- Different color pairs. Swap the pink and lavender for whatever the party calls for. Teal and gold, red and green, or orange and black all work the same way.
- Tint the base yourself. Oil-based food coloring will color white almond bark. Water-based coloring seizes it, so only use oil-based if you don’t want to use the colored wafers.
- White chocolate chips or melting wafers for the base. Either one can replace the almond bark. Chips hold their shape when heated and need a slower melt with more stirring, and real white chocolate sets softer at room temperature than a coating does, so it’s a little trickier to work with.
- Pretzel version. Press broken pretzel pieces into the wet chocolate for salt and crunch. My Pretzel Bark uses that same spread, set, and break method.
- Cut into neat bars. Trim the edges and cut the sheet into even rectangles for a gift box or a party favor bag.
Make ahead. Bark is a good make-ahead recipe, especially when the rest of the menu needs the oven. Make the full sheet, break it into pieces, and store it in a single airtight container with parchment or wax paper between the layers so the pieces don’t stick together or scuff the sprinkles. For gifting, pack it into cellophane bags or a tin the same way, and keep it out of a hot car.
What to serve with unicorn bark
Put it on a tray with Funfetti Cupcakes and a batch of Birthday Cake Cookies with Cake Mix, and you have a lovely birthday party dessert table.
For a saltier version aimed at a crowd of grown-ups, White Chocolate Pretzel Bark is perfect and can be adapted for any occasion.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Unicorn Bark Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 18 ounces white almond bark
- 3 ounces pink melting wafers
- 3 ounces lavender melting wafers
- Unicorn sprinkles
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Place 18 ounces white almond bark in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, then stir. Continue microwaving at 30-second intervals, stirring after each one, until the almond bark is completely melted and smooth.
- Place 3 ounces pink melting wafers and 3 ounces lavender melting wafers in two separate small microwave-safe bowls. Microwave each on half power for 30 seconds, then stir. Continue at 30-second intervals, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth.
- Pour the melted almond bark onto the lined baking sheet and spread it to about 1/4 inch thick.
- Drop spoonfuls of the melted pink and lavender chocolate randomly over the white base.
- Drag the tip of a knife or a toothpick through the dollops to swirl the colors into a marbled pattern. Stop while the pink and the lavender are still distinct.
- Scatter Unicorn sprinkles across the surface while the chocolate is still wet.
- Freeze for 15 minutes, or until the sheet is firm all the way through.
- Cut the bark into pieces with a large knife, or break it into irregular pieces by hand.
Nutrition
Questions and tips
Storage
Keep unicorn bark in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to two weeks. The refrigerator isn’t a good option, since the cold surface picks up condensation every time the container is opened, and that moisture dulls the finish and bleeds color out of the sprinkles.
For longer storage, freeze the pieces in an airtight container for up to three months, then let the sealed container come back to room temperature before opening.
Yes. Set a dry heatproof bowl over a saucepan holding an inch of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir until most of the bark has melted, then take the bowl off the heat and let the last few lumps melt from the residual warmth. Keep steam and splashes away from the bowl, since any water that gets in will seize the coating.
Both work, and it comes down to what you want it to look like. A large sharp knife gives even rectangles that stack well in a gift box or a favor bag, and breaking it by hand gives the irregular shards that make it look like bark. If you’re cutting, let the sheet sit at room temperature for a minute or two first.
A standard rimmed half sheet pan, 13×18 inches, lined with parchment paper. You aren’t filling the pan corner to corner. Spread the chocolate to about a quarter inch and let the edges stay irregular, which is what makes the finished pieces look like bark rather than like a sheet of candy.
Almond bark and melting wafers usually are, but sprinkles may not be. Some blends use wheat starch or share equipment with wheat products, so check all the labels first.
Yes, with two adjustments. Melt the almond bark in two separate bowls rather than one large one, but do them at two separate times. You’ll never work fast enough to do both at the same time! Spread onto two lined sheet pans so the thickness stays consistent.
