Spooky Halloween Pretzel Bark

This Spooky Halloween Pretzel Bark is so fun to make and brings out the kid in all of us! Rich dark chocolate is smoothed in a line layer, topped with a white-chocolate spiderweb, and then loaded with all your favorite Halloween candy. It looks like it took hours, but really it just takes a little patience while the chocolate sets.

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Why You'll Love This Spooky Halloween Pretzel Bark!

This bark is a fun one to make with the kids, and it is completely customizable, so no two batches ever look the same. Here's why it's going to become a Halloween tradition at your house too.

• Fully customizable: Decorate it with whatever Halloween candy you have on hand. There is no wrong way to do it.
• Sweet and salty: The salty pretzel base is the perfect contrast to the rich chocolate and sweet candy on top.
• A fun activity: This is a great one to let the kids decorate themselves once the chocolate is spread.
• Great for gifting or parties: Break it into pieces, and it is ready for a Halloween party platter or a homemade treat bag.

Equipment Needed

• Rimmed baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Heatproof bowl and saucepan for a double boiler, or a double boiler insert.
• Candy or instant-read thermometer
• Rubber spatula
• Small microwave-safe bowl
• Toothpicks

Key Ingredients

Pretzels: These give a crunchy- salty contrast to the bark.

Ghirardelli 60 Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Bars: I love the flavor of real chocolate here, and tempering it brings that shiny, professional snap. If you would rather skip the tempering process, Ghirardelli also makes candy melts that you can melt and pour, no thermometer required.

White chocolate chips: Melted down with a little oil to make the white chocolate loose enough to drizzle into a spiderweb design.

Coconut oil or vegetable oil: Just a touch is added to the white chocolate to thin it out so it swirls easily with a toothpick.

Halloween candy: This is where you get to have fun. I like candy corn, M&M's, sprinkles, and candy eyes, but decorate with however much of each you like. There is no exact amount here; cover the bark with your favorites.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Chop the 3 Ghirardelli chocolate bars. Add about two and a half bars to a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water a double boiler, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir until melted and bring the chocolate to 114°F.

Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate bar a little at a time. This cools the chocolate to 82°F. You will need to continuously stir to get the temperature down which can take a few minutes- just be patient.

Return the bowl to the double boiler just long enough to gently warm the chocolate back up to 88°F.

Pour the tempered chocolate over the parchment lined paper and spread it in a line layer. It doesn't need to completely cover the paper and it can be in an irregular shape because it will be broken into pieces.

Working quickly, in a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate chips with the coconut or vegetable oil in 20-30-second intervals, stirring between each, until completely smooth and very runny.

To create the spiderweb design, drop small dollops of melted white chocolate over the dark chocolate, spacing them as you like.

Drag a toothpick from the center of each dollop outward in a few straight lines, like rays of sun.

For a fuller web effect, drag a thin circle of the white chocolate around a couple of the dollops as well, then pull the toothpick through it, connecting the strands into a web shape.

While the chocolate is still soft, decorate with the candy corn, M&M's, sprinkles, and candy eyes, pressing down gently so everything sticks.

If you tempered your chocolate let it cool at room temperature and do not refrigerate.

Once set, break the bark into pieces or cut it into squares with a knife.

Storage

Store the pretzel bark in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or in the refrigerator if your kitchen runs warm.

Expert Tips

• Tempering matters: Tempering the chocolate gives you that shiny, snappy bark instead of a soft or dull finish. Follow the temperature closely and use a reliable candy or instant-read thermometer.
• Keep the white chocolate runny: The oil is key here. Without it, the white chocolate will be too thick to drag into thin web lines with a toothpick.
• Work quickly: Once the white chocolate and candy go on, the base chocolate can start to set, so have all of your toppings measured out and ready to go before you start decorating.

Substitutions

• Chocolate melts: If tempering feels like too much, swap the Ghirardelli bars for Ghirardelli chocolate melting wafers. Just melt and pour, no thermometer needed.
• Candy swap: Use whatever Halloween candy you have on hand. Reese's Pieces, candy pumpkins, or chopped peanut butter cups would all work well.
• Pretzels: Mini pretzels or pretzel sticks, broken into pieces work to give that salty bite.
• White chocolate: You can tint the white chocolate with a little orange or purple gel food coloring for a different spooky look instead of the classic web.

Did you try this recipe? Please let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, and a 5- star rating. I would love to hear from you! Subscribe Here to get new recipes sent straight to your inbox!