Raspberry Peppermint Bark

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One of the “treats” I really miss since I have been on the autoimmune protocol are the peppermint candies and candy canes that pop up around the holidays. While I am not about to go near the food dyes, processed sugar and chemical flavorings found in the conventional ones, I thought it might be nice to try and recreate that flavor with ingredients that are safe for those on the elimination diet.

This peppermint bark is made out of a base of coconut concentrate and coconut oil, along with honey and peppermint extract that have been cooked down a little bit (mostly to get the alcohol in the extract to burn off since it is an autoimmune protocol no-no). I use freeze-dried raspberries for an added crunch and to add that festive red color to the bark. Since they are made mostly of coconut concentrate, they have a softer texture than traditional peppermint bark or brittle – these are more like a fudge (and much easier on the teeth!).

About the coconut concentrate – my favorite is this product, but you can either make your own or find it in your local market (sometimes it can be called coconut manna, coconut cream, or coconut butter). It is NOT the stuff at the top of a can of coconut milk – if you use that your recipe will not turn out! For the peppermint extract, you are looking for a product with the only ingredients being alcohol and peppermint oil (like this one). Be sure to read the ingredients carefully, as many contain soybean oil, cottonseed oil, or glycerin (among other things!). Lastly, be sure to use whipped honey – regular honey is much more runny and the consistency will not come out hard enough.

I give this disclaimer every time I post a sweet treat recipe – I do believe that having too many sweets or treats on the autoimmune protocol will hinder your progress. That being said, I don’t believe that is reason to deprive yourself, especially at holiday parties or events with family. I like to have a stash of these in my freezer, and I might break off a 1/4 of one for a little nibble after dinner – similar to what others would do with a square of chocolate. Since changing my diet to include almost no concentrated sugar, stuff like this is overwhelmingly sweet to me and I can only tolerate it in small doses. I guess what I am trying to say is that I don’t recommend making a whole batch and eating it quickly!


Raspberry Peppermint Bark
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
It takes 2 hours for the Peppermint Bark to set in the freezer.
Serves: 8 slices
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Place the honey, coconut oil, and peppermint extract in a small saucepan and heat on medium-low as you stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, and let cook, stirring, for 8 minutes. It should get very bubbly, and you may have to turn the heat down to keep it from bubbling over.
  2. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
  3. When it has cooled a little bit, place into a high-powered blender or food processor with the coconut concentrate and filtered water. Blend/process on high until fully incorporated. If it seems as though some of the liquid is not incorporating with the coconut, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time and blend until you get a thick, uniform paste.
  4. Pour onto a small cookie sheet (or anything else flat that will fit in your freezer - use two vessels if you have to) lined with parchment paper and spread out with a spatula until it is ¼-inch thick. Sprinkle the raspberries over top, gently pressing down on them so that they stick to the bark.
  5. Place in the freezer for 2 hours to set. Use a knife to slice them into any shape you like, and store in a sealed container in either the refrigerator or the freezer.

 

About Mickey Trescott

Mickey Trescott is a co-founder here at Autoimmune Wellness and a co-teacher of AIP Certified Coach. After recovering from her own struggle with both Celiac and Hashimoto’s disease, adrenal fatigue, and multiple vitamin deficiencies, Mickey started to write about her experience to share with others and help them realize they are not alone in their struggles. She has a Master's degree in Human Nutrition and Functional Nutrition, and is the author of three best-selling books--The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook, The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook, and The Nutrient-Dense Kitchen. You can watch her AIP cooking demos by following her on Instagram.

39 comments

  • Devona Sherwood says

    Hi Mickey, happy holidays!!
    Thanks for posting this, I’m in the middle of making my dark/white chocolate peppermint bark and would LOVE your thoughts on what is going wrong. I’m using cacao butter, honey and raw cacao for the dark with peppermint essential oil, and cacao butter and honey for the white. I am having a problem with the cacao butter and honey separating. Any tips?
    Thanks!!
    Devona

    • Mickey says

      Devona,
      I am not sure I can help you troubleshoot a recipe that isn’t mine. I know for my recipe, I use a high-powered blender to combine everything at the end. Maybe yours needs a good blend?

      Hope it helps!

      Mickey

  • ubetsya says

    Sounds delicious! Do you have a substitute recommendation for those of us who are allergic to honey? Thanks.

    • Mickey says

      Ubetsya,
      You could try maple syrup, but I think the bars will come out much softer. Let me know if you come up with something good!

  • Gayane says

    Hi Mickey. I just brought the book today. Very excited to do 30 days. What about the vitamins, are we still have to take it. My concerned about vitamin D, everywhere I looked, it has soy oil. Is it OK to have it. I checked all vitamins and All of them have some kind of adding. Don’t know what to do.
    Thanks. Gayane

    • Mickey says

      Gayane, Awesome, I am so excited for you! Your vitamins should be fine as long as they don’t contain any disallowed ingredients. Look for things like rice flour as a filler. It is not ok to have vitamin D with soy oil. I use a product that has the vitamin D emulsified in MCT oil derived from coconut. You should be able to find a product on Amazon if you can’t find one locally.

      Best of luck to you!

      Mickey

  • Hayley says

    Hey Mickey, this recipe looks absolutely beautiful 🙂 Just wanted to ask you a quick question about something you mentioned in this post- glycerin. I am on the autoimmune protocol but I do use a few supplements that have questionable ingredients. One of them is a glutathione supplement that contains glycerin. Now that I think of it, my psoriasis symptoms started flaring shortly after I began taking it- but that could also be due to other things. I don’t know if I should stop taking this supplement as it really seems to help with my energy levels. Do you think glycerin is something that I absolutely need to be concerned about?

    • Mickey says

      Hayley,
      That sounds like a valid suspicion. While I don’t think glycerine is specifically something to avoid, if you noticed a flare after starting to use it then that is a sign you should stay away from it for awhile and reintroduce. It also might not be that ingredient. Glutathione is not absorbed well taken internally – I know there are topical versions that are much more effective. Maybe ask your health care practitioner to suggest an alternative?

  • Kitty says

    Thank you for your wonderful recipes. Sometimes I get overloaded with what I can or should not eat. But I can always trust your recipes to be exactly what my body can assimilate and needs. I look forward to you recipes as they are a bright spot in my day.

  • Margaret says

    Hello,
    I’m also follwing your protocol an I would like to add some treats every now an again
    I would like to make the peppermint bark . But what do you mean by whipped honey
    Do you buy it already like that.

    • Mickey says

      Hi Margaret, yes I buy it whipped already from Trader Joes. The important thing is that it is more firm than solid honey. Hope it helps!

      Mickey

      • Margaret says

        Thank you Mickey, I found that honey today at my health food store. I also have the artisan raw coconut flesh meat to make the peppermint bark. Will that work because I
        Couldn’t get coconut concentrate from tropical traditions in time.

        Thanks
        Margaret

        • Mickey says

          Hi Margaret,
          Yes, as long as it is creamed – it should be hard at room temperature. Good luck!

  • Mango says

    Hi there, This sounds fab. Just wondering though what is coconut concentrate? Cheers

    • Mickey says

      Hi Mango,
      I explain what it is as well as where to purchase or make in the text above the recipe 🙂

      Mickey

  • Lisa says

    What is coconut concentrate??

    • Mickey says

      Hi Lisa,
      I explain what it is as well as where to purchase or make in the text above the recipe 🙂

      Mickey

  • Barb says

    Where you find freeze-dried raspberries?

    • Mickey says

      Hi Barb,
      I have a link to a brand sold on Amazon there in the ingredients lists. Locally, I found mine at Whole Foods but they also have them at Trader Joes.

      Mickey

  • Julianna says

    This seems so yummy but a pit expensive bc of the unusual ingredients. Particularly the raspberries. The link you gave, you would need two packages to get to 1/4 cup and to make this in a larger quantity for the holidays would require a lot more Raspberries. I guess its best as a home made treat for ones self then like a cookie/candy exchange. I know my husband would love this so maybe I will make it for him and wrap it up as a gift 🙂

    • Mickey says

      Hi Julianna,
      I think you are confusing weight with volume – since the raspberries are freeze-dried, they are quite light. I’m not sure exactly how many ounces the package I bought at Whole Foods was (maybe 2?), but I was able to make 4 batches out of it. 2 ounces = 1/4 cup only when we are talking liquid, not volume. Hope that clears things up!

      Mickey

  • Jennifer says

    Hi Mickey, I made this bark for a Christmas treat but it seems something went wrong. While heating the honey, oil and peppermint, it seemed that the honey caramelized and the mixture turned brown. So the bark came out caramel colored instead of white. Any idea what might have gone wrong? Maybe medium-low heat on that stove is too high for this recipe? Thanks! Jennifer

    • Mickey says

      Jennifer,
      I am so sorry that happened! I think your heat may have been too high, because it should not have enough time to caramelize. When I make it, the honey and oil stay separated for a bit, then they combine and its time to take it off the heat. I hope it still tasted good!

      Mickey

  • Kate says

    This sounds amazing, I was just wondering about the honey. I thought honey was a no no on the Whole30 program. Is this something you could have when re introducing foods??
    Thankyou

    • Mickey says

      Hi Kate,
      Honey is OK in moderation on AIP, but is not included on Whole 30. My site is AIP but not Whole 30. Hope it clarifies things!

      Mickey

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  • Cindy says

    Could I use raw honey from Tropical Traditions? It looks creamy but not listed that way and I have 3 jars of it. Any thoughts on that? Thanks so much.

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Cindy,
      You can try, is it pretty solid at room temperature? If it is too runny the bark won’t hold together properly.

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  • Tamara says

    Do the raspberries have to be freeze dried? Can I use frozen? I have everything else and won’t get to the store for a few days. :). They look too good to wait!

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Hi Tamara, yes, the do need to be freeze-dried or the texture will not be right. Sorry!

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