'CELEBRATE THE PUMPKIN' SWIRL BARK
Fall is here and that means finding all the ways to celebrate pumpkin – and what better way to do that than with a fun, free form and double chocolate treat? For an elegant recipe, try this ‘Celebrate the Pumpkin’ bark as the perfect recipe to get you in the autumn spirit. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also incredibly easy to make!
This pumpkin bark swirls the perfect combination of creamy white chocolate, rich milk chocolate, and spicy pumpkin. In addition to the creamy chocolaty goodness, enjoy this bark with delicious easy-to-toast homemade toasted pumpkin seeds on top. I saved the pumpkin seeds from all of our pumpkin carving.
Decorating it with pumpkin seeds adds a crunchy texture, and other toppings of your choice enhance this warm and comforting combination of flavors. Not to mention, this bark is the perfect dessert to serve at your next fall get-together, pack up as a holiday gift, or make as a sweet treat for your family. Feel free to experiment with different seasonings, ratios, etc to find your favorite flavor combination!
This weekend, my son and I are attending our first of many Halloween events and will be wrapping these up to feed a crowd of families! So celebrate the season with me and try out all the goodness that this season has to offer with this fall-inspired treat!
‘Celebrate the Pumpkin’ Swirl Bark
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Pinch of salt
Ingredients for the Bark:
- 12 oz of white chocolate bar + 6oz for mixing with the pumpkin not chocolate chips
- 12 oz of semi-sweet chocolate bar not chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree
- 1/2 to 3/4 of a bag of soft caramels melted or the caramel sauce of your choice
- 2 tablespoons milk 2% or whole
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 cup of roasted pumpkin seeds
- Toppings of your choice we recommend chopped pecans, sea salt, or crushed graham crackers
Instructions
Instructions for Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Clean and dry your pumpkin seeds. Remove any stringy bits of flesh and rinse the seeds thoroughly with water. Pat dry with paper towels.
- In a medium bowl, mix the pumpkin seeds with the olive oil, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Stir well to coat the seeds evenly.
- Spread the seeds out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Roast the pumpkin seeds in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy.
- Take the seeds out of the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes.
- Transfer the cooled pumpkin seeds to a bowl to cool completely.
Instructions for Pumpkin Bark:
- Don’t turn off the oven just yet! Lower the oven temperature to 250°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (use non-stick spray under the parchment to hold it in place).
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt in the microwave the white chocolate until just melted (about 6 oz.), 10 seconds at a time, stopping to stir until it just melted. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- In another microwave safe bowl, melt in the microwave the soft caramels and the milk until just melted as well, checking and stirring every 10 seconds.
- Mix the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon with the melted white chocolate and set aside.
- While the caramels and white chocolate are melting, lay the remaining white chocolate onto the baking sheet and the milk chocolate as well. Arrange both sets of chocolate in whatever design you like and stick them in the oven until just melted - check every 2-5 minutes.
Assembly:
- Once the chocolates are melted in the oven, dollop the pumpkin white chocolate mixture and the melted caramel over the melted chocolate in the pan.
- Using a spoon or an offset spatula, swirl all three chocolates and mixtures together in whatever design you like.
- Sprinkle pumpkin seeds and any other desired toppings onto the bark.
- Refrigerate the bark for 1-2 hours, or until hardened.
- Once hardened, break the bark into abstract bite-sized pieces and enjoy!
