Lucky Leprechaun Bark is THE perfect green St. Patrick’s Day treat! The kids and adults will love this festive green candy!

I have never really been one to go crazy for St. Patricks Day. As a child, I loved coming up with leprechaun trap ideas and all of the cute green decorations that my mom would put out but as an adult, it hasn’t really been one of my favorite holidays.

However, I happened to be downtown in Chicago for their St. Patrick’s Day parade a few years ago and it was impossible to not get in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit! The Chicago river was dyed green and everywhere you turned, people were dressed from head to toe with all things green — hats, socks, shirts, suspenders, glasses, pants! So much green.

Now that I have a little guy of my own, it has been fun to find little ways to make St. Patrick’s Day special. He’s a preschooler and just loves all of the holidays. I usually try to print out some cute St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages with leprechauns and rainbows. And I always put out a few decorations because he just loves that stuff.

In years past I’ve searched Pinterest for something cute to make but this year I decided to come up with my own St. Patrick’s Day treat idea which is how this Lucky Leprechaun Bark came to be!

How to make homemade bark

If you’ve never made homemade bark before, it couldn’t be any simpler to make.

• Begin with candy melts – you’ll need 24 ounces
• Melt – the best part about using candy melts is that they are designed to melt easily
• Spread – spread the melted candy melts onto a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet
• Add sprinkles – get fun and festive! There are so many fun St. Patrick’s Day themed sprinkles available online and in craft stores.
• Freeze or chill – allow the bark to firm up in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for 2 hours
• Break into pieces
• Store in an air-tight container

I went to Jo-Ann fabrics and found some super cute Wilton Rainbow Sprinkles along with Wilton Gold Sugar Pearls.

I had originally wanted to find Rainbow Airhead Bites (found here) to sprinkle on top but all of my local stores were sold out so I turned to Amazon where I found strips of rainbow candy. They were called “Smarty Stop Sour Candy Belts All Color” and you can find them here. I cut the strips into bite sized pieces and sprinkled them on top.

Difference between Almond Bark and Candy Melts

Almond Bark and Candy Melts are both used to make candy and in baking. They are similar in that they have added ingredients so that tempering isn’t required like it is if you are melting chocolate.

Both almond bark or candy melts can be used in this recipe, but if you can get your hands on them, Wilton Candy Melts, those work best, especially because they are already green!

Here are a few difference between almond bark and candy melts:

• Melting – both almond bark and candy melts melt quickly and easily. Candy Melts tend to be a bit more smooth than almond bark.
• Flavor – both have a subtle flavor. Candy melts come in a variety of additional flavors including vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.
• Texture – almond bark tends to have a smooth texture while candy melts have a firmer texture

It mostly comes down to personal preference. When I’m making cake pops or cake balls, I prefer almond bark. For this leprechaun bark, I prefer candy melts.

St. Patrick’s Day wouldn’t be the same without a green treat. This Lucky Leprechaun Bark is so easy to make, so festive, and one batch is plenty for a crowd.

May the luck of the Irish be with you!

Enjoy. :)

PS: If you’re looking for a fantastic St. Patrick’s Day appetizer for your party, check out our Slow Cooker Reuben Dip!

Pro tip: I have found that Wilton has the best selection of candy melts and sprinkles. Many of them can be purchased online or in stores like Jo-Ann Fabrics or Michaels.