Looking for an easy Indian fusion dessert to impress your guests? Try this bark dessert recipe made with white chocolate and thandai masala.
This no-cook, no-bake white chocolate bark recipe is unique, made with very few ingredients, and in just 15 minutes.
What is Thandai
Thandai is a milk-based drink that is very popular in the north of India and is often consumed during the Holi festival and during Mahashivratri.
This drink is made with a special Thandai masala that's prepared with a variety of nuts and spices. It is an extremely refreshing, nourishing, and delicious drink.
What is a chocolate bark
Chocolate bark is a no-cook dessert recipe where chocolate chips are melted and then poured onto a tray and flattened to resemble a thick sheet.
It's then topped with nuts, dried fruits, candies, or even additional pieces of chocolate. This is then left to sit at room temperature or in the fridge till it sets.
Once it's set, the sheet is broken into bite-sized pieces and served. So you can see that it is one of the easiest and prettiest looking desserts!
No wonder, Bark recipes are one of the most popular holiday/festive desserts!
I too, keep going back to making chocolate barks every time I need to make a quick and easy dessert to impress my guests!
BTW, do you know how it got its name 'Bark'? That's because the final product resembles the craggy surface of a tree.
Try this fusion dessert
You should know by now how much I love creating easy fusion desserts and savory recipes to impress guests!
Recipes like Gulkand Shrikhand Tarts, Mexican Pani Puri, or Dabeli Pita Bread Pizza are beautiful examples of how you get a wonderful dish when two cuisines come together.
Thandai Chocolate Bark recipe is my way of enjoying two of my favorite sweet treats together! Adding thandai flavors to chocolate bark gives it such a refreshing new flavor!
You see, that is the beauty of bark recipes, they're versatile and you can customize them to your liking. This easy Indian dessert is going to be your favorite, I promise!
If you are here because it is the holiday season or you are celebrating some festival or an important milestone in your life and need a dessert to celebrate it, look no further.
You can always rely on this extremely easy and flavorful easy Indian dessert recipe called Thandai White Chocolate Bark to make the day even more special.
Although, let me warn you. This sweet treat is so tasty, you’ll want to make it all year round! I will not judge you at all if you do so because I plan on doing it too!
Why make this
I like recipes like these that are mess-free and require fewer utensils which means you have less cleaning to do.
If you are a chocolate lover, you will love this white chocolate bark recipe. Not just you, impress your loved ones with this easy dessert recipe!
- No-cook, no-bake recipe
- An easy Indian fusion dessert
- Great way to engage your little ones to help you make it
- It's kids approved
- It can easily be made vegan
- A crowd-pleaser
- 100% customizable based on your taste and liking
- Toppings can be customized
- They make great edible holiday gifts
- Can be made ahead of time
- Is scalable
- They are perfect for any holiday or occasion
Ingredients needed
Chocolate chips - I have used white chocolate chips in this dessert recipe. Always use good quality chocolate to get the best results.
You can use white, milk, or dark chocolate chips. If you are vegan, use vegan chocolate chips.
Thandai masala - I prefer to use homemade thandai masala for this recipe. You can also buy thandai powder at any Indian grocery store or on Amazon.
Toppings - Edible dried rose petals, pistachios, sliced almonds (optional), and red food color (optional) are the toppings I have used to keep the flavors authentic.
How to make it
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- Add chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl.
- Melt the chocolate chips completely. Refer to the instructions on the packet to do so. When done, melted chocolate should be glossy, liquid and smooth.
- Once it's completely melted, take it out of the microwave and add Thandai masala to it. Mix well.
- Line a cookie tray with parchment paper and pour this mixture over it. Using an offset spatula, spread it flat. Do not spread it too thin or too thick. Thickness should be around ¼ inch.
- Chop pistachios using a nuts chopper. Sprinkle them all over the chocolate along with edible dried rose petals and sliced almonds (if adding).
- Sprinkle red food color too at this point if adding it.
- Work quickly because the chocolate should not harden before the toppings go on.
- Once you have added the toppings, press it into the chocolate, lightly.
- As an additional step, you can also twirl it using a toothpick.
- Let it set/harden at room temperature for atleast 5-6 hours. To hasten the process, you can set it in the fridge.
- When its hardened, break it into bite-sized random pieces. Or slice them evenly using a sharp knife.
Serving suggestions
Thandai Chocolate Bark makes a great snack for children and adults. It's one of those simple, easy, yet exotic desserts that will impress everyone.
It can be served at parties, date nights, functions, holidays, festivals like Holi, Diwali, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, potlucks, brunches, etc.
They can also be packed as homemade edible gifts. They also look very pretty when served on a charcuterie board along with other sweet treats!
In fact, you can dress up this chocolate bark based on the occasion you plan to serve it for. The recipe is very customizable.
Make this easy dessert with white chocolate ahead of time and then serve it whenever you want to impress your guests!
Top recipe tips
Instead of chocolate chips, you can also melt a chocolate bar and use it. If you are vegan, use dairy-free chocolate chips. Use white, milk, or dark chocolate in this recipe.
Make sure all of your bowls and utensils used in this recipe are totally clean and dry. Even a drop of water can ruin the chocolate.
Remember, chocolate overheats and burns very quickly particularly white chocolate. If melting in the microwave, do it in increments of 10 seconds.
Add vanilla essence or rose essence to give this traditional fusion dessert an even nicer flavor.
Do not spread this white chocolate bark dessert too thin or too thick. There is no right way to break the bark, have fun with it.
Leftover thandai masala can be stored in an airtight container. You can use it to make another batch of this easy Indian dessert or make a Thandai milkshake with it!
Recipe FAQs
Maybe the chocolate was not tempered or melted properly. No need to worry, just leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours and it will harden.
Fill a saucepan with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Place a slightly smaller, heat-safe bowl on top of the saucepan.
Place chocolate in the smaller bowl and keep mixing it frequently, ensuring that all the chocolate melts consistently. This can take 2-3 minutes.
When done, melted chocolate should be glossy, but liquid and smooth. This technique of melting chocolate is called the double boiler method.
Toppings are very customizable. You can get creative with it. To give it a more festive feel, add some colorful mukhwaas to the chocolate mix.
Use nuts, M&Ms, edible flowers, shaved chocolate, sprinkles, seeds, dried fruits, candies, and/or pretzels. To make it nut-free, use pepitas and/or sunflower seeds.
When selecting toppings, keep in mind the color contrast, textures, and flavors it will add to this dessert. Feel free to add as little or more when garnishing the bark.
Store them in the fridge in an airtight container. Serve as and when needed. This stays good for 2-3 weeks.
They can also be frozen. Wrap each piece in cling wrap or parchment paper. Then, transfer them all to a large freezer bag and store them in the freezer for 3 months.
When it's time to thaw the White Chocolate Bark, keep it all wrapped up and let it defrost gradually so that it returns to room temperature.
More easy Indian Fusion Desserts
Recipe 📖
White Chocolate Thandai Bark Recipe
Equipment
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Cookie Tray
Ingredients
- 11 oz white chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoon thandai masala
- 2 tablespoon chopped pistachios
- 2 tablespoon edible dried rose petals
- ¼ teaspoon red food color optional
Instructions
- Add chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Melt white chocolate chips completely. Refer to the instructions on the packet to do so. When done, melted chocolate should be glossy but liquid and smooth.
- Once it's completely melted, take it out of the microwave and add Thandai masala to it. Mix it in.
- Line a cookie tray with parchment paper and pour this mixture over it. Using an offset spatula, spread it flat. Do not spread it too thin or too thick. The thickness should be around ¼ inch.
- Chop pistachios using a nuts chopper. Sprinkle them all over the chocolate along with edible dried rose petals. Sprinkle red food color too at this point if adding it.
- Once you have added the toppings, press it into the chocolate, lightly. As an additional step, you can also twirl it using a toothpick.
- Let it set/harden at room temperature for at least 5-6 hours. To fasten the process, you can set it in the fridge.
- When it's hardened, break it into bite-sized random pieces. Or slice them evenly using a sharp knife.
Nart at Cooking with Nart says
This looks amazing. I prefer white chocolate to milk. Will give this recipe a try!
Priya says
Thank you os much 🙂
Yukti says
Hey priya
Can this be made with couverture chocolate? I mean I'll have to temper it first?
Priya says
Yes, you can if it sets well. I have not tried it.
Scarlet | Family Focus Blog says
This sounds like a favorite with an exotic, flavorful twist! I'm all in! I can't wait to try this thandai bark with the pretty rose petals.
Priya says
that is exactly what it is 🙂 do try it and let me know how it turned out.
Tisha says
Any sweat treat that is no bake and simple to make has my vote! This looks incredible and the color is amazing!
Priya says
I know right! Love how simple this dessert is and not to forget..extremely delicious 🙂 Thank you.
Deepali says
The picture looks amazing. I will definitely try this recipe as it is super easy to make. Keep posting such easy and tasty recipes.
Priya says
I am so glad you like it. Do share a picture with me when you make it. Would love to see your creations from the blog. Thank you.
Toni says
Oh wow! My kids would love to grab them right now!
Priya says
Yay! Do make it for them..in fact you can ask them to help you with it! 🙂
Tara says
Oh yum! Such a wonderful bark recipe. These look gorgeous with the rose petal and mixed nut topping.
Priya says
Thank you. 🙂
Kamni Maskara says
This looks so unique n amazing. Believe its much more amazing in taste. ❤ superbly displayed !
Priya says
So glad you liked it. Thank you for leaving me a feedback here 🙂
Erika says
I love bark! This is so pretty with the flowers.
Priya says
I know right! Makes it even more appetizing 🙂
Kait | Slumber & Scones says
This looks so gorgeous with the rose petals, and sounds like it will be super tasty. It's perfect for a spring treat to share with family and friends.
Priya says
Thank you! I love that this dessert is so easy to make, that I can make it whenever I am craving for something sweet! 🙂