Easy-peasy: Quick, customizable Spooky Halloween Chocolate Bark comes together in a snap

This recipe should really be called “Best Last-Minute Dessert” or maybe “Insert Holiday Here” Bark. The most accurate might be “I Bet You Can Make This Right Now” Chocolate Bark, because odds are you already have on hand what you need to stir up this batch of yumminess. The only must-have ingredient is a partial bag of chocolate chips — that’s it! From there, you are limited only by what’s in your cupboards.

No matter the season, this is one of the first desserts you can make with the littlest of kids. You — of course — will be in charge of melting and spreading the heated chocolate, and they’ll be in charge of dropping in their favorite mix-ins. If you’re like me — multiple kids/adults with multiple palates — you can make smaller pans of chocolate bark, and each one of your little goblins can customize their toppings.

• Karen Nochimowski is the author of “6-Minute Dinners (& More!),” a cookbook filled with over 100 simple and delicious recipes with six ingredients or less, including nut-free and allergy-friendly options, to help busy families get dinner on the table with ease. Karen also started and runs Momma Chef’s Soup Kitchen and Momma Chef’s Little Free Pantries in Chicago, which provides food at no cost to those in need around Chicago. So far Karen has provided over 20,000 meals and over 15,000 pounds of nonperishable food. Part of the proceeds from the cookbook go toward feeding those facing food insecurity.

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Spooky Halloween Chocolate Bark

(Gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free)

Prep: 5 minutes

Refrigerate: 25 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 cup (8 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

20 Candy Corn

1 small bag of M&M’s (I like to use the 1.69-ounce bag)

Directions:

Spray a small disposable pan (9-by-13) with vegetable spray.

Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute 30 seconds.

Mix and microwave for another minute until all the chocolate is melted.

Spread the mixture into a greased pan and drop in the candy corn and M&M’s.

Refrigerate for at least 25 minutes until set.

Break up the chocolate bark and enjoy!

― Karen Nochimowski