Dark Chocolate Bacon Bark with Salted Caramel & Pomegranate

Indulge your sweet-salty side with this Dark Chocolate Bacon Bark with Salted Caramel & Pomegranate – layered with Ghirardelli dark chocolate, silky salted caramel, crisp bacon, and juicy pomegranate arils. A holiday treat that’s as extra as it sounds.

I’m so excited to be a part of Craving of a Lunatic’s Christmas week this year! It’s a big giveaway just in time for Christmas, not to mention some fantastic recipes. Please make sure to enter to win below and continue to check back in, there’s more goodies coming from so many talented bloggers (list below)! 

Welcome to Day 1 of Christmas Week.

This annual event was started in 2012, and is hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic. This year we have over 35 bloggers sharing festive sweet recipes for the event. Plus we all chipped in for a huge Amazon Gift Card Giveaway so be sure to enter!

I made Chocolate Caramel Bacon Bark, and I couldn’t be happier with it.

What Is Dark Chocolate Bacon Bark with Salted Caramel & Pomegranate?

This is the perfect combination of sweet and salty with a crunch. The bark has a base of good quality dark chocolate, which is Ghirardelli. It’s the best chocolate for melting and making candy or ganache. It’s just superior.

If you’ve never had bacon in your chocolate, congratulations; you’re about to cross over to the dark side (pun intended). This Dark Chocolate Bacon Bark with Salted Caramel & Pomegranate is what happens when your sweet tooth and your salt addiction get together for the holidays.

It’s ridiculously easy, too. Melt down Ghirardelli dark chocolate (because let’s not ruin something this good with mediocre chocolate). Pour it out on parchment, swirl in a glossy layer of salted caramel, then throw on crispy bacon crumbles and pomegranate arils like the chaotic culinary artist you are. Chill, break into jagged pieces, and try not to eat half the pan before it sets.

Perfect for gifting, cookie trays, or just eating straight out of the fridge while avoiding your relatives. It’s the kind of recipe that looks fancy, tastes even fancier, and takes about 15 minutes total. Win-win-win.

Tips:

• Bacon: Cook it crisp, let it drain completely, and cool before crumbling. Soggy bacon ruins the vibe.

• Caramel: You can use jarred salted caramel or make your own if you’re feeling extra.

• Storage: Keeps up to a week in an airtight container (if it lasts that long).

Pair it with a glass of champagne, a bourbon cocktail, or a night of Hallmark movies and holiday denial.

If you’re feelin’ bougie, you could order some Coop’s Salted Caramel Sauce and knock everyone’s Christmas stockings off. This stuff is buttery, rich and salty. No need in spending a ton of money on bacon, because the middle of the road, good bacon will be perfect. Just fry it up, or microwave it, until done and crush it.

The pomegranate arils are the little jewels that make it beautiful.

And delicious.

They’re kind of like a cross between a sweet cranberry and a red Pop Rock, but with a Gusher center. You would probably have to either be a preteen or the mother of one to understand all that, but it’s the best I could do. The way the little things pop in your mouth and give you a rush of sweet/tart pomegranate juice sets them apart from any other fruit. 

🌀 Variables (aka: Permission to Play)

Chocolate bark is a playground, not a contract. If you want to riff on this Dark Chocolate Bacon Bark, go wild:

• Chocolate: Milk or white chocolate totally works if you’re more sweet than bitter. (Or swirl two together and call it “marble bark” – bougie.)

• Caramel: Use salted, regular, or even bourbon caramel if you’re in an “extra holiday” kind of mood.

• Fruit: Not feeling pomegranate? Try dried cherries, cranberries, or even orange zest for a citrus kick.

• Bacon: Maple-cured, candied, or thick-cut – pick your poison, just make sure it’s crispy.

• Toppings: Crushed pretzels, toasted almonds, or flaky sea salt all love hanging out on top of chocolate.

Basically, if it’s edible and makes you happy, it probably belongs in bark.

🍷 What to Serve With Chocolate Caramel Bacon Bark

This bark may technically count as “dessert,” but it doesn’t play by dessert’s usual rules – so neither should your pairings.

Drinks that love it:

• Red wine — Go bold here: a cabernet or zinfandel stands up beautifully to the chocolate and bacon combo.

• Bourbon or whiskey — That caramel undertone? Match made in heaven.

• Espresso martini — Fancy meets filthy. Don’t fight it.

• Hot cocoa with a splash of Baileys — You’re an adult. You’ve earned this.

If you’re putting together a spread:
Serve it next to:

• A cheese board loaded with aged cheddar, brie, and nuts — because we’re mixing sweet and savory like pros.

• Salted caramel brownies or peppermint bark for a full-blown holiday candy tray.

• Candied nuts or bacon-wrapped dates if you’re doubling down on the “sweet and salty” theme.

Pro move: Wrap shards of the bark in clear cellophane bags with red or gold ribbon and call it a “homemade holiday gift.” No one needs to know it only took 15 minutes and zero effort.

Before cracking that pom wide open, please watch my video below, How to Cut a Pomegranate. My method drastically reduces messes, prevents stains from the pomegranate juice, as well as a lot of frustration.

Hey, it’s a messy job.

Here’s my Caramel Bacon Bark and your printable –

Continue to Content

Chocolate Caramel Bacon Bark

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Indulge your sweet-salty side with this Dark Chocolate Bacon Bark - layered with Ghirardelli dark chocolate, silky salted caramel, crisp bacon, and juicy pomegranate arils. A holiday treat that’s as extra as it sounds.

Print

Ingredients

• 12 oz. Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips
• 10 oz. jar caramel, like Coops Salted Caramel sauce
• 4 strips bacon, cooked until crispy and crushed
• ½ Pomegranate, arils removed and pith discarded

Instructions

1. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat on 50% power for 45 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until melted.
2. Pour chocolate onto parchment paper sprayed with non stick cooking spray*.
3. Drizzle caramel over the chocolate, sprinkle bacon and pomegranate arils over the top.
4. Freeze for 20 minutes; remove and break apart.

Notes

*Don't let too much time pass between pouring chocolate and the rest of the bark ingredients - if the chocolate hardens too much, nothing will stick to it.

Recommended Products

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated websites.

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  Gibson 3 Tiered Platter Stand with Rectangle Plates, Appetizer Serving Tray
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  Stock Your Home 200 Ct Unbleached Parchment Paper Sheets, Pre Cut Parchment Paper Sheets for Baking, Air fryer Sheets & Oven Liners FOr cookies, Bread, meat, Pizza (10.7”x13.75”)
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  NutriChef Non Toxic Baking Pan, Medium and Large Cookie Sheets, Premium Nonstick Carbon Steel (Set of 2)

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 189Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 162mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 2gSugar: 26gProtein: 3g

The provided nutrition calculated may not always be accurate.

Did you make this recipe?

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Christmas Week Amazon Gift Card Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada. Giveaway will run from December 7, 2015 to December 26, 2015. Winners must be 18 years of age. Winners will be notified by email. Winners will be asked a skill testing question.  This giveaway is over.

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Please visit all our talented participants:

Pistachio Brittle from Cravings of a Lunatic
Coconut Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake from Desserts Required
Peppermint Bark from Poet in the Pantry
Eggnog Pound Cake from The Redhead Baker
Quince, Cranberry and Persimmon Crisps from Pineapple and Coconut
Chocolate Fruit ‘n Nut Bites from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
Fancy Chocolate Covered Marshallows from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
Marzipan Fruits from The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Eggnog Truffles from Crumb: A Food Blog
Peppermint Fudge from The Bitter Side of Sweet
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes from Amee’s Savory Dish
Gingerbread Cake with Orange Cream Glaze from Comfortably Domestic
Christmas Sweets and Treats from Food Done Light
Spiked Hot Cocoa Gift Mix from Farm Fresh Feasts
Chanukah Olive Oil Cookies from Mother Would Know
Coconut Pralines from Food Lust People Love
Blueberry Overnight Sweet Rolls from My Catholic Kitchen
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies from Daily Appetite
Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps from Try Anything Once Culinary
Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Dark Chocolate Almond Cheesecake Cups from Savory Experiments
Bourbon Soaked Eggnog Cake from Cooking In Stilettos
Ginger Snap Cocktail from Food Babbles
Coquito Cinnamon Roll Bundt from Mind Over Batter
No-Bake Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Easy White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge from Big Bear’s Wife
Easy Cream Cheese Cookies from Everyday Southwest
Gingerbread Cookie Bars from From Gate to Plate
Molasses Ginger Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Apricot Spice Biscotti from Savoring Italy
Caramel Bacon Bark from Dixie Chik Cooks
Gluten Free Chocolate Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies from The Tomato Tart
Easy Macadamia Cashew Brittle from Aloha Flavor

Recipes from Day 1 of Christmas Week! Please visit all our talented participants:

Pistachio Brittle from Cravings of a Lunatic
Peppermint Ice Cream Fudge Pie from Desserts Required
Peppermint Bark from Poet in the Pantry
Eggnog Pound Cake from The Redhead Baker
Simple Pain Au Chocolate Au Amandes from Pineapple and Coconut
Cranberry Marshmallow Krispie Treats from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
Fancy Chocolate Covered Marshallows from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Mini Eggnog Cream Pies from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
Christmas Cookies from Cooking on the Front Burner
Marzipan Fruits from The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Eggnog Truffles from Crumb: A Food Blog
Peppermint Fudge from The Bitter Side of Sweet
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes from Amee’s Savory Dish
Gingerbread Cake with Orange Cream Glaze from Comfortably Domestic
Christmas Sweets and Treats from Food Done Light
Spiked Hot Cocoa Gift Mix from Farm Fresh Feasts
Chanukah Olive Oil Cookies from Mother Would Know
Coconut Pralines from Food Lust People Love
Blueberry Overnight Sweet Rolls from My Catholic Kitchen
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies from Daily Appetite
Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps from Try Anything Once Culinary
Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Dark Chocolate Almond Cheesecake Cups from Savory Experiments
Bourbon Soaked Eggnog Cake from Cooking In Stilettos
Ginger Snap Cocktail from Food Babbles
Coquito Cinnamon Roll Bundt from Mind Over Batter
No-Bake Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Easy White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge from Big Bear’s Wife
Authentic Mexican Marranitos or Gingerbread Pigs from Everyday Southwest
Gingerbread Oatmeal Creme Pies from From Gate to Plate
Molasses Ginger Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Apricot Spice Biscotti from Savoring Italy
Caramel Bacon Bark from Dixie Chik Cooks
Coconut Bars from The Tomato Tart
Spiced Macadamia Cashew Brittle from Aloha Flavor
See’s Fudge from CopyKat Recipes

This post was updated on November 1st, 2025.