Did Trader Joes discontinue cowboy bark?

With just a few ingredients, you can make a copycat of Trader Joe's Cowboy Bark in no time. With rich dark chocolate, nuts, crispy pretzels, buttery toffee and sweet Oreos, Trader Joe's Cowboy Bark is a beloved (and sadly discontinued ) treat.

What is bark candy made of?

Like other forms of sheet candy, such as brittle, peppermint bark is generally made by pouring tempered chocolate over the top of crushed hard peppermint . Once the chocolate has cooled, it's then cut up or broken into smaller pieces.

What is the Trader Joe's controversy names?

The 17-year-old author of the petition, Briones Bedell, wrote that “The Trader Joe's branding is racist because it exoticizes other cultures — it presents 'Joe' as the default 'normal' and the other characters falling outside of it — they are 'Arabian Joe,' 'Trader José,' and 'Trader Joe San. ' ”

Is Trader Joe's discontinuing products in 2024?

Here are some products that will no longer be here in January 2024: Jingle Jangle chocolate holiday mix . Dark Chocolate Stars cookies. Taste Test of Caramels.

Does bark candy need to be refrigerated?

*Note that if you melt your chocolate to a higher temperature or it somehow loses its temper, the chocolate may not set up completely. In which case, just refrigerate it until firm. While the bark is still perfectly edible, it is not as stable at room temperature and will need to be refrigerated .

Why won t my chocolate bark harden?

That's because your chocolate wasn't tempered . Tempered chocolate sets at room temperature and has a snap just like a chocolate bar you buy from the store.

Why is chocolate bark so good?

So not only is this bark delicious, it is nutritious, too! (Dark chocolate is also a great source of antioxidants along with nutrients like magnesium and iron. OK I'll stop with the nutrition facts for now). The salty-sweet taste and crunchy and smooth textures make for a super satisfying dessert.

What was recently recalled from Trader Joes?

Trader Joe's has issued a recall of fresh basil sold to customers in 29 states and D.C. over a two-month period after federal investigators found a link between the herb and a multistate outbreak of salmonella.

Why does Trader Joe's discontinued popular products?

If a product is not earning its spot on our shelves, then we discontinue it to make room for something new . We do not enter into the decision to discontinue a product lightly. We understand that it can be disappointing – devastating, even.

What was recalled from Trader Joe's?

Trader Joe's has recalled fresh basil sold in 29 states and Washington, D.C., after a federal investigation linked the product to a dozen cases of salmonella infection in seven states. So far, one patient among the 12 affected has been hospitalized, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

What happened to Trader Joe's Jojo's?

Trader Joe's Reformulated Joe-Joe's On its website, Trader Joe's explained that “in recent memory, the classic Joe-Joe's we all knew and loved simply weren't matching our expectations. So we partnered with a long-time supplier to create a next-generation Joe-Joe worthy of the name.”

Cowboy Bark: Trader Joe's Copycat Recipe (2024)

Have you tried Cowboy Bark?

If you haven’t, don’t even start. It’s so addictively good.

Which is why I’m not sure why I made my own bark that’s every bit as good as the real deal.

Having the ability to make bulk quantities is dangerous since I can down a bag of the Trader Joe’s version in a day if I let myself. Six servings in one little 9-ounce bag? No way.

Now I have an endless supply in my cupboard, and I stashed some in the freezer, and I gave plenty away.

The bark only takes about 5 minutes to make, making it the perfect fast, easy, and extremely satisfying treat.

It’s just melted chocolate, topped with a mixture of toffee bits, peanuts, almonds, pretzels, Oreos, and a sprinkling of sea salt.

Sounds simple enough, but there’s something about the combination that’s just irresistible. Salty-and-sweet treats can do no wrong.

And the bark is a texture lover’s dream. The smooth, rich chocolate that melts in your mouth is in contrast with crunchy and salty peanuts and almonds and crispy pretzels. The sweet buttery toffee bits and crunchy Oreos provides so many flavor combinations in every bite.The more you eat, the more you want.

For the chocolate, I used a mixture of Trader Joe’s chocolate bars. I used equal parts of the 72% Pound Plus, Dark Chocolate, and Milk Chocolate bars. I have a well-stocked pantry of chocolate and can manifest bulk quantities of chocolate in any percentage from 60 to 90% at the drop of a hat.

For authenticity, if you’re only using one chocolate, I’d use TJ’s Dark Chocolate bar or your favorite dark chocolate. Definitely not milk, and don’t go too dark so that it’s bitter. A nice, middle of the road dark chocolate is best.

For the toppings, if you don’t have all of them on hand, mix and match based on what you do have.

I went a little heavier-handed than the Trader doeswith the quantity of nuts, pretzels, and toffee bits.The more, the merrier.

For the cookies, use Chocolate Jo-Jo’s or chocolate-filled Oreos for maximum authenticity, but traditional Oreos are fine.It’s cookies for candy-making. There are no wrong choices.

The batch makes about 4 times what you’d get in one $3.69 9-ounce bag. For me, it’s definitely cheaper to make than to buy because I already have all those things on hand.

Pin This Recipe

Pin it

Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free

Save Review Print

4.38 from 16 votes

Cowboy Bark: Trader Joe's Copycat Recipe

By Averie Sunshine

The bark only takes about 5 minutes, making it the perfect fast, easy, and extremely satisfying treat. It’s just melted chocolate, topped with a mixture of toffee bits, peanuts, almonds, pretzels, Oreos, and a sprinkling of sea salt. Sounds simple enough, but there’s something about the combination that’s just irresistible. Salty-and-sweet treats can do no wrong. The bark is a texture lover’s dream full of smooth richness along with crispy and crunchy in every bite. Use your favorite dark Chocolate bar, definitely not milk, and don’t go too dark so that it’s bitter. For the toppings, if you don’t have all of them on hand, mix and match based on what you do have. The batch makes about 4 times what you’d get in one $3.69 9-ounce bag, enough to share with friends and they’ll love you for it. Before beginning to melt the chocolate, have everything else chopped, prepped and ready to go.

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

▢ 16 ounces dark chocolate, 1 pound; I used equal parts TJ’s 72% Pound Plus, Dark Chocolate, and Milk Chocolate Bars; if only using one, select a favorite dark chocolate
▢ about 1 1/2 cups mini pretzels
▢ 8 chocolate-stuffed Oreos, roughly chopped (or use TJ’s Chocolate Jo-Jo’s; regular Oreos may be substituted)
▢ ⅓ cup toffee bits
▢ ⅓ cup coarsely chopped peanuts, I used roasted lightly salted
▢ ⅓ cup coarsely chopped almonds, I used roasted lightly salted
▢ sea salt for sprinkling, to taste

Instructions

Line a baking tray with parchment paper; set aside. Before beginning to melt the chocolate, have all the ingredients chopped, prepped, and ready to go so that they’re ready to be added while the chocolate is hot and melty. I use my Mini-Prep Plus Food Processorto grind the nuts in seconds rather than hand-chopping, but I hand-chop the cookies.
Coarsely chop the chocolate or break into chunks to encourage smooth melting.
Place chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high power to melt, about 2 to 3 minutes, stopping every 15 seconds to check and stir until mixture can be stirred smooth. Be careful not to scorch it; or use a double boiler.
Pour melted chocolate onto parchment and with a spatula or offset knife, smooth into a large rectangle, about 10×15-inches, and about 1/8-inch thick; just eyeball.
Evenly sprinkle with pretzels,Oreos, toffee bits, peanuts, almonds, and sea salt to taste.
Allow chocolate to set up for at least 1 hour at room temp, or in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
After chocolate has set, break into pieces or chop with a knife. Bark will keep airtight at room temp for many weeks and in the fridge or freezer for many months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 465kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 256mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 35g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

↓ Click the Stars to Rate This Recipe ↓

Tried this recipe? Leave a review!

Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you've made and loved one of my recipes!

Related Recipes

Chocolate Saltine Toffee (aka Christmas Crack) –Lives up to it’s name and is extremely addictive! Salty, sweet, crunchy, chewy and a holiday favorite everyone loves!

Salted Caramel Pretzel-Topped Fudgy Brownies– Salty-and-sweet, fudgy, caramely, dense, and rich with crunch factor

Salted Caramel Pretzel Blondies– Salty-and-sweet, rich, chewy and loaded with caramel

Cinnamon Sugar Chocolate Pretzels(no-bake, vegan, GF) – Fast, crunchy, so easy and ready in 5 minutes

Skinny 100-Calorie Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Mix– (vegan/GF/no butter or oil)– 5 minutes to make, satisfying and won’t derail your diet

Parmesan Ranch Snack Mix(no-bake) –Pretzels, peanuts & popcorn tossed with ranch mix! Ready in 5 mins & so addictively good

Vanilla Cake Batter and White Chocolate Chip Caramel Corn

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mocha Powerballs(no-bake, vegan, gluten-free) – A snack with an energy boost

Cinnamon Sugar Candied Cashews(GF)– Make the fancy storebought kind at home! Salty-and-sweet, ready in 30 mins and so good

Healthy Fudgy Brownie Bites(vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free) –NO added white or brown sugar, NO butter or dairy, and NO flourused