Almond Bark Not Melting: What to Do?
Almond Bark is often regarded as a type of chocolate, although it does not have the same structure, i.e., it does not contain the same ingredients. That is, Almond Bark is made of vegetable oils and fats rather than cocoa powder and sugars. Therefore, it cannot be melted in the same way as chocolate. So, what to do when Almond Bark does not seem to be melting, and why does this happen in the first place?
Almond Bark does not seem to be melting, you have probably overheated it or allowed some moisture inside of it. To fix this, you may add some oil to thin the Almond Bark. Since Almond Bark does not have the same properties as regular chocolate, you cannot treat it in the same way.
If you intend to use some Almond Bark in your recipes and in your cooking, you need to learn the right way to work with it. Since this is not actually a type of chocolate, you cannot treat it in the same way, especially when it comes to melting. Therefore, I have included some guidelines in which you can easily melt Almond Bark and ways to fix Almond Bark that does not seem to be melting.
Almond Bark Not Melting: Why Does It Happen?
Firstly, it is quite important to remember that Almond Bark does not share the same properties as regular chocolate, meaning that you cannot expect to work with it as you do with chocolate.
This is especially important for the melting process since it can often come to a point when your Almond Bark will not budge melting, or it will get hard in the middle of the process. This can be quite annoying, and you might wonder why this has happened in the first place.
So, when you have a hard time melting Almond Bark, you have probably done something wrong. The most common reason for Almond Bark not melting is overheating. If you put the almond bar at a really high temperature, it might get hard and seize instead of melting, which can be quite confusing since it is always expected that things melt when they are exposed to heat.
However, this is not the case with Almond Bark since it does not have the same structure as chocolate. While the cocoa powder in chocolate melts quite easily, the vegetable oils and sugars in Almond Bark are a little bit more reluctant to heat.
On the other hand, if you have been really careful with the temperature for melting the Almond Bark, but you might seem to experience some difficulty in the process, then something else is probably causing this. If the heat is not an issue, then the second most common reason might be moisture which has entered the Almond Bark during the melting procedure. Usually, water or steam can enter the mixture during your attempt to melt it.
What to Do if Almond Bark Is Not Melting?
If your Almond Bark does not seem to be melting, then you have options with which you can deal with this situation. The first thing you can try is adding some coconut oil and water to thin the mixture. However, you should add these additional ingredients in really small amounts since you want them to help you, but not ruin the taste of your mixture.
You may also try only using coconut oil if you believe that only fat would be enough to melt the Almond Bark. Again, since the “not-melting situation” might be caused due to moisture in the structure, you need to be careful with adding water to the mixture. This is important to remember if you will want to color your Almond Bark.
What Is the Best Way to Melt Almond Bark?
There are a few ways to melt Almond Bark, but I have decided to explain the best one, i.e. the one that almost always works without any additional things that will need to be considered. Therefore, if you follow all of these steps, you might not have any problems during the process.
1. Heat a Skillet With Water
Fill a skillet with water and place it on a burner at medium heat. Give the water a few minutes to heat properly.
2. Use a Stainless Steel Bowl Over the Skillet
Put the Almond Bark in a stainless steel bowl over the skillet, and make sure that your bowl is able to withstand the heat. Make sure that you put the Almond Bark in smaller pieces to speed up the melting process, but do not chop the chocolate since this will just be some extra work.
3. Set the Almond Bark Bowl in a Pan of Water
Once the heating has been done, place the bowl with Almond Bark in a pan of heated water, so the melting can begin at a slow pace without any damage to the chocolate. As you notice that the chocolate has begun to melt, start stirring continuously until the end of the process.
How Long Does It Take For Almond Bark to Melt?
The melting process of Almond Bark is usually quite quick if you follow all of the steps. Therefore, it might take around 9 minutes to melt your chocolate completely. You may adjust the temperatures of your stove to speed up the process, but make sure that you always start at a low temperature, so you would not ruin the chocolate abruptly.
How Do You Make Melted Almond Bark Thinner?
If you notice that your Almond Bark is getting hard during or after the melting process, you can try using some fats, such as coconut oil. You can also mix the coconut oil with some water, so you would make the thinning process easier.
Can You Add Butter to Almond Bark?
If you want to thin your Almond Bark, then you might add some oils to it. You might add some coconut oil or butter. However, consider that butter is thicker than coconut oil, so the thinning process might be harder.
It is possible that your Almond Bark shows signs of not melting, and this is a common occurrence. Luckily, there are steps which you can take to fix this immediately without wasting any ingredients and without ruining your will for cooking.
