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Peppermint Brownies are thick and fudgy brownies with a rich chocolate frosting and tons of peppermint in every bite. They taste like Christmas – if you love peppermint and chocolate you’ll love this recipe!
Peppermint Brownie Recipe with Crushed Candy Canes
There’s just something about crushed candy canes or mints on top of soft and chewy brownies. The contrast between the two textures is amazing. If you haven’t treated your taste buds yet, now is the time. The frosting is like chocolate ganache with peppermint flavor!
Plus peppermint, chocolate, and coffee go so well together – especially at the holidays. I look forward to a Peppermint Mocha every year – and this is my favorite drink in brownie form (but you can omit the coffee!) It’s one of my favorite homemade brownie recipes!
Ingredients Needed
- Unsweetened baking chocolate – It’s best to use unsweetened because there will be added sugar in the recipe. Find this in the baking aisle.
- Unsalted butter – If using salted reduce added salt to 1/4 tsp.
- Instant coffee – If you have packets of instant coffee, just use one of those. You can omit this but the coffee makes the rich flavor of the chocolate shine through.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Regular unsweetened or dutch process
- Peppermint extract – The perfect way to add peppermint flavor.
- Peppermint Mocha coffee creamer – This is how I add that peppermint mocha flavor, but you can swap out milk if you prefer.
How to make Peppermint Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. You can also use parchment paper.
- Place baking chocolate and butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Heat until it’s melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in instant coffee.
- Add in sugar, then eggs, then stir in cocoa powder. Stir in extracts and salt, then slowly stir in flour.
- Spread brownie batter in the prepared baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted 1-inch from the edge comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting: whisk melted butter with cocoa until it’s dissolved. Whisk in powdered sugar and salt, then add coffee creamer and whisk until smooth. Spread over brownies and sprinkle with crushed candy cane pieces.
Expert Tips
- The easiest way to crush up the candy cane or peppermint pieces is to use a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can put them in a sealed bag and hit the bag with a wood mallet. You just need to get them crumbled to add to the top of the brownies.
- How to store brownies: As long as you let the brownies cool and store them at room temperature with a lid, they should last for up to 3-4 days. You can also store them in the fridge as well.
- To freeze baked brownies, it’s as simple as adding them to a freezer-safe bag and putting them in the freezer.
FAQs
If the brownies are hard a few days after baking them, your container may not be as airtight as you think. Ensure that you are keeping the air away from the brownies so they don’t dry out.
You can substitute milk for the coffee creamer. If you want peppermint flavor in the frosting just add a few drops of peppermint extract.
Yes you can just omit the instant coffee if you prefer.
Peppermint Mocha Brownies
Ingredients
For the brownies:
- 6 ounces (170g) unsweetened baking chocolate
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ teaspoons instant coffee (1 packet if you're using the instant coffee packets)
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons (15g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ⅓ cups (165g) all-purpose flour
For the frosting:
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter , melted
- 2 tablespoons (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup (113g) powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons Peppermint Mocha coffee creamer
- Crushed peppermint candies/candy canes for topping optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13” pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place baking chocolate and butter in a large, microwave safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then stir. Heat additionally in 30 second increments, stirring well between each, until it’s melted and smooth. Stir in instant coffee.
- Stir in sugar, then eggs, one at a time, then stir in cocoa powder. Stir in extracts and salt, the slowly stir in flour. Spread in prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted 1” from the edge comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting: whisk melted butter with cocoa until it’s dissolved. Whisk in powdered sugar and salt until it’s thick and crumbly, then add coffee creamer and whisk until smooth. Spread over brownies and sprinkle with crushed candy cane pieces. Let set before cutting.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freezer for up to one month.
Recipe Notes
- You can omit the instant coffee if you prefer
- Use any flavor coffee creamer (just omit the peppermint extract if you use a different flavor) or use milk.
Recipe Nutrition
Favorite Peppermint Recipes
Easy fudgy Peppermint Brownies! These are the perfect brownie recipe to make for Christmas with a fudgy peppermint mocha frosting!
Ahh ganache frosting always scares me. It just never turns out silky, smooth, and set like it does for the pros. When I was in college I volunteered to make my BFF’s birthday cake which was super complicated and had a ganache frosting that never set up. I’d never made ganache before and thought hmm maybe it’ll set up as time goes on. Nope. Arrived at birthday destination and the cake layers had slid everywhere. Disaster. As if I hadn’t learned my lesson, 8 years later I made my boyfriend an ice cream birthday cake with a ganache frosting that got an ugly layer of frost on it when it was put back in the freezer to chill. So, I feel your pain!!
I know! I swear, I follow the rules but it NEVER works for me. Glad it’s not just me!
These look so awesome, Dorothy! I love peppermint mochas this time of year, and pairing one with a fudgy, thick brownie sounds DIVINE.
I love how you talk about washing the brownies with a damp paper towel…I have never done that exact thing but oh the things I’ve had to do to save some great food…ahh, we all have 🙂
And for you, I know that Xmas marks the end of peppermint season and that that’s a sad time since you’re the #1 peppermint lover ever!
There is just nothing in me that can ever resist a stack of peppermint mocha brownies! I love that rich coffee flavor with the bright mint notes! So Yum 🙂
Can I just be honest? These brownies are EVERYTHING. I can’t get enough pepper mint mocha, and in brownie form? WINNING. Pinned!
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