Rich, minty, and oh-so-fudgy, these Peppermint Brownies are a crowd-pleasing holiday treat! Peppermint frosting and chocolate are topped with crunchy bits of peppermint candy canes!
Love the chocolate and peppermint combo this holiday season? Me too! Check out my Chocolate Peppermint Cookies and Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti.
Fudgy Brownies with Peppermint Frosting
I have so many brownie recipes here on Shugary Sweets, from S’mores Brownies to Baileys Brownies and Slutty Brownies. And yet after all these years, I haven’t posted a recipe for peppermint brownies! It’s definitely time to remedy that, right?
These brownies start with a rich, fudgy brownie base. I used my classic one bowl brownie recipe.
A peppermint icing is slathered over the top, followed by a drizzle of chocolate, then I sprinkle that with crunchy bits of crushed candy canes.
While Christmas cookies can sometimes be a bit of work—all that rolling out dough and cookie cutters and decorating!—these peppermint brownies are simple.
- The peppermint candies and peppermint flavor make these brownies a festive holiday treat.
- Because these peppermint brownies are so rich, a little goes a long way—you only need a small square to be satisfied.
- The combination of peppermint frosting and chocolate topping reminds me a little bit of a peppermint patty.
Peppermint Brownie Recipe Ingredients
The full ingredient list is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here are some highlights.
- Unsalted butter – Making these brownies with butter instead of oil makes them extra rich and delicious.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips and cocoa powder – I like using a combination of both to make brownies rather than choosing one or the other.
- All-purpose flour – Lightly spoon this into the measuring cup rather than scooping. Using too much flour will change the texture of the brownies, making them less fudgy.
- Peppermint extract – Use peppermint extract, not mint extract. I find mint tastes a little more spearmint flavored.
- Milk – You can use any kind you have on hand.
- Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers – I love these because they melt so smoothly.
- Crushed peppermint candy – Candy canes and starlight mints both work.
How to Make Peppermint Brownies
Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a square baking pan with parchment paper. (You can spray a little nonstick spray on the pan first to help hold the paper in place.)
What I love about this brownie recipe is that you don’t need a hand mixer or electric mixer. Just grab a large enough pan to mix all the ingredients.
Make the Brownie Batter:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips and sugar. Mix in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Add the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder and stir just until moist crumbs are combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely before frosting. Admire those crackly tops of the best brownies you’ve ever made!
Frost the Brownies:
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, powdered sugar, peppermint extract, and milk for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Spread the frosting onto the top of the brownies.
Make the Topping:
- In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate wafers according to package directions. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the frosting. For more chocolate flavor, you could also swap this out for a layer of chocolate ganache if you prefer.
- Sprinkle the crushed peppermints over the top. For best results, allow the chocolate to set, then the slice the brownies and serve. Such a perfect holiday treat!
Tips and Tricks
- To crush the peppermints, place them in a ziploc bag, set them on a cutting board, and whack them with a meat mallet or rolling pin. I’ve found that when crushing hard candies, small holes often form in the bag, so if you’re not careful, you can get peppermint dust everywhere!
- Transfer the brownies to an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap and store them at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you need to stack them, place parchment paper between the layers.
- I recommend freezing these chewy brownies without the chocolate drizzle and candy cane bits. They’ll last for 3 months in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature before decorating.
More Brownie Recipes
- French Silk Brownies
- Mint Chocolate Chip Brownies Recipe
- Chocolate Zucchini Brownies
- Marshmallow Brownies
- Chocolate Chip Brownies
- Mint Chocolate Chip Brownies Recipe
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Peppermint Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
For the Topping
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 Tablespoons milk, any variety
- 1 cup Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers, melted
- ½ cup crushed peppermint candy
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a medium sized saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips and sugar until blended.
- Add in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla extract.
- To the mixture, add cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder. Using big strokes, mix just until the dry ingredients have been blended. Do not over stir.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before adding the topping.
- For the icing, beat butter with powdered sugar, peppermint extract, and milk. Beat for about 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Spread over the cooled brownies. Melt dark chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave for one minute. Stir until smooth and drizzle over the brownies. Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy.
- Allow chocolate to set, about one hour. Slice and serve.
Notes
- For the candy, you’ll need about 20 starlight mints. You can also use crushed candy canes if you have them on hand.
- Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also store them in the refrigerator if you prefer them chilled.
- Freeze brownies without the chocolate drizzle and crushed candy for up to 3 months. Thaw on counter overnight and add chocolate and peppermint when serving.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
