This Peppermint Brownies Recipe is an easy one bowl recipe for a decadent holiday dessert. Fudgy, chocolatey with just the right amount of peppermint and then covered in a silky chocolate ganache makes these brownies irresistable.
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Why We Love This Peppermint Brownies Recipe
- It's a one bowl recipe. No electric mixer needed.
- Only simple ingredients needed that you most likely have on hand.
- No need to melt chocolate. This delicious brownie recipe is made with cocoa powder and are still fudgy.
- These brownies can be prepared and in the oven in no time-I'm talking less than 5 minutes. The recipe is that easy!
- They have the perfect combination of chocolate and peppermint in every bite to cure the holiday chocolate peppermint craving.
- The perfect holiday dessert to make for the chocolate peppermint lovers out there!
- A crowd pleaser and great for entertaining. Perfect for the holiday season.
Peppermint Brownies Recipe Ingredients
- Salted Butter
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- White Sugar
- Large Eggs
- Pure Peppermint Extract
- Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Crushed Peppermint Candies
Substitution Suggestions
- Salted Butter: Feel free to use unsalted butter and add ½ teaspoon of salt to the brownie batter.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: I use Hershey's cocoa powder. Any simple unsweetened cocoa powder will work. If you prefer a darker and richer flavor in your brownie then you can use dark chocolate cocoa powder or dutch process cocoa powder. Those will yield a much richer brownie that is a bit more dense.
- Peppermint Extract: Use a pure peppermint extract. If it's imitation it can leave an unpleasant after taste in the brownies.
- All Purpose Flour: If you like you can use white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour. The brownies will be a touch more dense. They will still be absolutely delicious! I make brownies with wheat flour a lot and they are still divine!
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Use your favorite chocolate chips. Dark chocolate chips are a great substitute. If you want more of a peppermint bark flavor, use white chocolate chips. For a more sweeter brownie, substitute with milk chocolate chips. All are delicious options.
- Crushed Peppermint Candies: I buy dye-free peppermint star candies or candy canes and crush them up. I have also used dye-free peppermint crunch that is already crushed up candy. All of them will work.
This peppermint brownie recipe is the perfect holiday treat for decadent brownies to share with family and friends. They have the best fudgy texture, the perfect peppermint flavor and the smoothest chocolate ganache. Then sprinkled with crushed candy canes for the final touch.
How to Make Peppermint Brownies
- First, preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper leaving an inch overhang on the long sides or grease the pan well with nonstick cooking spray.
- Next, melt butter in a microwave safe large bowl or in a medium size pot over medium-low heat.
- Whisk the cocoa powder into the melted butter until smooth.
- Then, add the granulated sugar and whisk well.
- Now, whisk in the eggs and peppermint extract until the batter is light and airy.
- Switch to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon and stir in the all purpose flour just until combined and there are no more white streaks of flour.
- Add the chocolate chips and fold them into the brownie batter.
- Pour batter in prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer. An offset spatula works great for this.
- Bake brownies for 25-30 minutes. Test to see if brownies are done with the toothpick test. Insert a toothpick in center of brownies and it should come out with some damp crumbs or gooey brownie on it but it shouldn't look wet or raw.
- Let brownies cool completely before adding ganache.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
- Start by microwaving the heavy cream in a medium size microwave safe dish for 1 minute or until starting to bubble.
- Add the chocolate chips to the hot cream and let sit for 3 minutes so the chocolate chips can melt by the heat of the cream.
- Stir together the cream and chocolate chips until they are completely combined and shiny.
- Spoon the ganache over top of the brownies and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle the top with crushed peppermint candies.
- Let brownies rest for a couple hours until the ganache is set before storing or chill in the fridge for a hour.
Do you want more peppermint desserts? Try this fabulous Chocolate Peppermint Sheet Cake! It's a breeze to make and so delicious. Or these Chocolate Peppermint Drop Cookies that are simple to make and perfect for gifting!
Brownies are a dessert staple in my house. They are Ava's favorite! If you have some brownie lovers too, give some of these other fabulous brownie recipes a try:
Storing Chocolate Peppermint Brownies
Storing: Store these brownies in an airtight container between layers of wax paper at room temperature or in the fridge. They'll last 5 days at room temp and a week in the fridge, but I'm assuming they'll be gone the day you make them!
Freezing: These peppermint brownies freeze great. Place them in a freezer safe airtight container or zip top bag between layers of wax paper. Or you can individually wrap each brownie in plastic wrap and then place in freezer safe container or zip top bag. Don't forget to label and date! Freeze brownies for up to 4 months.
Thawing: Remove brownies from freezer, unwrap if needed, place in a single layer and let thaw on the counter for at least 30 minutes or in the fridge for a couple hours.
Heather's Favorite Tools for this Recipe
- These nestled mixing bowls are my favorite for prepping ingredients.
- Long ago, I used to be a Pampered Chef consultant and I still prefer their baking tools and pans to any others. They're baking pans are the ones I primarily use. Find yourself a consultant, host a party and treat yourself to a set.
- I really like these Pyrex baking dishes too!
- An offset spatula is my favorite tool to use for evenly spreading the batter and ganache.
- This ice cream scoop is the best. It makes dishing out hard ice cream easily.
- Pre-cut parchment paper is a life saver and so easy. No cutting my fingers!
- My favorite peppermint extract is from Wilton. It has the best flavor. I do like the Watkins Peppermint Extract too.
Tips for Easy Peppermint Brownies
- If you are in a real hurry you can use a brownie box mix for a 9x13 pan and add the peppermint extract to the batter. Then follow the recipe for the ganache topping. I have to say, the from scratch recipe tastes so much better!
- Gather all your ingredients before you start baking. It is so much easier to bake when all your ingredients are ready. Plus, there is less room for error. Like forgetting an essential ingredient. I'm not saying I've done this, however, I am speaking from experience!
- Always read the recipe from start to finish before you start. Again, I am speaking from experience.
- For easy removal, line the baking dish with parchment paper. This will allow you to remove the entire pan of brownies all at once and then slice easily.
- After adding the eggs, whisk like your life depends on it. The more airy the batter gets, the better.
- Make sure to fluff your flour a bit before you measure it. When it sits for periods of time it becomes packed. To fluff your flour, just scoop it and dump it a few times or whisk it and then measure it out and level off.
- Add some crushed peppermint candies on top of the batter before baking for even more peppermint flavor and texture.
- For the best brownies and best results don't overbake the brownies, you want them to turn out fudgy.
- Let the brownies cool before adding the ganache.
- Decorate with crushed peppermints or extra holiday sprinkles immediately after spreading out the ganache. This way the candies will stick to the ganache and not fall off.
- For perfect clean cuts, chill the brownies for at least an hour. Slice brownies with a plastic knife or sharp knife in one smooth cut, do not use a sawing motion to cut the brownies. One smooth cut will create nice smooth edges on the brownies when serving, keeping them looking pretty. Wipe knife clean after each cut.
- For bigger brownies you can cut them into 15 or 18 slices.
- Serve the brownies ala mode with a scoop of mint chocolate chip or vanilla ice cream for a delightful brownie sundae dessert!
FAQs About Brownies
Brownies become fudgy by using less flour, more butter and no leavening agent (baking soda or baking powder). The temperature and time you bake your brownies will also play into how fudgy they end up.
A toothpick or cake tester are your friends when testing for doneness. Stick the toothpick in the center of the brownies and if it comes out with some damp crumbs or gooey brownie the brownies are done. If there is still wet looking batter on the toothpick keep baking and test brownies again.
Most people will say that aluminum pans are the best for brownies and baked goods because they conduct heat the most evenly. They are right too, aluminum is the way to go when baking cakes and cookies. I like baking brownies in glass pans and all the professional bakers will probably argue with me about it. I like glass pans because the center of the brownies are guaranteed to be fudgy. This happens because the glass takes longer to conduct heat. I do agree with the professionals that dark non-stick pans are not good for baking. They conduct heat too fast and aggressively that can burn the bottom and edges of your baked goods. If you use an aluminum metal pan or glass dish you will end up with tasty brownies.
More Holiday Desserts:
- Pecan Pie Brownies
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Cranberry Bars
- Homemade Pecan Pie
- Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Easy Pumpkin Crisp
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Peppermint Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 cup salted butter, melted
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups white sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Ganache
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon crushed peppermint candies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper leaving an inch overhang on the long sides or grease the pan well with nonstick cooking spray.
- Melt butter in a large microwave safe bowl or in a medium size pot over medium-low heat.
- Whisk the cocoa powder into the melted butter until smooth.
- Add the granulated sugar and whisk well.
- Whisk in the eggs and peppermint extract until the batter is light and airy.
- Switch to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon and stir in the all purpose flour just until combined and there are no more white streaks of flour.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spread brownie batter in an even layer in prepared pan. An offset spatula works great for this.
- Bake brownies for 25-30 minutes. Test to see if brownies are done by inserting a toothpick in center of brownies. The toothpick should have some damp crumbs or gooey brownie on it but it shouldn't look wet or raw.
- Let brownies cool completely before adding ganache.
Chocolate Ganache
- Microwave the heavy cream in a medium size microwave safe dish for 1 minute or until starting to bubble.
- Add the chocolate chips to the hot cream and let sit for 3 minutes so the chocolate chips can melt by the heat of the cream.
- Stir together the cream and chocolate chips until they are completely combined and shiny.
- Spoon the ganache over the top of cooled brownies and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle the top with crushed peppermint candies.
- Let brownies rest for a couple hours until the ganache is set before slicing and storing, or chill in fridge for a hour.
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