Why we love this recipe!
I’ve never met a brownie recipe that I didn’t love, and I’ve never met a peppermint recipe that I didn’t adore.
So it makes complete sense to smoosh these two flavors together and make what I like to think of as the mint chocolate chip ice cream version of brownies.
And while this easy peppermint brownie recipe is 100% scrumptious all year long, they are pretty much the brownie form of Christmas on a plate.
Fudgy brownies topped with a fluffy peppermint icing and some crushed peppermint candies for good measure…these are the one of the best holiday dessert treats I know!
Ingredients you need to make these brownies
- Butter: Salted or unsalted will both work.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: I like the mini chips because they melt faster, but go ahead and use the regular size ones if that’s what you have.
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Peppermint Extract: You can find this in the baking aisle hanging out with the vanilla extract.
- Vanilla Extract
- Flour: Regular all purpose flour
- Salt: You can leave this out if you are on a low salt diet.
- White Chocolate Chips: You can find these in the baking aisle with their milk chocolate buddies.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Also known as powdered sugar, and also in the baking aisle.
- Milk: Any milk from nonfat to whole milk will do.
- Peppermint Candy: We are going to crush these, so anything from candy canes to round peppermints will work.
How to make this recipe
(Scroll down for the handy complete printable recipe with nutrition info!)
STEP 1: Line an 8-inch baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350.
STEP 2: Melt some butter and mini chocolate chips together in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set it aside to cool.
STEP 3: Beat together some eggs, sugar and a little peppermint and vanilla extracts until things are nice and smooth. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and mix it all up until everything is well blended.
STEP 4: Sift some flour and salt together into the chocolate batter and stir until well combined. Stir in some white chocolate chips, and then spread this deliciousness into your prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a cooling rack until your brownies completely cool (this is most definitely the hardest part!).
STEP 5: Cream some butter and a little more vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar gradually, beating after each addition. Add 3 tablespoons milk, beating until everything is smooth. (If you need to, beat in more milk until the frosting is spreadable.)
STEP 6: Using the sides of the foil, lift the cooled brownies out of pan and on to a cutting board. Spread the frosting over cooled brownies and cut into 16 squares. Sprinkle crushed peppermint over the brownies and watch them magically disappear!
Peppermint Brownies FAQ
If you have an official sifter, simply put both ingredients into the sifter and squeeze the handle repeatedly over a mixing bowl. No sifter? You can do what I do and put the flour and salt into a fine mesh strainer and gently tap it over a mixing bowl. (Pro Tip: This is a great activity for any helper elves you might have around.)
These are of course EVERYWHERE during the holidays, but if you are making this recipe at a different time of year ♀️ you can look in either the candy aisle or the bulk foods section of your supermarket.
YES YOU DO. Lining the pan with foil not only ensures that your brownies won’t stick to the pan, it also makes it a million percent easier to get them out of the pan and ready for frosting.
Pop your question in the Comments section below and I will get back to you pronto!
By the way, since it is the holiday season and I am feeling very generous and like I need to give credit where credit is due, I would like to go on record as saying that these little candy canes that I used for this recipe?
They were individually wrapped (AAAARRRGGGHHH!) and my dashing Southern husband unwrapped them all for me so I didn’t lose my mind.
That is what you call true love and devotion. Peppermint Brownies…make them for someone YOU truly love this Christmas.
OTHER BROWNIE RECIPES WE LOVE!
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Peppermint Brownies
Brownies plus peppermint equals the best of all worlds! Bake up a batch of these peppermint brownies and enjoy all the minty chocolate deliciousness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cooling Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 16
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 sticks butter
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup flour
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
Instructions
- Line an 8 inch baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350.
- Melt the butter and the mini chocolate chips together in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Beat together eggs, sugar and both extracts until smooth. Add cooled chocolate mixture and mix until well blended.
- Sift flour and salt together into the batter and stir until well combined. Stir in white chocolate chips. Spread into pan and bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack until completely cool.
- Cream 1/3 cup butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar gradually, beating after each addition. Add 3 tablespoons milk, beating until smooth. (If you need to, beat in more milk until the frosting is spreadable.)
- Using sides of foil, lift brownies out of pan and on to a cutting board. Spread the frosting over cooled brownies and cut into 16 squares. Sprinkle crushed peppermint over the brownies and watch them magically disappear!
Equipment We Used to Make This Recipe
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Buy Now → Notes
These are rich! I start with 16 squares, but you might want to cut the squares in half again. Or not! ????
Crushing the peppermint: A meat tenderizer works great for the candy crushing – put them in a double zippered plastic bag with a folded dish towel underneath.
White Chocolate: You can leave out the white chocolate chips if you want to – although we love the double whammy of two different chocolates! Just substitute in the same amount of regular chocolate chips.
Molly says
SOO much better than brownies out of box! These are just Christmas joy in a treat! Love!
Christmas Joy in a treat – I love it! :)