Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies
Fudgy dark chocolate brownies, frosted with the perfect peppermint buttercream and topped with crushed candy canes. These are a simple, foolproof dessert that is perfect for the holidays!
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I have to be honest: I’m a little obsessed with these brownies. The brownie recipe itself is sooooo easy, and it’s just as fudgy and delicious as the boxed kind! (The key is not over baking them.) But I also just love, love, love peppermint buttercream. The key there is to use just enough peppermint extract, from a reputable brand.
Put those two winning recipes together and you have the best Christmas brownies EVER.
Seriously, I may never make plain, unfrosted brownies again. There’s something about the different textures of chewy, fudgy brownie, chocolate chips, and creamy frosting that I just love. And in these brownies, it’s made even better by adding crushed candy canes for an extra crunch and burst of peppermint.
In fact, now that it’s officially Christmas, I may make these again today.
They’re that good.
Why this recipe works
First, the brownies. Because we’re using so little flour, it’s okay to use just butter in these brownies. It gives just enough fluff to help them rise but also plenty of moisture to keep these soft for days. Also, melting the butter before mixing with the sugar helps dissolve the sugar before baking. Sugar turns liquid when heated, so you want it melted before baking if possible, to help the brownies come together. We’re also going to bake these just until set. They’ll be fudgy and chewy but still sliceable. And finally, extra chocolate chips. You’re going to measure with your heart here—but don’t get crazy. One cup or so of chocolate chips is perfect. Or less. Or none. Follow your chocolate loving heart here.
The buttercream has a great texture thanks to European butter (less water equals creamier buttercream) and whipping it for a few minutes once the flavors are perfect. Another key here is the peppermint. You want to use just a little of a reputable brand (even just McCormick is fine). Also, be aware that the flavor will intensify over time (especially in the fridge), so stop when the taste is pleasantly noticeable, not punching you in the taste buds.
Key ingredients
Flour. Be sure to spoon then level the flour so you don’t have too much.
Cocoa powder. Use unsweetened cocoa, and do not skip the sifting!
Baking powder. Use fresh baking powder, meaning not opened longer than 6 months.
Salt. Sea salt is ideal.
Butter. European butter is best, as it has less water.
Sugar. Use granulated sugar.
Eggs. Use fresh, large, room temperature eggs.
Vanilla extract. Use pure extract, not imitation.
Chocolate Chips. You can use any size and flavor you’d like! I used semisweet.
Peppermint buttercream. This can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen 1-2 months.
Crushed candy canes. These are optional, but kinda necessary to make these brownies perfection. You can make your own by placing a few candy canes in a couple freezer proof plastic baggies (one inside the other) and whacking them with a rolling pin until crushed.
How to make dark chocolate peppermint brownies
1. Sift and whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
2. Melt the butter.
3. Whisk still-hot butter into the sugar. Whisk for a good minute or so to help it begin to dissolve.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla, one at a time. Whisk about a minute after each egg. Add the vanilla and whisk well again.
5. Gently fold in dry ingredients. Leave some streaks of flour.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips. This step should take care of the remaining streaks of cocoa and flour.
7. Pour into a greased pan and bake. Brownies are done when the top is no longer shiny and the middle is slightly jiggly but not liquidy. You can also use a toothpick, but most people like it when about half of the toothpick comes out with some doughy (not raw) batter on it.
8. Make buttercream while brownies cool.
9. Frost and top with candy canes.
Enjoy!
Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe
Can I put peppermint in the brownies?
That’s entirely up to you. I personally think these are just fine without it, but if you really love peppermint and want a strong flavor, you can add about 1/2 teaspoon (or less) to the brownies. You could also use fresh peppermint leaves to make these fresh mint brownies!
Use quality cocoa
Since cocoa is the main flavor here, you want a good brand. Opt for something organic and fair trade, if possible, because this usually means it was produced in smaller batches and thus higher quality and is often fresher, too. Plus, the flavor of the high quality cocoa is always noticeable in the brownies. My go-to is Volupta, from Costco, but some other good options are Ghirardelli, Guittard, Scharffen Berger, Anthony’s, or even Hershey’s Special Dark in a pinch.
Sift your dry ingredients
Usually, you don’t need to sift the dry ingredients unless it’s cake. However, I realized that every time I tried making brownies, my cocoa left little clumps that in turn caused me to over mix my batter. Instead, sifting the dry ingredients means you can simply fold them into the wet ingredients without over mixing, resulting in a tender, fudgy brownie that’s not dense.
Whisk sugar well
The idea is to dissolve the sugar quite a bit. It turns to liquid in the oven, so you want it liquid before the baking so it can absorb into the flour and cocoa. Something magical happens in this process, making a super fudgy brownie.
Measure the chocolate chips with your heart
I was telling my best friend about some amazing cookies I’d just made and that it was crazy how easy the recipe was. Of course, I always use extra chocolate chips. And she said one of my favorite quotes I’ve ever heard: chocolate chips should be measured with the heart. And it’s true. I always measure out what the recipe calls for then pour a little extra for good measure. But two notes: 1) this only works for mix-in chocolate chips, like in cookies and brownies, not ganache or things like these dark chocolate cupcakes, and 2) there is a point where you’ve added so many chocolate chips that they’re literally drowning out the batter or dough. As long as you keep those in mind, follow your heart.
Does the peppermint brand matter?
Yes! McCormick is a pretty reliable brand, but it can taste like toothpaste if you use too much. I’ve also weirdly had good luck with the Whole Foods 365 peppermint. Nielsen-Massey is another one I’ve had pretty good luck with, but I haven’t tried their peppermint. The key is starting small and adding more as needed. Also, the flavor WILL intensify over time—especially in the fridge, so if you plan to make this ahead of time or more than a few hours before serving your dessert, err on the side of “that’s just right” rather than “yeah I taste that peppermint.”
Can I use salted butter?
Yes, but you probably won’t need any salt in that case. It really depends on the brand. I often use Kerrygold salted butter and only add a pinch of salt for a double recipe of frosting, so taste as you go and use your better judgment on adding additional salt.
Take your time adjusting the flavors in the frosting
If you add too much peppermint extract (which is easy if you don’t use a measuring spoon), it will be overwhelming and taste like toothpaste. Or, the absolute worst, is adding too much heavy cream. You can easily turn American buttercream (which is what this is) to soup or cause it to break (i.e. separate) by adding too much liquid, such as heavy cream or coffee. So, use a light hand and have the patience to take an extra 5 minutes adjusting the flavors. In the end, you’ll love the result and get to taste test more frosting.
My tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making these brownies. Affiliate links provided.
Fine mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY)
All-rubber spatula (this makes scraping the bowl easier so the batter doesn’t get all over a wooden handle!)
Mini serving spatula (weird, but I LOVE this for bars and brownies!)
Stand mixer or handheld mixer (for the buttercream)
1M piping tips (for piping rosettes)
Offset spatula (to spread regular frosting)
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies
- prep time: 15-20 minutes
- bake time: 20-25 minutes
- total time: 45 minutes
servings: 12-16 (double recipe for a 9x13 with 12 large, bakery style brownies!)
Ingredients:
- ½ cup (68g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (53g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon (2g) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (2g) sea salt (or ½ teaspoon (3g) table salt)
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter*
- 1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170g) chocolate chips (or as many as your heart says you need)
- half a batch peppermint buttercream
- crushed candy canes, to decorate (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Grease an 8x8 square pan with butter and flour or baking spray.
- Using a fine mesh sieve set over a small mixing bowl, sift then whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter until completely liquid. Immediately combine it with the sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk for about a minute, until it comes together and the sugar begins to dissolve.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking for about a minute after each egg. Add the vanilla and whisk well again (half a minute should do this time).
- Add the dry ingredients in and gently fold in with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, until almost blended some streaks of flour remain.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour into your prepared pan, smoothing the top and getting the batter mostly into the corners (I like to leave a ½ inch gap that will absolutely fill in during baking but prevent an overly crunchy corner).
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is no longer shiny/raw looking and the middle is slightly jiggly but not liquidy. A toothpick should actually come out with some matte-looking batter (not quite raw dough, not quite crumbly brownies). If you prefer fully cooked, non-fudgy-middle brownies, cook a little longer until a toothpick comes out with several brownie crumbs rather than a smear of almost-cooked batter. Let cool completely in pan.
- While the brownies cool, make the peppermint buttercream. You can also make it ahead of time, keeping it in the fridge 1-2 weeks or the freezer 1-2 months. Let come to room temperature on the counter and stir well before using.
- To crush the candy canes, place a few (unwrapped) candy canes in at least two layers of freezer safe plastic baggies. Use a rolling pin to whack the candy canes until they are crushed.
- Optionally, you can remove the brownies from the pan before frosting. Spread as much frosting as you like on top of the cooled brownies and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
Enjoy!
Brownies will last in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days, if you can resist eating them all before then!
*European butter is best! It has less water and makes a better brownie, in my opinion.