Peppermint Brownies are a delicious treat! These rich dark chocolate Peppermint Brownies topped with cream cheese frosting, ganache, and candy cane are the perfect dessert to indulge in with your friends and family this Christmas.
I Love Brownies
Brownies hold a soft spot in my heart tummy. I simply cannot resist! So moist, fudgy, rich chocolaty… Mmmm! While German Chocolate Brownies are my absolute favorite, these Peppermint Brownies come in at a close second!
Let me tell ya why these babies are simply irresistible, starting with the brownie base itself. Never have you tasted such a perfect fudge brownie. The batter is made using mostly chocolate than just cocoa powder. This helps it have a more fudgy texture. I chose to use bittersweet chocolate as well as dark chocolate cocoa powder because the dark brown is really pretty in contrast with the white and red peppermint (like these`). Oh yeah, and there’s peppermint extract in the batter that adds to its already delicious flavor.
Perfect Christmas Brownie Recipe
On top of that thick dark chocolate fudge brownie is a layer of cream cheese frosting because everything tastes better with cream cheese! And if you didn’t get enough chocolate in the brownie, drizzled on top is some rich dark chocolate ganache. Mmmm! I’d add ganache to every dessert if I could.
To add to the beauty and minty taste, the brownies are sprinkled with a crushed peppermint candy cane on top. Such a pretty Christmas treat. Bring this to a holiday party and you can be sure they will be eaten right up!
You might be thinking to yourself that these Peppermint Brownies are cut into pretty small squares. True. My typical size brownie is about the size of 4 of these. But trust me, these are the perfect size to curb your chocolate craving without creating more of a need for a New Year’s resolution diet. But if you want to go ahead and cut them larger… or just eat two! ha! Enjoy!
Other Holiday Favorites
- Easy Peppermint Bark – Easy!
- Candy Cane Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Christmas M&M Cookies
- The BEST Christmas Cookies
Peppermint Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 5 ounces bitter sweet chocolate
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons dark chocolate cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup butter 1/2 stick, softened
- 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
For the Ganache
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 ½ ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 candy cane crushed
Instructions
For the Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper or foil (greased).
- Place chocolate and butter together in a bowl and microwave in 30 second increments until melted and smooth.
- Mix in the sugar and then the eggs and extracts. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and mix until combined.
- Spread into the lined pan and bake for 30-33 minutes until toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Cool completely.
For the Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar and then spread over the cooled brownies.
For the Ganache
- Heat the cream in the microwave until it starts to boil. Pour the chocolate chips in the cream and cover the bowl for 2 minutes and then whisk until smooth. Place in a bag and let it cool for 5-10 minutes and then drizzle over frosting and immediately sprinkle with the crushed candy cane.
- Pull out the parchment paper to remove the brownies and then cut into 16 squares. (If you want each brownie to look a little cleaner, cut before drizzling the ganache.)
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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Hi! I am sure the 1 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips is an accurate measurement … just wondering about measuring that another way…? Help! Sorry to be so dumb!
Great question Teri, this would be just under ¼ cup of chocolate chips. Hope that helps.
Loved the recipe! Made them for a Christmas party. I cut them into even smaller squares since they were so deliciously rich!
Made them today for Holiday Party tomorrow evening. These tasty treats were straight forward to made and very festive. Dark Chocolate and Peppermint lovers should be delighted. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!