These easy homemade peppermint brownies require just one mixing bowl and a handful of simple ingredients. It's a simple dessert that's perfect for the holiday season!
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Peppermint brownies are a very easy holiday dessert. This brownie recipe is made from scratch but only requires one bowl so clean up is really a breeze.
I used to always make brownies from a box, even though I've been baking since I was a toddler. For some reason, I had this idea they were difficult to make from scratch.
There are recipes out there that do require a fair amount of work with things like melting chocolate in a double boiler. No, thank you.
Those recipes are tasty for sure, but if you want brownies that are still delicious but a bit quicker and requires less cleanup, these peppermint brownies are for you.
It's just as easy as a mix but it tastes so much better - and it's perfect for the holidays!
I like to play around with brownies and have made wonderful desserts with my basic brownie recipe. Two of my favorites have been these Pecan Chocolate Chip Brownies and these Fudgy Peanut Butter Brownies.
Both are really delicious but I wanted one that was a little more Christmas-y, yet still easy to make when I get a last minute holiday party invite.
How to Make Peppermint Brownies - Step by Step
Before you start making your brownies, go ahead and crush your candy canes. I used about three full size candy canes for this recipe. Alternatively, you could buy a bag of crushed peppermint candies meant for baking.
To crush them put in a Ziplock bag and use a mallet or hammer to crush them. I suggest doing this on a cutting board so you don't damage your countertop.
The next thing you need is to melt your butter and to start pre-heating the oven.
I love that this recipe uses melted butter because you don't have to worry about softening it ahead of time.
While your butter melts, go ahead and grease an 8" square baking dish. Tip: I like to save the butter wrapper and use it to grease the pan. It's mess-free and reduces waste.
After your butter is melted, you want to mix it with the sugar in a large mixing bowl. And then add your cocoa powder and salt. This is when the brownie batter will start to smell amazing.
Add one egg at a time, mixing between each one. Then add the vanilla and peppermint extracts. Followed by the flour, mix until all of the flour is incorporated but try not to over-mix.
Pour your batter into your prepared baking dish and top with crushed candy canes. Bake the brownies, being sure to not overcook them. And once they are done, enjoy!
Tips & Variations
These peppermint brownies are also delicious topped with a bit of vanilla or peppermint ice cream.
It would also be fun to set up a brownie sundae bar with ice cream and toppings so people can create their own sundaes.
This recipe uses an 8" x 8" baking dish, but you can also double the recipe and use a 9" x 13" baking dish. Be sure to add 5 minutes to the cooking time.
More Holiday Recipes
If you love these peppermint brownies, be sure to check out these other tasty holiday ideas:
Recipe
Quick & Easy Peppermint Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease an 8-inch square pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine melted butter and cocoa and salt, stir until cocoa is dissolved.
- Add sugar and mix well.
- Add eggs one at a time and stir until well combined.
- Stir in vanilla and peppermint extracts.
- Add in flour, stir until you don't see any more flour. Do not overmix.
- Spread in pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes.
- DO NOT OVER-BAKE. Your brownies will come out dry. Test with a toothpick, it should come out with moist crumbs, not clean.
- Cool completely before cutting into squares.
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