Peppermint Brownies are rich and decadent with a fudgy brownie base, a delicious minty chocolate ganache layer, and crushed candy canes sprinkled on top. These quick and easy Christmas brownies made from scratch are the perfect dessert to bake for holiday parties and events.

They're easy to make homemade with simple baking staples that you likely already have in your pantry. Plus, they are easy to store and freezer-friendly so you can make them ahead of time to save you some stress when you have guests over, or as an easy treat on demand when you are having a last minute sugar craving.
Why You'll Love these Peppermint Brownies
- Triple the chocolate. These Peppermint Brownies uses melted chocolate and cocoa powder in the brownie batter, plus more chocolate in the ganache topping. It's rich, decadent, and delicious. I mean it's chocolate are talking about!
- Festive holiday flavor. If you’ve ever spent a little too much time at the dessert table agonizing over the decision between gooey, chocolatey Brownies and Chocolate Peppermint Bark, this peppermint brownie recipe is for you. No more difficult choices — now you get both flavor profiles in one easy dessert!
- Quick to make. These Christmas brownies are ready in just under 2 hours, which may seem like a long time to make. But, an hour of that they are chilling, and 35 minutes of that they are baking, so really you need to spend 15 minutes of actual prep time to make them. This may become your new go-to holiday dessert when you need to make something impressive but don't have a lot of time.
- Easy to make from scratch. You’ll start with baking the fudgy brownies, and while they’re are cooling, you can start preparing the ganache topping. Then add it to the brownies, sprinkle on crushed candy canes or peppermint candies and let it set. The hardest part will be waiting for these candy cane brownies to cool down enough to eat!
Ingredient Notes
To make these delicious Peppermint Brownies, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- semi-sweet chocolate - you can also use dark chocolate if you prefer the deeper flavor in the brownies and/or the ganache topping.
- butter
- sugar - sugar is an essential ingredient in most desserts, but you can replace it in this recipe with your favorite sugar alternative, like raw sugar, coconut sugar, stevia, or Swerve.
- brown sugar - the same goes for brown sugar. Try a 1:1 brown sugar alternative if you need to.
- eggs - the eggs in the brownie batter can be replaced with flaxseed eggs, which are made by combining 1 tablespoon of flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water per egg. Let the mixture set for 10 minutes before using in the recipe.
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour - you can easily make these peppermint brownies gluten-free by swapping the wheat flour for a measure-for-measure gluten free flour substitute.
- cocoa powder
- salt
- heavy cream - an essential ingredient in chocolate ganache.
- peppermint extract - adds an extra minty flavor to the ganache topping.
- chopped candy canes - to sprinkle on top.
Baking Equipment
You will also need the following baking tools and equipment:
How to Make the Best Peppermint Brownies
First, make the brownie layer.
- Melt chocolate. Melt the chocolate with butter in a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water, or you will burn the chocolate. Whisk until melted and smooth.
- Add sugar. Remove from heat and add sugars into the chocolate mixture and whisk until completely combined. Let the chocolate mixture cool for a few minutes.
- Add wet ingredients. Add in eggs and vanilla, and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add dry ingredients. Add in flour, cocoa powder, and salt and fold together using a large silicone spatula until just combined.
- Fill pan. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and line it with parchment paper so that it hangs over two sides to make it easy to life the brownies out of the pan when baked. Transfer the thick batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake. Bake in a 350°F preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with moist a few moist crumbs attached. Place the baking pan on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Second, make the peppermint ganache topping.
- Prep chocolate. Place chopped chocolate into a medium mixing bowl.
- Heat cream. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer. Immediately remove from heat before it begins to boil.
- Add cream to chocolate. Pour hot cream over top of the chopped chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow it to soften the chocolate. Use a spoon to slowly stir until completely smooth and creamy. Stir in the peppermint extract.
- Spread ganache. Spread the ganache evenly over the cooled brownies.
- Add candy canes. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top.
- Chill. Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow ganache to set. Then, use a sharp knife to cut the brownies in to 16 squares and serve. For clean cuts, wipe the knife after each cut.
Recipe Variations
- Get creative with mix-ins: Mix in a cup of mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, or crushed nuts into the brownies batter.
- Add sprinkles. Add Christmas colored sprinkles on top instead of crushed peppermints, or make these any time of the year using colored sprinkles that match the theme you are going for. You can also omit the peppermint extract in that case.
- Make white chocolate ganache: Use white chocolate in the ganache instead for a white chocolate peppermint topping.
How to Serve
Peppermint Brownies are delicious warm (but a bit messier), at room temperature, or cool. These brownies are especially delicious with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream. I actually like it better warm with ice cream. To reheat up a but, place in the microwave for 10-20 seconds until warm.
Brownies are also delicious with a tasty drink. Some of our favorites to serve with these peppermint treats are:
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Make sure brownies have cooled. Before spreading on the ganache, make sure the brownies have cooked completely. Otherwise the ganache will melt everywhere and you’ll end up with a gooey mess.
- Try boxed brownie mix. For a quicker option, use boxed brownie mix instead. Then, prepare the ganache and spread on the baked brownies.
- Double the recipe. You can make these brownies in a 9x13-inch baking pan simply by doubling the recipe. You will also need to increase the baking time about 5 more minutes.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Once the peppermint brownies have completely cooled, you can store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days — make sure to keep them cool and out of direct sunlight. They will stay fresh for days! You can also tightly wrap them in plastic cling wrap or aluminum foil. You can store them longer for up to a week in the fridge.
How to Freeze
You can store peppermint brownies before or after frosting with ganache. Once cool, place in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to two months. You can also slice them first and wrap individually in plastic cling wrap before placing in a freezer bag. When ready to serve, take out the portion that you want and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then, bring to room temperature before serving, about 20 minutes on the kitchen counter.
More Peppermint Recipes
- 30 Best Christmas Dessert Recipes
- Peppermint Macarons
- Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Bark
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate
- Peppermint Snowball Cookies
- Candy Cane Cookies
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Recipe
Peppermint Brownies
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 16 brownies
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup butter, unsalted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the peppermint ganache topping:
- 6 ounces chocolate, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- chopped candy canes
Instructions
Make the brownies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and line it with parchment paper so that it hangs over two sides to make it easy to lift the brownies out of the pan when baked.
- Melt the chocolate with butter in a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water, or you will burn the chocolate. Whisk until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and add sugars into the chocolate mixture and whisk until completely combined. Let the chocolate mixture cool for a few minutes.
- Add in eggs, vanilla extract, and mint extract, and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add in flour, cocoa powder, and salt and fold together using a large silicone spatula until just combined.
- Transfer the thick batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with moist a few moist crumbs attached.
- Place the baking pan on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the peppermint ganache topping:
- Place chopped chocolate into a medium mixing bowl.
- Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer. Immediately remove from heat before it begins to boil.
- Pour hot cream over top of the chopped chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow it to soften the chocolate. Use a spoon to slowly stir until completely smooth and creamy. Stir in the peppermint extract.
- Spread the ganache evenly over the cooled brownies.
- Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow ganache to set. Then, use a sharp knife to cut the brownies in to 16 squares and serve. For clean cuts, wipe the knife after each cut.
Notes
How to use boxed brownie mix. For a quicker option, use boxed brownie mix instead. Then, prepare the ganache and spread on the baked brownies.
Double the recipe. You can make these brownies in a 9x13-inch baking pan simply by doubling the recipe. You will also need to increase the baking time about 5 more minutes.
How to store: Once the peppermint brownies have completely cooled, you can store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days — make sure to keep them cool and out of direct sunlight. They will stay fresh for days! You can also tightly wrap them in plastic cling wrap or aluminum foil. You can store them longer for up to a week in the fridge.
How to freeze: You can store peppermint brownies before or after frosting with ganache. Once cool, place in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to two months. You can also slice them first and wrap individually in plastic cling wrap before placing in a freezer bag. When ready to serve, take out the portion that you want and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then, bring to room temperature before serving, about 20 minutes on the kitchen counter.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chill Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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