Candy Cane Brownies
Say hello to peppermint candy cane brownies! The perfect Christmas brownies with a fudgy brownie base, topped with a peppermint buttercream, swirled with crushed peppermint candy canes.
There’s nothing better than biting into a dense, chocolatey brownie base followed by a creamy, peppermint-infused buttercream. These homemade brownies have such a great contrast in textures and flavors, and despite being sweet the taste of the peppermint really balances them! The base recipe comes from my crinkle top brownies.
They’ll be a hit at any time this holiday season, at Christmas parties or holiday gatherings and they’re also a great way to use up any leftover candy canes!
You might like these chocolate-swirled peppermint marshmallows, too!
Ingredients
Find the ingredient amounts for this easy candy cane brownies recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Butter- Melted butter adds fat, chewiness, and taste to these brownies. The hot butter melts the sugar and helps create the shiny crinkle tops.
- Semi-sweet chocolate – Choose good quality chocolate.
- Sugar – Both granulated white sugar and soft brown sugar are used.
- Large eggs
- Salt – Salt enhances the flavor.
- Vanilla – Chocolate’s best friend. Choose a good quality vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
- Peppermint extract – Peppermint flavor is such a good pairing with chcooalte.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – provides extra chocolate flavor!
- Flour – Only a small amount of all-purpose flour is used for stability, but not too much, so the brownie stays moist.
- For the Peppermint Buttercream: Butter, icing sugar, peppermint extract and heavy cream.
- Crushed candy canes or peppermint candies for topping, and mixing through the buttercream.
Method
Brownies
Step 1. Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C) and line an 8×8 inch pan or with parchment paper. Leave an overhang of paper for easy removal.
Step 2. In a saucepan or a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and chopped chocolate. Heat it on low heat and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it’s all melted and combined. Alternatively, place it in the microwave and melt it together in 20-second intervals, stirring each time.
Step 3. Once it’s all melted, stir through the sugars while the mixture is still hot.
Step 4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, for around 1 minute until well combined, followed by the salt, vanilla extract and peppermint extract.
Step 5. Add cocoa powder and stir it in well.
Finally, add the flour to the chocolate mixture and whisk it well to combine it into a glossy chocolate batter. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan.
Step 6. Bake the brownies for 28-32 minutes until a knife or skewer inserted into the pan comes out fairly clean with a few moist crumbs still sticking to it. There should be no wet batter left but the brownie should still be moist.
The baking time will depend on your oven or square baking pan used. Take care not to overcook them or the texture of the brownies won’t be fudgy.
Step 7. Leave the baked brownies in the pan to cool down completely on a wire rack.
Peppermint Buttercream
Step 8. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or with an electric hand mixer, beat the butter until light, smooth and creamy.
Add in the powdered sugar, peppermint extract and heavy cream. Whip on low speed to combine the sugar, then beat on high speed for 3-4 minutes until, thick and fluffy. Stir through crushed candy pieces.
Step 9. Once the brownie has completely cooled, add on the frosting on top of the brownies and use an offset spatula to smooth it out. Top with additional candy cane pieces.
Step 10. Place the brownies in the refrigerator for around 20 minutes to slightly firm up the buttercream, or longer to give really clean cuts. Then remove the brownies from the pan, and slice into 16 pieces.
Store any leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. They also freeze very well, for up to 3 months.
Variations
- Add a ganache layer: Add a layer of chocolate ganache over the peppermint frosting for an extra chocolate hit.
- Mini Brownies: Make these in a 24 mini muffin tin for bite-sized treats – perfect for holiday parties. The baking time will need to be lessened to about 12 minutes.
- Boxed brownie mix. If you’re short on time, you can use your favorite box brownie mix. Add in a teaspoon of peppermint extract to the batter, and top with the buttercream!
Related recipes
Did you enjoy these peppermint candy cane brownies? You might like these recipes too!
Candy Cane Brownies
Ingredients
Brownie base
- 113 g butter salted or unsalted
- 85 g semisweet chocolate
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 50 g soft brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 30 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 63 g all-purpose flour
Peppermint buttercream
- 113 g butter softened
- 360 g powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cream
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 3-4 crushed candy canes plus more for topping.
Instructions
Brownie base
- Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C) and line an 8×8 inch pan or with parchment paper. Leave an overhang of paper for easy removal.
- In a saucepan or a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and chopped chocolate. Heat it on low heat and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it's all melted and combined. Alternatively, place it in the microwave and melt it together in 20-second intervals, stirring each time.
- Once it's all melted, stir through the sugars while the mixture is still hot.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, for around 1 minute until well combined, followed by the salt, vanilla extract and peppermint extract.
- Sift cocoa powder and stir it in well. Finally, add the flour to the chocolate mixture and whisk it well to combine it into a glossy chocolate batter. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake the brownies for 28-32 minutes until a knife or skewer inserted into the pan comes out fairly clean with a few moist crumbs still sticking to it. There should be no wet batter left but the brownie should still be moist.
- The baking time will depend on your oven or square baking pan used. Take care not to overcook them or the texture of the brownies won't be fudgy.
- Leave the baked brownies in the pan to cool down completely on a wire rack.
Peppermint buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or with an electric hand mixer, beat the butter until light, smooth and creamy.
- Add in the powdered sugar, peppermint extract and heavy cream. Whip on low speed to combine the sugar, then beat on high speed for 3-4 minutes until, thick and fluffy. Stir through crushed candy pieces.
- Once the brownie has completely cooled, add on the frosting on top of the brownies and use an offset spatula to smooth it out. Top with additional candy cane pieces.
- Place the brownies in the refrigerator for around 20 minutes to slightly firm up the buttercream. For extra clean cuts, let it chill longer. Then remove the brownies from the pan, and slice into 16 pieces.
