Dark and fudgy peppermint brownies, frosted with peppermint cream cheese frosting, and decorated with crushed candy canes and the cutest holiday sprinkles. This festive dessert is sure to get everyone in the Christmas spirit!
You might also love this pink peppermint candy cane ice cream, candy cane Christmas cake, and snowflake sugar cookies.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Chocolate + Peppermint. Rich, dark chocolate and refreshing peppermint is a perfect match.
Soft for Days. You’ll love my fudge brownies, which stay soft, moist and fudgy for days without drying out.
Make Ahead for the Holidays. You can make the peppermint brownies ahead of time and freeze them until you’re ready to serve them.
High Altitude Tested. While this brownie recipe should work at any altitude, high altitude bakers can bake with confidence since I test all of my recipes at Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Brownies
- Unsalted Butter. Adds richness and moisture.
- Granulated Sugar. The sugar sweetens the brownies, to balance the bitterness of the cocoa powder, and also helps form the crackly top on the brownies.
- Chocolate Chips. Melted chocolate chips in the batter adds to the fudgy texture and the crackly top on the brownies.
- Vanilla + Peppermint Extract. Flavor.
- Eggs. The eggs help to emulsify the batter, providing structure and leavening.
- Cocoa Powder. Use a good quality, unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder for the best brownies. I used Rodelle cocoa powder for today’s recipe.
- Flour. All-purpose flour gives the brownies structure.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
Frosting
- Cream Cheese + Butter. For cream cheese frosting, I always use a combination of cream cheese and butter, for a more stable consistency and delicious flavor.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
- Vanilla + Peppermint Extract. Flavor.
- Crushed Peppermints/Candy Canes + Sprinkles.
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter and sugar over medium heat. Once it begins to bubble hard enough that you can’t stir down the bubbles, cook for two minutes.TIP: If you have an instant read digital thermometer, check the temperature. You want the butter and sugar mixture to reach between between 230-235 degrees Fahrenheit, which will help get the shiny crackly top on the brownies.
- Remove from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the chocolate chips, vanilla and peppermint extract until melted and shiny; the mixture will be grainy. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture comes together into a smooth batter.
- In a bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, flour and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thick but spreadable.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake on the center oven rack for exactly 28 minutes – don’t over-bake! The brownies will be browned and crackled on top and slightly puffed.
- Cool the brownies completely before frosting and cutting them into bars.TIP: Speed up the cooling process by letting them cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
Frosting
- With an electric mixer (stand or hand held), beat the cream cheese and butter for 1 minute, until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar until combined. Add the vanilla and peppermint extracts. Increase the speed to medium, and whip for several minutes until light and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies, then sprinkle with crushed peppermints and Christmas sprinkles. Cut the brownies into squares, wiping the knife clean in between each cut.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use mint extract or peppermint extract?
You should only use peppermint extract, as mint extract has a spearmint flavor.
Where did you get the sprinkles?
I found the cutest little holiday sprinkle mix at my grocery store, which included the candy canes, little gingerbread people, and more. I haven’t found that exact mix anywhere else, but there are some cute Christmas sprinkle mixes on Amazon, like these brown, red and blue sprinkles, this Wilton sprinkle mix, these little candy cane sprinkles, and this holly mix.
How should I store peppermint brownies?
Store your peppermint brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 3-6 months.
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Frosted Peppermint Brownies
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Ingredients
Brownies
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp peppermint extract (not mint extract)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened for 1 hour
- 2 oz unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp peppermint extract (not mint extract)
- crushed peppermints or candy canes
- sprinkles
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter and sugar over medium heat. Once it begins to bubble hard enough that you can't stir down the bubbles, cook for two minutes.TIP: If you have an instant read digital thermometer, check the temperature. You want the butter and sugar mixture to reach between between 230-235 degrees Fahrenheit, which will help get the shiny crackly top on the brownies.
- Remove from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the chocolate chips, vanilla and peppermint extract until melted and shiny; the mixture will be grainy. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture comes together into a smooth batter.
- In a bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, flour and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thick but spreadable.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake on the center oven rack for exactly 28 minutes – don’t over-bake! The brownies will be browned and crackled on top and slightly puffed.
- Cool the brownies completely before frosting and cutting them into bars.TIP: Speed up the cooling process by letting them cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
Frosting
- With an electric mixer (stand or hand held), beat the cream cheese and butter for 1 minute, until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar until combined. Add the vanilla and peppermint extracts. Increase the speed to medium, and whip for several minutes until light and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies, then sprinkle with crushed peppermints and Christmas sprinkles. Cut the brownies into squares, wiping the knife clean in between each cut.
These are AMAZING. The frosting in perfect, the brownies super fudgy. So so good!
Would you double this to make in a 9×13 pan?
Yep!