Frosted Peppermint Brownies

Frosted Peppermint Brownies are a quick make ahead treat for the holidays! An easy buttercream topping with candy canes give the fudge brownies a perfect mint flavor. The homemade brownies mix up in one bowl and are in the oven in about 10 minutes.

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This is an easy Christmas or holiday recipe! We take a one bowl brownie recipe without peppermint extract and layer it with frosting and crushed candy canes. You will love the way the delish fudge-like brownie pairs with the vanilla and peppermint!

why you are going to love these peppermint brownies

• They are quick and easy to prepare!
• One bowl, a spatula and an 8x8 baking pan are all you need for the brownies.
• Ten minutes of prep time for the brownies and five for the buttercream.
• The easy American buttercream with candy canes topping adds the perfect amount of peppermint flavor.
• Crushing candy canes is a great way to relieve some holiday stress!😉😉

ingredients needed for this quick recipe

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For the brownies ~

• Chocolate ~ Go with a semi-sweet variety {something in the 40-62% cacao range}. Scharffen Berger and Callebaut are my typical go-to chocolates for baking. Ghirardelli, Trader Joe's pound plus bars and Baker's are also good options.
• Unsalted butter ~ helps the brownies to have the rich and fudgy texture.
• Granulated sugar ~ for sweetness.
• Eggs ~ one large egg + one large egg yolk; adds chewiness and structure.
• Vanilla ~ for flavor.
• All-purpose flour ~ for structure.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder ~ for flavor and richness. Big Country Organic Cocoa Powder and Scharffen Berger have been my recent go-to cocoa powders, but Hershey's Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder is another I often use.
• Kosher salt ~ helps to balance the flavors.
• Baking powder ~ just a tiny bit to add a little lift to the brownies. {not shown above}

For the buttercream ~

• Unsalted butter
• Confectioners' sugar
• Vanilla
• Heavy whipping cream ~ you can use half and half as well.
• Crushed candy canes

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how to make easy classic brownies

First, preheat the oven and prepare an 8x8 baking pan {I love this USA Brand pan!} with parchment paper.

Then melt the butter and dark chocolate together. I use a bowl {from my trusty Duralex set} over a pot of simmering water, but if you are comfortable doing this in the microwave, feel free to do that.

Next add the sugar and mix until fully combined. Then add in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, baking powder and kosher salt.

Once fully combined, add the flour and cocoa powder on top of the wet ingredients.  Give the dry ingredients a little toss together and then stir into the chocolate mixture until everything is just combined.

Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake.

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how to know when fudgy brownies are done

You can use a toothpick to help you determine when they are finished baking ~

• If the toothpick still has thick batter on it, the brownies are not done.
• When the toothpick comes out clean, it means the brownies are over baked.
• If the toothpick comes out with some moist crumbs, they are done!

When baking brownies, I always err on the side of underdone versus overdone because not many people care for a dry brownie!

the best way to crush candy canes

I have found the best and least messy way to crush candy canes is to leave them in their wrappers. Then place the candy canes in a zip top bag and whack them with a rolling pin or meat hammer.

let's put the peppermint into the brownies!

Once the brownies have cooled, make the frosting for them. It's a simple vanilla American buttercream that gets topped with candy canes.

After a few hours, the candy cane topping "melts" into the buttercream, giving the perfect peppermint flavor without using extract. And the flavor gets even better after about 24 hours, so feel free to make these frosted peppermint brownies a day before you need them.

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how to store frosted brownies

These frosted peppermint brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to five days. {Good luck getting them to last that long!}

You can also freeze the brownies for up to three months; allow them to defrost in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for an hour or two.

Remember to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram if you make these Frosted Peppermint Brownies. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

more brownie recipes to enjoy

• One Bowl Brownies
• White Chocolate Chai Brownies
• Peanut Butter Caramel Pretzel Brownies
• Double Chocolate Oat Bottom Brownies
• Easy White Chocolate Brownies

If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating.  I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!