Peppermint Mocha Brownies are the dressed up version of my Perfect Brownies!
In case you haven’t noticed by now, I have a love for peppermint anything—especially when combined with chocolate! Just this past month I’ve made Peppermint Bark and Marshmallow Swizzle Sticks (you know my fave was the white chocolate peppermint!). I adore Candy Cane Ice Cream and my Cream Cheese Peppermint Patties are one of my favorite easy treats to make! Can you believe that I have yet ANOTHER chocolate peppermint treat to throw your way?
Just a week ago one of my friends let me know that she made my Perfect Brownies for a friend who has both egg and dairy allergies. She gushed over how delicious they were, and it got me to thinking—what about a Christmas version? A little peppermint extract, some crushed candy canes on top, and I’ve got a version just perfect for your next Christmas party!
In fact, I brought these today to our preschool Christmas sing along—a pan of brownies is SO much easier to make than individual frosted cookies. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about the cookies, I just want to be able to enjoy them myself if I’m going to put a lot of time into making them. But a pan of brownies? Couldn’t be easier! Perfect to share at a party!
^^^ My plate of brownies was totally empty at the end of the sing along, although Jonathan might have had something to do with that.
These brownies have the perfect chewy texture (see Perfect Brownies) with a crinkle top, however obscured by the peppermints. Their texture comes in part from the maple syrup—trust me, this is important, I tried a million different ways—and partly from black bean aquafaba, the liquid from a can of beans (or you can make it yourself). If you’re gluten free, simply follow the recipe from my Perfect Gluten Free Brownies, adding the peppermint as called for in this recipe.
I hope these Peppermint Mocha Brownies make it onto your Christmas party buffet this weekend! If they do, take a picture, post it on Instagram, and tag it with #frieddandelions!
Need more peppermint recipes?
Candy Cane Cookies
Cream Cheese Peppermint Patties
Candy Cane Ice Cream
Double Chocolate Mint Chip Ice Cream
Peppermint Bark
Marshmallow Swizzle Sticks
Peppermint Marshmallow Sugar Cookies
Perfect Brownies get all dressed up for Christmas with their candy cane top!
10 minPrep Time
35 minCook Time
45 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1/4 c coconut oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
- 3 ounces (~1/2 c) semi sweet chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life)
- 1/2 c brown sugar
- 1/4 c maple syrup
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 c liquid from a can of black beans (your can will probably have closer to 2/3 or 3/4 c—make sure you measure)
- 2 t vanilla
- 2 t peppermint extract
- 2 t instant espresso/coffee
- 3/4 c flour
- 4 1/2 ounces (3/4 c) semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 c crushed candy canes or peppermints (measured after crushing), + 1 T for sprinkling after baking
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°. Grease an 8 inch baking pan with extra coconut oil and set aside.
- To crush the candies—Unwrap completely (don’t forget!) and place in your food processor. Pulse until broken up into small pieces, but don’t go so far that they turn into dust! Alternately, place in a sealed plastic bag and use a rolling pin or kitchen mallet to break up the candies (place the bag in a folded kitchen towel to keep bag from breaking and from damaging your countertop!). Set aside. I do a whole bag/box at a time and save the rest of the peppermint for other recipes! See above!
- In a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat, melt 3 ounces of chocolate chips and 1/4 cup coconut oil. When melted, remove from heat. Add in brown sugar, maple syrup and pinch of salt and whisk together.
- Whisk the black bean liquid in the measuring cup for about 1 minute until slightly foamy (bubble all around). Pour into the chocolate mix and whisk together. Add vanilla, peppermint and instant espresso and whisk to incorporate.
- Add the flour to the chocolate mixture and mix well. Fold in 4 1/2 ounces of chocolate chips.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Top with 1/3 c crushed candy canes, reserving 1T to sprinkle on AFTER they cook. Bake for 35 minutes. The brownies will be moist but set (and possibly bubbling like crazy!). Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with an additional 1 T crushed candy canes (some of the candy cane melts right in, so this refreshes your nice pepperminty crust! Allow to cool for about an hour before serving. These would be great served a la mode with my Candy Cane Ice Cream. Enjoy!
Notes
For a gluten free version, work from my Perfect Gluten Free Brownie recipe, adding the peppermint as called for in this recipe.
^^^ Candy cane explosion!
