Do you have a recipe that when you know there’s a gathering or special occasion you make? That’s this recipe. These peppermint chocolate brownies are pure brownie heaven. Thicky, fudgy, and oh so decadent. The best part…they’re both dairy and gluten-free! Which makes these brownies even better for gatherings as you never know who’s going to show up and what kind of food allergy/issue they might have. No one will even notice though because they’ll be too busy stuffing their mouths with these dreamy squares of peppermint chocolate delight!
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Let’s start by melting the cocoa powder, chocolate chips, butter, and espresso powder in a pot over medium-low heat. Give it a stir every once in a while to keep it melting even. Once it has fully melted and is as smooth as a you-know-what 😉 take it off the heat and let cool while you start to prepare the brownie batter. Get out the mixer and start whisking up the brown sugar, eggs, and peppermint extract on low. Once it’s combined crank that mixer up to high and let it go for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture lightens in colour and becomes fluffy and glossy.
Pour in the melted chocolate mixture into the whipped eggs and sugar and gently fold together. Don’t rush this process as you want to keep as much air in the batter as possible. Slow and steady is going to win this brownie race. Once everything is folded in harmoniously grab your sifter and sift in the cornstarch and salt. Again, gently fold it together. You’re now ready to bake so pour that delicious peppermint brownie batter into a lined and sprayed 8×8 baking pan and into the oven it goes!
The trick to a fudgy brownie is taking them out when the center is a tad bit un-baked so keep an eye on them once you hit the 20-minute mark and remove them once a toothpick comes out with a few bits of brownie batter on it. While these decadent bites of brownie perfection cool in the pan, whip up the dairy-free peppermint frosting and you’ll soon be basking in the perfection of these glorious Peppermint Chocolate Brownies.
Peppermint Chocolate Brownies
- Prep Time: 20 Min
- Cook Time: 25 Min
- Total Time: 45 Min
- Yield: 16 Squares 1x
Description
Rich and fudgy dairy-free and gluten-free peppermint chocolate frosted brownies.
**Recipe adapted from Sugared & Stirred Grain-Free Orange Brownies
Ingredients
PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE BROWNIES:
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½ cup dairy-free butter, room temperature
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1 ½ cups dairy-free chocolate chips
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⅓ cup cocoa powder
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3 tsp. instant espresso powder
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3 eggs, large
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1 cup brown sugar
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1 tsp. peppermint emulsion or extract
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1 tsp. vanilla extract
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⅓ cup cornstarch
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1 tsp. fine sea salt
PEPPERMINT FROSTING:
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¼ cup dairy-free salted butter
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1 cup icing sugar
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1 tbsp. dairy-free milk
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½ tsp. peppermint emulsion or extract
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¼ tsp. fine sea salt
Instructions
EQUIPMENT:
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Parchment Paper
PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE BROWNIES:
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray and parchment line an 8×8 baking pan.
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Heat the butter, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and instant espresso powder over medium heat until fully melted and smooth. Remove from the heat
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In the bowl of a stand mixer whip the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and peppermint emulsion on medium speed for 5-10 until the colour has lightened and is fluffy.
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Slowly pour in the melted chocolate and gently fold together with a spatula.
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Sift in the cornstarch and salt and gently fold together until fully combined.
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Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. A toothpick should come out of the center with a bit of batter.
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Allow to fully cool in the pan before frosting.
PEPPERMINT FROSTING:
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In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter on high until light and fluffy.
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Add in the icing sugar, salt, milk, and peppermint emulsion and mix on low until combined.
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Turn the mixer up to high and beat until fluffy.
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Frost the fully cooled brownies and top with sprinkles if so desired. Enjoy!
- Category: Squares
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: baking, brownies, peppermint brownies, peppermint, dairy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free brownies, gluten-free brownies
I had just set up my Christmas decorations around my house, and was craving something that tasted a little Christmasy to me, and to me, peppermint screams Christmas time. Of course, I was also in the mood for chocolate (which is all of the time) and so these Peppermint Brownies seemed like just the fix that I needed. They were sooooo delicious and also so easy to whip up! I highly recommend this recipe! I love a good moist fudgy brownie and these did not disappoint!
Fudgy and moist are keywords for the perfect brownie! Thanks for giving this recipe a go Dani.