Name: Candy Cane Brownies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups white sugar; 3/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon baking powder; 3/4 cup real, unsalted butter, melted; 3 eggs; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract; 6 regular-size candy canes

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Are you a mint-chocolate person? I’m sharing a Candy Cane Brownies recipe today that is just your speed! These candy cane topped brownies are a delicious treat around the holidays. If you love the combination of mint and chocolate, these gooey-in-the-center peppermint brownies are for you! This is a variation on my classic foolproof brownies recipe, but with a minty additions inside and out. The full peppermint brownie recipe is at the end of this post, but first I’m sharing a few helpful tips (including specific ingredient recommendations).

Want more recipes like this? More brownies variations:

How to make candy cane topped brownies

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and spraying a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder) together in a mixing bowl. Ingredient tip: This recipe is written using regular unsweetened cocoa powder, but if you like dark chocolate, you can substitute Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. Candy Cane Brownies are delicious with dark chocolate!

In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients (butter,* eggs, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract). The peppermint extract adds a subtle minty taste to the chocolate in these brownies in addition to the crushed candy canes that go on top later.

*Important tip: In order to make these brownies foolproof, it’s important to use real butter, not margarine, for this recipe. I’ve tried it with margarine and it never turns out the right consistency.

Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir the batter until well mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the edges are brown and the center is set. Cooking tip: This recipe makes brownies that are gooey in the center, as that’s how my family likes them. If you prefer a firmer brownie, cook for up to 5 more minutes, checking every few minutes to ensure the edges don’t burn.

While the brownies are baking, crush 6 regular-sized candy canes. I crush them while still in their plastic by lightly pounding with a mallet. It doesn’t take much effort to crush them (if you pound too hard you’ll end up with peppermint dust instead of crushed chunks). Ingredient tip: If you make these at a time of year when candy canes aren’t available, you can crush pieces of peppermint disc candy instead. Pour the crushed peppermint through a fine mesh strainer to separate the bigger chunks from any powdery crumbs. Discard the powder and keep the bigger chunks.

After the cooking time ends, remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack (it will continue to cook in the pan as it cools). Add the crushed candy cane pieces over the top of the brownies, pressing them down lightly to embed them onto the top. If you do this while the brownies are still hot, the candy cane pieces will melt lightly onto the top, which is oh-so-yummy!

Let the brownies cool completely (about 30 minutes) before cutting and serving.

These candy cane topped brownies are minty, chocolatey deliciousness!

peppermint brownies (candy cane topped brownies)

Peppermint brownies are great for holiday gifts or for serving at holiday parties, too. That is, if your family doesn’t devour them first!

Here’s the Candy Cane Brownies recipe! Be sure to pin this one for later, it will be a favorite holiday treat year after year!