Peppermint Bark Brownies
Peppermint Bark Brownies are the sweetest way to start your holiday season! Homemade fudgy chocolate brownies, frosted with a sweet pepperminty white chocolate ganache, and topped with crunchy peppermint pieces. Every bite tastes just like peppermint bark! It’s the perfect combination of deep dark chocolate, sweet white chocolate, and just the right amount of peppermint. Sweet, but not too sweet! It’s so good and so simple. They’re the perfect Christmas brownie to bake, share, and gift this holiday season!
Today we are upgrading our classic Peppermint Bark and making these decadent brownies. While we love a big chunk of easy-to-make chocolate bark, we thought we would upgrade it into something even BETTER!
Over the years, we have seriously perfected our brownies and this recipe is one that everyone needs to try this holiday season! Whether you’re a chocolate lover or not, these brownies will make you a believer! They are always the first to go at any holiday party and are widely known among friends, family, and our neighborhood as the best brownies around.
The secret? Years of testing to find the perfect blend of ingredients, while also using high-quality chocolate to ensure that every bite is dense, chocolaty, and extra delicious!
All The Flavor Details
These brownies are perfectly fudgy and gooey on the inside, topped with a sweet creamy layer of white chocolate ganache hinted with peppermint, and finished with crushed candy canes to give every bite just the right amount of crunch.
Why You Should Make These Brownies This Holiday Season!
- The brownies are made entirely of rich bittersweet chocolate. This makes them extra chocolaty and SERIOUSLY fudgy!
- You only need a few bowls and a whisk to mix up these brownies! No electric mixers or specialty tools required.
- Every bite is soft, fudgy, and rich.
- Topped with a three ingredient peppermint white chocolate ganache that’s actually SO easy to make.
- The brownie equivalent to your favorite chunk of peppermint bark.
Ingredients To Make The Best Peppermint Bark Brownies
Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
For The Brownies:
- Bittersweet Chocolate – Smooth and not too sweet, bittersweet chocolate provides a rich and complex flavor profile.
- Unsalted Butter – With a bright, fresh flavor that adds not only richness, unsalted butter also adds moisture and flavor and allows us to control the level of salt.
- Large Eggs – The binder that holds these brownies together, eggs also contribute to the structure and texture.
- Granulated Sugar – Adding the perfect amount of sweetness, granulated sugar also contributes to the soft and chewy texture of these brownies.
- Vanilla Extract – While adding a subtle undertone, vanilla enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
- Salt – Just a bit of salt enhances the flavor.
- All Purpose Flour – The protein content in all purpose flour creates the ideal structure for these brownies.
For The Topping:
- White Chocolate – Rich, creamy, and sweet, white chocolate marries incredibly well with the peppermint extract.
- Heavy Cream – A necessary component in ganache, heavy cream is what keeps the chocolate from hardening as it cools, keeping it rich and creamy.
- Peppermint Extract – The flavor in peppermint bark, make sure your use peppermint extract and not peppermint oil.
What’s The Best Chocolate To Use?
For this recipe, we highly recommend using a high quality dark or a bittersweet chocolate! Anywhere from 60% – 70% works wonderfully with this recipe.
Let’s Bake Some Brownies!
Step 1: Prepare batter
Combine chocolate and butter in large microwave proof bowl. Microwave in 15 second increments, stirring well after each, until melted and smooth. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
Add to chocolate mixture. Whisk until well combined.
Fold in flour.
Step 2: Bake
Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes.
Step 3: Make ganache
Combine chocolate, cream, and extract in microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 15 second increments, stirring well after each, until melted and smooth.
Step 4: Top brownies
Spread over top of cooled brownie. Top with crushed peppermint.
Cut into squares.
How To Tell When Brownies Are Perfectly Baked
We found that using a cake tester or toothpick is the best way to tell when the brownie is perfectly baked. After inserting the cake tester, it should still be a little damp with maybe one or two crumbs on it.
This means that the brownie is still fudgy and moist, while being just barely baked!
Looking for more Christmas recipes? Here are a few you may like:
When you make these Peppermint Bark Brownies, be sure to leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.
Peppermint Bark Brownies
Ingredients
Brownie
- 3⅓ cups bittersweet chocolate
- ⅞ cup unsalted butter
- 6 large eggs
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups all purpose flour*
Topping
- 2 cups white chocolate
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon peppermint extract
- crushed candy canes
Instructions
Brownies
- Heat oven to 350℉.
- Spray an 8 inch x 12 inch pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- Combine chocolate and butter in large microwave proof bowl.
- Microwave in 15 second increments, stirring well after each, until melted and smooth. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
- Add to chocolate mixture.
- Whisk until well combined.
- Fold in flour.
- Pour into prepared pan.*
- Bake for 35 minutes.
- Allow to cool in pan before turning out.
Topping
- Combine chocolate, cream, and extract in microwave safe bowl.
- Microwave in 15 second increments, stirring well after each, until melted and smooth.
- Spread over top of cooled brownie.
- Top with crushed peppermint.
- Cut into squares once ganache is set.
Notes + Tips!
- *A bake even strip will help your brownies bake more evenly and keep them from getting crunchy on the outside.
- Be careful to not over-mix the brownie batter.
- If you’re worried the brownies may stick, place a piece of parchment in the bottom of your pan and spray with baking spray!
- These brownies are very fudgy. If you like them a little more done, leave in an additional 5 minutes.
- To get clean slices, be sure to wipe off your knife after each cut!
- Make sure you use peppermint extract, not peppermint oil.
Tools You May Need (affiliate links)
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
– Still Hungry? –
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I had leftover peppermint bark from Christmas and made these brownies. I added them on top of the brownie batter when I baked them. I didn’t make the frosting, but the brownies themselves were SO delicious! I will definitely be making these again soon.