Easy Peppermint Brownies

Rich + fudgy Easy Peppermint Brownies that are perfect for the holidays! Topped with cream cheese peppermint frosting it’s chilly & delicious! Gluten & dairy free. 

These peppermint brownies are classic rich and chewy fudge brownies with a minty twist! This easy to make recipe uses your favorite box mix and adds cool and creamy cream cheese peppermint frosting on top to make the perfect winter treat.

How to Make Peppermint Brownies 

Star by making your favorite batch of brownies. For this recipe, I took a short cut and used a box brownie mix! Use which ever brand suits your needs best.  After the brownies are baked and cooled, it’s time to whip up the peppermint frosting. 

But maybe you'd love to make some gluten free brownies from scratch? No worries, I gotcha! Check out my AMAZING gluten free brownie recipe. 

To make the frosting, begin with combining the butter of your choice with the cream cheese of your choice in a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer. Whip those together for 3 minutes, getting it nice and light and fluffy! 

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the milk of choice, peppermint extract, and sugar. Start off slowly so sugar doesn’t get everywhere, but bring this up to another high speed mix for about 5 more minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl a few times while mixing to ensure all the ingredients blend together. 

After the frosting is light and fluffy, carefully spread on top of the cooled brownies. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes and it’s done! 

See? Told you this was a breeze to make. 

Tips for the Best Brownies

The hardest part about making these brownies is getting them to cut into neat squares! Here are a few tricks for making the perfect slice! 

• Use a plastic knife if you have one. I don’t know what magic happens, but a plastic knife cuts through brownies the best. 
• Between each cut, make sure you lift the knife and wipe it off on a clean towel. This will help make sure you don’t drag frosting through the brownies.

Knowing when to take brownies out of the oven is also a tricky one. Brownies will continue to bake in the pan after you pull them from the oven, so I like to err on the side of caution and take them out a minute before I think they are done. That way I’m ensured fudgy brownies! Stick a toothpick into the center and if a few crumbs remain they are ready! 

You can also tell brownies are done when the pull away from the edges of the pan slightly. 

Speaking of pans, I find that gluten free brownies bake up best in a dark pan as opposed to lighter ones or glass pans. The dark heavy metal helps to conduct the heat better through the batter for an overall better bake. 

Allergy Variations for Brownies 

The brownie mix I used was gluten free since I’m allergic to wheat, however, you can use your favorite brownie mix.

To make this recipe dairy free, make sure you use the milk, butter, and cream cheese of your choice. 

If allergic to food dyes, make sure that  you use candy canes that are dye free. Mine are the mini candy canes from Whole Foods that uses red beet juice for coloring! 

Want more Holiday Recipes? Make sure you check these out! 

Hot Cocoa Cupcakes (gluten free, vegan, top 8 free) 

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting (gluten free, vegan)

Classic Sugar Cookies (gluten free) 

How to Store Brownies

Keep these brownies in the fridge since they are frosted. They should last in an airtight container for about a week! 

You can also freeze these brownies after frosting, making them perfect for holiday baking! Freeze after frosting and slicing, then wrap them up tight and they should last in the freezer for up to 2 months. Just make sure you let them thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before serving from frozen. 

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Recipe

 

Peppermint Brownies (gluten free and dairy free)