Frosted Peppermint Brownies with White Chocolate Chips
These frosted peppermint brownies are fudgy, chewy, and made from scratch, with cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and white chocolate chips in the batter. A peppermint buttercream frosting goes on top, finished with crushed candy canes. There are no tricky steps, so they’re an easy addition to any holiday cookie tray.
Servings 24 brownies
Calories 312kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Brownies
- 18 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 1/4 sticks
- 3 ounces dark chocolate chopped
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 cup crushed candy canes about 6
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper and spray it with cooking spray.
- Microwave the chopped dark chocolate and butter on medium power, stirring every 30 seconds, for about 2 minutes, until smooth.
- Whisk in the cocoa powder, then the sugar, until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and peppermint extract and whisk again.
- Gently fold in the flour and salt just until combined, then fold in the white chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
- Spread the batter in the pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges start pulling away from the sides and the top looks set and shiny.
- Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before frosting.
- Put the candy canes in a plastic bag and pound them with a hammer or rolling pin until finely crushed.
- Beat the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and peppermint extract with a hand mixer. Add the heavy cream and beat until thick and spreadable.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies and sprinkle with the crushed candy canes. Refrigerate until the frosting is set, then cut into squares.
Notes
- Start checking the brownies at 25 minutes, since a few extra minutes in the oven will dry them out.
- Cool the brownies completely before frosting, then chill them until the frosting is set so they cut into clean squares.
- To freeze, place the brownies flat on a cookie sheet until firm, then transfer them to an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. They keep for up to 2 months.
