Make Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Brownies with this easy recipe. Made from a box mix, they are quick and easy and perfect for Christmas and the holiday season. Fudgy, decadent brownies frosted with a creamy peppermint frosting, then topped with festive sprinkles.
They are the best treat to take to a party or for an easy treat for a night of entertaining. We also love to add these to cookie plates we send to the neighbors. Everyone loves gooey, fudgy, homemade chocolate Christmas brownies. Add the festive flair of peppermint frosting and you won't have any leftovers! Pair it with our Cosmic Brownies for even more fun! Or for a holiday party pair it with our Peppermint Puppy Chow and White Chocolate Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies or our Christmas Rice Krispie Treat and Original Fantasy Fudge recipe.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy - these are just so quick and easy to make! The holiday season is busy, so having something that is delicious and a hit with everyone and simple to make is so needed!
- Kid Friendly - obviously kids love to eat them, but these are the perfect easy recipe to make with kids too! Older children can make them mostly independently and they're a great learning recipe for younger children.
- Festive - these are super cute and festive and easy to make beautiful and pinterest ready! Decorating is fun- Any red and green sprinkles or even holiday m&ms are great to add that visual touch, and the peppermint is a festive flavor too!
- Traditional/ Well-Liked - Brownies are generally liked by all people, so throwing them on a treat/ goodie plate is the perfect addition to add something everyone will like!
- Party Friendly - these are perfect to take to a party and will be devoured very quickly!
- Delicious- like a york, only so much better. They are just fudgy, chocolatey, chewy and decadent then frosted with peppermint frosting. They. are. delicious.
Instructions
1. Make your brownies! I like to use a box mix, but feel free to use your favorite brownie recipe, these will work great with them. I like to make a normal size brownie mix that can be baked into a 9x13, then bake mine into a 9x9 pan so they are nice and thick.
2. Make the buttercream frosting. Start with slightly softened butter. It should still be cold, but you should be able to make a slight indent when pressing on it with your finger. Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat the butter on high until it lightens, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add in the peppermint extract and beat another 30 seconds. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Scrape down the sides and mix again until everything is combined. Do not put frosting on brownies until they have cooled to room temperature, or it will change the texture of the frosting.
4. Smooth the frosting over the brownies and top with your favorite sprinkles or festive decorations. I don't always love the texture of sprinkles, so I used some Hershey's Trees & Stockings White Creme Chips. You could use anything that's small and fun that can be found in the Holiday section of your local grocery store.
Hint: Make sure the brownies have cooled completely before frosting.
Equipment
- electric mixer or stand mixer
- mixing bowl
- glass baking dish, or metal*
- spatula
*Metal baking dishes create a brownie with a little better rise! For that thick, dense fudgy brownie, use glass. For something a little lighter but still fudgy, go with metal.
Substitutions
- from scratch- make your brownies from scratch instead of from a box, if desired.
- mint- instead of peppermint, use mint extract for those iconic mint brownies instead. Feel free to add green food coloring to this one!
- vegan - make these vegan by making vegan brownies then topping with our favorite vegan buttercream frosting, then substitute the vanilla for peppermint extract.
- M&M- top with red and green M&Ms instead of sprinkles for more chocolate! Or for a fun pop of surprise throw on one of their holiday varieties like mint or cookie crunch! Have fun with the design and make them cute and festive!
Variations
Check out these fun Christmas Brownies ideas:
- White Chocolate Peppermint Brownies- make frosting and let it warm up to room temperature. Melt 4 oz white chocolate and stir it into your frosting for that yummy white chocolate peppermint flavor.
- Dark Chocolate- add 3 Tablespoons Hershey's baking cocoa powder into the brownie mix. Add 1 extra teaspoon oil and 1 extra teaspoon water to the mix.
- Red Velvet- simply use a red velvet cake mix and follow these directions for how to make brownies with a cake mix.
- Ghirardelli- use a ghirardelli brownie mix, but check the size! Some ghiradelli mixes make smaller pans.
- Cream Cheese Frosting- use 4 oz cream cheese and 2 Tablespoons butter instead of 8 Tablespoons butter, then make as directed.
- Cookies- check out and make our recipe for Brownie Cookies, then make this frosting and put it on top!
- Nuts - feel free to stir in one cup of your favorite nuts. We recommend pecans.
- With Candy Canes- Make these yummy Peppermint Christmas Brownies with chunks of candy canes. We recommend crushing 5 candy canes and stirring them into the batter before baking. Top with more, if desired!
- Loaded- load these up with M&Ms, chocolate chips, nuts, candy canes and white chips for a fun loaded brownie!
- Mini- cut them up into little one inch squares for mini brownie bites for Christmas.
Tips & Tricks
These are best fresh, but store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They can be stored at room temperature, or in the fridge. I personally like mine cold from the refrigerator!
Use Peppermint Extract and not Peppermint Flavor. The flavor is much better. If using Peppermint Flavor, you may have to add more to get the desired intesity of flavor.
Recipe
Peppermint Brownie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Brownies:
- One pan of prepared brownies
- Your favorite box mix or we recommend these homemade
Frosting:
- 1 cup butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract
- 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Make brownies!
- Beat slightly softened butter on high for one minute. The butter should be slightly soft, but still cold. Add in the peppermint extract and beat another 30 seconds. Finally, add in the powdered sugar and beat until well combined.
- Smooth the frosting over the cooled brownies and top with your favorite sprinkles or festive decorations.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Use 1 teaspoon peppermint extract to make brownies! Or make a yummy peppermint frosting to go on top.
Make your favorite brownies, then top with yummy creamy Peppermint Frosting and cute Christmas sprinkles or candy.
Make your brownie batter, then add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract. OR Make brownies as normal, then top with yummy peppermint frosting!
Nicole
MMMM best ideas for Christmas brownies! we loved these chocolate peppermint brownies so much! Reminiscent of a York patty, they hit the spot and were perfect for our holiday party!
JCW
OKay, these were even better than normal mint brownies. The peppermint was sooo good with the gooey brownies. I first tried some from Trader Joe's, then again from Starbucks and had to make them at home. These were even better. Will make again. Hooray for Christmas Brownies!
Sherie
Can I use a store bought vanilla frosting and adding some mint extract???
Nicole
Sure! Just use a high quality peppermint extract and you should be fine.