Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies made minty with Hu Kitchen Mint Snacking Gems and crushed candy canes. Perfect for a decadent winter dessert!
Are you a peppermint fan?
Growing up, we always had candy canes around the house for Christmas time.
The ones we didn’t unwrap and eat we hung on the Christmas tree for a simple elegant ornament.
So I like to carry on the candy cane tradition, keeping a box of them in my Christmas box for…just about anything!
So, this year, why don’t we bake with them?
While I’m not the biggest solo peppermint fan, there’s something about the combination of dark chocolate and peppermint that’s both refreshing and addicting.
These Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies are super fudge-y and super minty, made with mint dark chocolate chips and crushed candy canes.
They’re the festive dessert you need to make for your holiday get togethers this year!
These brownies are magically vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, no-oil-added, and refined-sugar-free.
We start with an almond flour and nut butter base packed with cacao and sweetened with maple syrup.
For the most decadent dark chocolate, add dark chocolate chips both in the brownies and on top!
Finish everything off with a crushed candy cane finish after baking.
What You Need to Make Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies
Here’s what you need to make Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies:
- ground flaxseed
- neutral nut or seed butter
- pure maple syrup
- superfine almond flour
- raw cacao powder
- Hu Kitchen Mint Snacking Gems
- crushed candy canes
That’s it!
How to Make Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground flaxseed and filtered water and whisk to combine.
Set it aside for 5-10 minutes to gel.
Next, add in the nut or seed butter and maple syrup and mixing with a spatula or spoon until it’s smooth.
Sift in the almond flour and cacao powder and mix again until all of the ingredients are well combined.
Your brownie batter should be thick and sticky!
My Favorite Vegan Mint Chocolate
Fold in 3/4 of the Hu Kitchen Mint Snacking Gems and save the remaining Gems for topping.
The addition of Hu Kitchen Mint Snacking Gems in this recipe adds a hint of mint with every bite of chocolate!
You’re going to love these *new* minty snacking chips that are perfect for eating and baking.
They’re totally vegan, gluten-free, and refined-sugar-free without any weird ingredients.
The refreshing mint flavor comes from organic peppermint oil!
Once your Gems are well-mixed into the batter, pour it into the prepared baking dish in an even layer.
I like to spread mine to fill the corners with the back of a spatula or spoon.
Now top the brownies with the rest of the Hu Kitchen Mint Snacking Gems that you saved.
Press them down gently with your hands to ensure they stick.
Top Brownies with Crushed Peppermint
Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake the brownies for about 30 minutes.
The brownies are done when the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan and the top is mostly firm to the touch.
Remove the brownies and immediately press the crushed candy canes into the top.
I like to sprinkle the finer dust on top of mine and then press gently with my hands to make sure they stick.
The crushed canes will melt a little as they meld with the brownies; this is perfection!
Add more or less peppermint depending on your taste and preference!
I prefer mine with the finer peppermint “dust” and not as many larger chunks!
How to Know When Peppermint Brownies Are Done
So, here’s the deal.
The brownies will appear underdone when removed from the oven, but *will* firm up while cooling.
Don’t overcook them, friends!
After peppering them with peppermint, do allow the brownies to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
To serve the brownies, slice the brownies with a knife and enjoy in squares!
How to Serve Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies
Enjoy these Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies whenever you’re craving a big warm pan of holiday-themed brownies.
They’re moist, chocolate-y, and minty.
I like to use a natural candy cane option to crush on top– one without added dyes and refined sugars are preferred!
To crush the candy cane, I like to transfer mine to a ziplock bag wrapped in a towel and give it several whacks a pan or the flat edge of a knife.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about one week.
Bake a pan for a holiday gift exchange, office holiday party, or anytime you want to share some festive dessert.
You can also freeze them for long-term storage and then reheat them in the microwave for that fresh out of the oven feel before serving.
Enjoy!
More Vegan Brownies
-
Vegan Cosmic Brownies
-
Sweet Potato SunButter Brownies
-
SunButter & Jelly Brownies
-
Pumpkin Almond Butter Brownies
-
Blueberry Mousse Brownies
-
No-Sugar-Added Black Bean Brownies
-
Cashew Butter Buckeye Brownies
-
Super Fudgy Vegan Brownies
-
Matcha Dusted Raw Brownies
-
Avocado SunButter Swirl Brownies
-
Black Sesame Butter Brownies
-
1-Bowl Butternut Brownies
-
Flourless Vegan Brownies
I Want to Hear From You
If you make this Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies recipe, let me know!
Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.
Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.
Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipes like this one to make later.
Love this post and want more? Go to my homepage and subscribe to get updates delivered right to your inbox!
XO Lauren
PrintDark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8-12 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies made minty with Hu Kitchen Mint Snacking Gems and candy canes. Perfect for a decadent winter dessert!
Ingredients
- 2 flax eggs (2 TBSP ground flaxseed + 6 TBSP filtered water)
- 1 cup neutral nut or seed butter (almond, cashew, sunflower seed butter)
- ⅔ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup superfine almond flour
- ½ cup raw cacao powder
- ⅔ cup Hu Kitchen Mint Snacking Gems
- 1/2 cup crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground flaxseed and filtered water and whisk to combine. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to gel.
- Add in the nut or seed butter and maple syrup and whisk until smooth.
- Sift in the almond flour and cacao powder and mix until all ingredients are well combined.
- Fold in 3/4 of the chocolate Gems and save the remaining Gems for toppings.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish and smooth the top with a spatula. Top with remaining gems.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then remove and immediately press the crushed candy canes into the top. The crushed canes will melt a little as they meld with the brownies; this is perfection! The brownies will appear underdone when removed from the oven, but will firm up while cooling. DO NOT OVER COOK.
- Cool the brownies for at least 30 minutes before cutting. To serve, slice the brownies into squares with a knife and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week and freeze for long term storage.
Notes
Recipe adapted from the Vegan 8 and Minimalist Baker
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven-Bake
- Cuisine: Vegan, Oil-Free, Gluten-Free, Refined-Sugar-Free
This post is brought to you by Hu Kitchen, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!
Leave a Reply