Candy Cane Brownie Recipe (Christmas Brownies)
Whip up holiday magic with this candy cane brownie recipe! Chocolatey goodness meets peppermint candy cane crunch that is perfect for cozy Christmas gatherings.
You are going to love this candy cane brownie recipe! It’s moist, delicious and perfect for holiday baking!!
This easy recipe makes the most delicious, fudgy brownies for you to take to your next Christmas party. These peppermint brownies are better than any boxed brownie mix and just as easy to make!
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Have you joined a Christmas baking exchange? I have and I just love it, check out my baking exchange tips! I love the idea of swapping recipes and traditions and goodies with friends and family just in time for the holidays.
The brownie recipe that I am sharing today is PERFECT for baking exchanges because one batch creates a lot of bars and there are not a lot of complicated steps to making them.
Perfect Christmas Brownies
Each batch makes approximately four dozen brownie bars cut into 1.5×1.5 squares. Three batches of brownies should yield twelve dozen candy cane bars.
The perfect amount for a baking exchange. This is one of my favorite brownie recipes for that reason!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – the foundation for that perfectly chewy brownie base.
- Baking powder – the little lift that gives your brownies just the right amount of fluff.
- Salt – the secret sidekick that makes the sweetness pop.
- White sugar – for that essential sweetness and irresistible gooey texture.
- Butter, room temperature – the creamy magic that makes every bite rich and indulgent.
- Cocoa powder – pure, rich chocolatey goodness that brings the wow factor.
- Large eggs – the glue that holds all the yumminess together.
- Vanilla extract – a warm, cozy hug of flavor in every bite.
- Peppermint extract – a cool, refreshing zing that says, “Hello, holidays!”
- Crushed peppermint candy canes – festive, crunchy bits that bring the winter wonderland to your brownies.
Instructions
1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set dry ingredients aside.
2. In a large bowl, melt butter and mix with cocoa.
3. Add eggs, vanilla and peppermint extract.
4. Add sugar.
5. Carefully add flour mixture and combine well.
6. Fold in crushed candy canes.
7. Pour batter into a greased 9×13 prepared pan, spread and smooth with a spatula, sprinkle with remaining candy cane and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Tip: I like to place a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan in addition to spraying it with non stick spray. This helps the brownies to come away from the pan cleanly.
8. Allow to completely cool before removing from pan and cutting into squares.
Optional Brownie Ingredients
Try adding some of these simple ingredients from the grocery store.
- chocolate chips
- dark chocolate chips
- white chocolate chips
- powdered sugar for dusting
- brown sugar instead of white
- cream cheese frosting
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More tips for Holiday Baking
- Double or triple recipes to make large batches of goodies. This allows cookies and bars to be made in an assembly line fashion and speeds up the process.
- Pick holiday recipes that compliment each other and look good plated together. For example every year I like to make Candy Cane Brownies, Eggnog Cookies, Cranberry and Pistachio Shortbread and Peppermint Dipped Chocolate Cookies for a good variety.
- Participate in a Holiday Baking Exchange! This is a great way to prepare for a season of holiday entertaining.
- Start baking early and store goodies in the freezer until they are needed. I use these large Rubbermaid food storage containers to save a mixture of cookies and bars in my freezer so that I have them ready to go for Christmas parties and gatherings all season long. They can be stored in this airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
How to cut the perfect brownies?
Be sure to allow the brownie to completely cool before cutting. I even put ours in the refrigerator. Once it is cool, carefully pop it out of the baking pan and lay it on a cutting board.
Using a large knife cut the brownie into bars. I use our largest kitchen knife (not serrated) and cut with a chopping motion (like a paper cutter) and wipe my blade clean between slices. This allows you to get clean, crisp edges and helps to prevent the brownie from sticking.
I mean, how festive is this candy cane brownie recipe?! These brownies taste delicious because of the combination of peppermint and chocolate. They are the perfect homemade brownies for this time of year!
How to make Christmas Brownie Trees
Easily adapt these homemade brownies into festive Christmas trees!
- Cut the brownie into triangle shapes
- Place green frosting into a piping bag
- Decorate the top of the brownie with the frosting
- Create a tree truck with a candy can or pretzel
- Voila! Easy Christmas tree brownies!
These are great for taking to a holiday party at Christmas time! I also love these Christmas tree rice krispies that make the perfect holiday treat!
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My Kitchen Essentials for Baking
- I love using this non-stick bakeware for all of my baking.
- These silicone mitts are perfect for grasping hot pans and baking dishes.
- This Henckel Knife is my favorite for slicing and dicing in the kitchen.
- These parchment paper bags are perfect for packaging and these large Rubbermaid food storage containers are great for storing baking in the freezer.
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Candy Cane Brownie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 ½ tsp peppermint extract
- ½ cup crushed peppermint candy canes
- reserve 2 Tbsp crushed candy cane for topping
Instructions
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Melt butter and mix with cocoa.
- Add eggs, vanilla and peppermint extract.
- Add sugar.
- Carefully add flour mixture and combine well.
- Fold in crushed candy canes.
- Pour batter into a greased 9×13 pan, spread and smooth with a spatula, sprinkle with remaining candy cane and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
- Allow to completely cool before removing from pan and cutting into squares.
Nutrition
Save this recipe?
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nice
Fabulous recipes Heather. I am sorry I have nothing to share at the moment.
Take care. Ulla
Thank you <3
So good!