Peppermint Bark Brownies

Peppermint bark brownies are a decadent and delicious treat you don’t want to miss. It has a fudgy brownie layer, peppermint cream, and is topped off with a peppermint chocolate bark. It is the PERFECT chocolatey dessert for the holidays, and you will not be able to stop at one. TRUST ME.

Components of peppermint bark brownies

1. Brownie. Brownies are hands down my favorite dessert of all time. I am a chocolate lover at heart, so a decadent and rich chocolate brownie is what I live for. The brownie layer is exactly that. It is, thick, fudgy, and basically melts in your mouth.
2. Peppermint cream. Listen, I am typically not a peppermint lover, but this peppermint cream is *mwah* chef’s kiss! It is made from unsalted butter, powdered sugar, salt, and a little bit of peppermint extract.
3. Peppermint Chocolate Bark. And to make things even better, we top off these brownies with even more chocolate and peppermint. The final layer is a melted mixture of semi-sweet chocolate and peppermint extract that hardens on top of the peppermint cream.

Key ingredients

• All purpose flour: all purpose flour is the flour of choice for these brownies. It makes for the perfect soft and tender texture.
• Cocoa powder: both regular unsweetened cocoa powder or dark (dutch processed) cocoa powder work in these brownies! Use one, or the other, or a mix of both! But make sure to use good quality cocoa.
• Instant coffee: although not necessary, mixing instant coffee with a little water and adding it to the batter really deepens the chocolate flavor.
• Unsalted butter: unsalted butter is the butter of choice so we can control exactly how much salt goes into the recipe. We use A LOT of butter in this brownie recipe, so make sure to splurge on the good stuff.
• Sugar: we use brown sugar in the brownies and powdered sugar in the peppermint cream.
• Eggs: we use four eggs in this recipe for a super fudgy and chewy texture.
• Peppermint extract: every single layer of this brownie has a bit of peppermint extract in it – it just pairs so perfectly with the chocolate!
• Semi-sweet chocolate: we melt together semi- sweet chocolate, vegetable oil, and peppermint extract to make the bark layer. I prefer semi-sweet, but you can use whatever your preference is! Dark would be good, too!
• Peppermint candies: these are an optional topping!

Steps

1. Make the brownie batter. Melt together the butter and brown sugar and whisk until combined. Add your eggs one at a time, whisking in between each addition. Add the vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and coffee mixture (optional) and mix until combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and fold together until a batter forms.
2. Bake. Pour the batter into an 8×8 inch pan and bake for 40-45 minutes at 350F.
3. Make the peppermint cream. Once the brownies are cool, make the peppermint cream by beating together the unsalted butter, powdered sugar, salt, and peppermint extract. Spread into an even layer over the brownies. Place in the fridge to chill.
4. Make the peppermint chocolate bark. Melt together the chocolate chips, vegetable oil, and peppermint extract until combined and smooth. Pour over the peppermint cream and top with crushed peppermint candies. Refrigerate for one hour or until the chocolate has set.
5. Enjoy! Slice and enjoy! Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Peppermint bark brownie baking tips

Don’t over mix.

Over mixing the brownie batter can cause the brownies to sink in the middle. Make sure to only mix the brownies until the dry ingredients are just incorporated, not any longer.

Don’t over bake.

Brownies continue to bake even when they are removed from the oven, so the centers may still seem a little underdone when you take them out. 

With most baked goods, they are finished baking when they are “golden brown.” This is obviously hard to tell with a dark dessert like brownies, so look at the texture instead. The edges will be set and slightly peeling away from the sides of the pan and the center will be puffed up.

Use room temperature butter for the peppermint cream.

If you want a smooth peppermint cream, make sure the butter is super soft. I leave it out at room temperature for almost 2 hours before I use it. You can also microwave it for 5 seconds to soften it up.

Use a warm knife to slice the brownies.

These brownies have three thick layers. The best way to get smooth, clean cuts is by using a warm knife. Run a sharp knife under hot water for 20 seconds, then wipe dry. Slice the brownies while the knife is still hot – the hot knife will cut nicely through the hardened chocolate bark, peppermint cream, and brownie. Wipe the knife clean in between each cut and repeat!

Baking in grams

While I provide volume measurements for the recipes on my blog, I highly suggest baking these recipes using weight. It is the most standardized and accurate way to bake. I carefully recipe test all of my recipes using a kitchen scale, not by using cups, and therefore I cannot guarantee the success of my recipes when using volume measurements.

Other peppermint recipes you may like

• Five Ingredient Peppermint Hot Chocolate Recipe
• Peppermint Shortbread Cookies
• Peppermint Mocha Tarts

This post may contain affiliate links.

Tried this recipe? Make sure to rate and review and tag @sturbridgebakery on Instagram!