These decadent brownies are a must make and start with a boxed mix. Easy peppermint brownies with candy cane kisses are the best.
If you like this recipe, check out my White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies next!
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I could have gone a lot of different directions with these fudgy peppermint brownies. Ultimately convenience won out. But in no way is texture or flavor sacrificed! The holiday season is crazy enough. And often I want an easy treat at a moment’s notice. And that’s what you get with these gooey, crazy delicious brownies. Doctoring up a box of brownie mix with melted butter and cold brew coffee makes them taste like homemade. Add a heaping cup of chopped Hershey’s candy cane kisses and you have a fancy, bakery-worthy indulgence.
More brownie recipes
Ingredients for peppermint brownie recipe
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- Brownie Mix – Use your favorite. For testing purposes I used a box of Ghirardelli brownie mix.
- Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses – These are an unbelievably good combo with brownies. And so easy to just chop them up and toss them in. You could instead use a combo of white chocolate chips plus crushed candy canes.
- Cold Brew Coffee – You can brew your own or use bottled. This replaces the water called for on the box directions. Coffee brings out the deep chocolate flavor. And it makes sense to me because Starbucks Peppermint Mochas are so good! But really, after baking, the coffee just enhances the flavors.
- Butter – One stick of melted butter replaces the oil called for on the box directions. It makes these brownies ultra fudgy with very moist crumbs.
- Egg – One large egg is used for this recipe.
- Extracts – I use both peppermint extract and vanilla extract to flavor the brownies.
Instructions for peppermint brownies recipe
Unwrap the candy kisses. Use a large knife to roughly chop. You’ll use about 3/4 of the package to get 1 1/4 cups of chopped white chocolate peppermint pieces.
Microwave the butter to melt. Whisk in the cold brew coffee and the egg. Pour the brownie mix into a large bowl. Pour in the butter mixture. Stir to combine. Add one cup of the chopped candy cane kisses. Stir again to combine.
Spread evenly into a greased 8×8 baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining chopped peppermint chocolate on top. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes, or until the edges are set and center is still slightly jiggly. For the cleanest cut, allow brownies to cool completely in the baking dish.
For complete instructions, keep scrolling to the bottom for my free, printable recipe card.
Serving suggestions
Personally, I’m going to serve these for our Christmas day dessert this year. I’m going to make them into sundaes with either peppermint stick or vanilla ice cream, hot fudge sauce and whipped cream. This is my family’s usual menu for Christmas day –
- Honey Baked Ham
- The Best Rice Pilaf
- Party Potatoes
- Spinach Strawberry Salad
- My Grandma’s Dinner Rolls
Storage directions
Store these brownies in an airtight container. They will stay fresh on the counter for 3-5 days. Or in the refrigerator for up to one week. To freeze, wrap cooled brownies in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. They’ll keep in the freezer for 1-2 months.
Kitchen tools
- My favorite mixing bowl set – it comes with lids
- Glass measuring cups for melting the butter and mixing
- The pretty red ceramic baking dish I used for testing this recipe
Peppermint Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 box Ghirardelli brownie mix
- 8 tbsp butter melted
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup cold brew coffee
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses use about 3/4 of a bag to end up with 1 1/4 cups chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 baking dish and set aside.
- Unwrap and chop the candy cane kisses. I used about 3/4 of a bag to end up with 1 1/4 cups of chopped peppermint chocolate.
- Dump the brownie mix into a large bowl.
- In a glass measuring cup, microwave the butter until melted. Whisk in the coffee and the egg until smooth.
- Add the butter mixture to the brownie mixture. Use a rubber spatula to mix just until no streaks of dry mix remain.
- Add one cup of the chopped Hershey's kisses to the batter and gently mix to combine.
- Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Evenly sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped candy cane kisses on top of the brownies.
- Bake for 45 minutes. The edges will be set and the center will still be just slightly jiggly. Allow the brownies to cool complete in the dish. Then slice and serve.
Nutrition
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