Ginger Snaps Baking Affairs

  • Summer
  • Recipes
  • My Story
  • Subscribe
  • Baking Basics
  • Portfolio
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Summer
  • Recipes
  • My Story
  • Subscribe
  • Baking Basics
  • Portfolio
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Summer
    • Recipes
    • My Story
    • Subscribe
    • Baking Basics
    • Portfolio
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Brownies & Bars

    Candy Cane Brownies

    Modified: Feb 8, 2025 · Published: Dec 1, 2021 by Karissa Parrish · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These candy cane brownies are soft and fudgy brownies that are bursting with peppermint flavor. Crushed candy canes are sprinkled on top of the brownies as soon as they come out of the oven, giving you the most perfect Christmas time dessert.

    Candy cane brownies with mini candy canes.

    These peppermint candy cane brownies feature everything I love about homemade brownies: they're ultra fudgy, super chocolatey, and includes the flavor combination of chocolate and peppermint.

    Brownies, especially my dark chocolate brownies, are one of my favorite desserts to make and now we get to add these holiday brownies to the list. 

    Looking for more peppermint recipes? Then check out these: white chocolate peppermint cupcakes, peppermint shortbread cookies, and candy cane chocolate chip cookies.

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love These Brownies
    • Ingredients Needed
    • Instructions
    • Storage Tips
    • Expert Baking Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Christmas Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    Peppermint chocolate brownies with crushed peppermint candies.

    Why You'll Love These Brownies

    • Both peppermint extract and peppermint candy canes are used.
    • They're the best cocoa brownies you'll ever try.
    • Each bite is ooey-gooey.
    • They're great for the Christmas season and Christmas parties.
    • Everything is mixed in one bowl, making this recipe super easy!

    One bowl brownie recipes are the best! All you have to do is whisk your fats together first and then you'll gently fold in your dry ingredients. No need for another bowl. 

    The holiday season wouldn't be complete without these perfect Christmas brownies.

    The best christmas brownies with candy cane pieces.

    Ingredients Needed

    Here are some notes on the simple ingredients we'll be using. For the full ingredients list, look at the recipe card below.

    • Eggs: A combination of two large eggs and one large egg yolk at room temperature are needed. That extra yolk helps to make the brownies chewy and thick.
    • Oil: Just a little bit of vegetable (or canola) oil added to the batter will help to intensify the chocolate flavor, along with adding extra fudginess.
    • Peppermint Extract: This is added to the brownie batter before baking. Be sure to use a high-quality peppermint extract, not imitation.
    • Cocoa Powder: I used Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa. 
    • Candy Canes: Use any peppermint candy canes you like. You'll need about ½ cup of crushed candy canes.
    Ingredients needed: sugar, salt, flour, cocoa powder, eggs, egg yolk, vanilla extract, oil, peppermint extract, candy canes, and butter.

    Instructions

    Here are the step by step instructions on how to make these easy candy cane brownies recipe.

    Step 1: Melt the butter. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and allow it to cool on the counter for 5 minutes.

    Step 2: Wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, and egg yolk for 3 minutes. 

    Then whisk in the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and melted butter just until combined.

    Eggs and sugar mixed together.
    Whisking in the melted butter, oil, vanilla and peppermint extract in to a glass bowl.

    Step 3: Dry ingredients. Gently fold in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt just until combined. Then scrape the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan.

    Fold in the dry ingredients to make the brownie batter.
    Scrape brownie batter into prepared baking pan and bake.

    Step 4: Bake. Bake for 23-27 minutes, or just until the edges are set and the middle of the brownies do not jiggle.

    Immediately top the brownies with the crushed candy canes and allow them to cool for 1 hour before slicing them into bars.

    Storage Tips

    Keep any leftover brownies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.

    Expert Baking Tips

    • Baking Pan: Line your 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, creating “handles” that hang over the sides. Then grease your pan with non-stick spray. This makes extracting the brownies, once they’ve cooled, extremely easy.
    • Cocoa Powder: Use a fine mesh sifter to sift the cocoa powder before adding it to the mixture. This will avoid any lumps. 
    • Folding: This means we carefully combine our ingredients without stirring or beating. We do this with a silicone spatula until the ingredients are just combined with each other, “folding” everything together.
    • Candy Canes: I used 15 mini candy canes but you could also use larger ones. Place your candy canes into a sealable bag and use a rolling pin to carefully crush them. Or you could buy already pre crushed peppermint candies. Do not put the pieces onto the brownies until AFTER they have baked.
    • Cooling: To easily cut and serve the brownies, allow them to cool for at least one hour. I like to use a dough scraper to get smooth and even cuts.

    Recipe FAQs

    What Makes Brownies Fudgy?

    In order to create a fudgy brownie, it needs to have a higher fat-to-flour ratio. That means we will use more butter and eggs compared to flour. Adding an extra egg yolk helps to create an even fudgier and chewier brownie as well.

    Can I Use A Boxed Brownie Mix For This Recipe?

    If you really wanted to, you could use your favorite box brownie mix and just add the crushed peppermint candies on top, but they definitely wouldn't taste the same. I highly recommend you make your own.

    Can I Add Anything To These Brownies?

    If you'd like, you could mix in a ½ cup of either chocolate chips, nuts, or even peppermint chips.

    Can I Add Frosting To Brownies?

    You could certainly top the brownies once cooled with cream cheese frosting or even peppermint frosting. Then add on the candy cane pieces.

    Ultra fudgy cocoa brownies with Christmas candy canes.

    If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you! Also, please tag me on Instagram and check out my Pinterest for even more recipe ideas.

    It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂

    Happy Baking!

    More Christmas Recipes

    • Cranberry white chocolate fudge on parchment paper.
      Cranberry White Chocolate Fudge
    • Rolo Stuffed Cookies
    • Fresh Cranberry Shortbread Bars
    • Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

    📖 Recipe

    Candy Cane Brownies

    Karissa Parrish
    These candy cane brownies are soft, fudgy, and bursting with peppermint flavor. Crushed candy canes are sprinkled on top of the brownies as soon as they come out of the oven, giving you the ultimate Christmas dessert!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Cooling Time: 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 brownies

    Equipment

    • 8x8 inch baking pan
    • Parchment paper
    • Large Mixing Bowl

    Ingredients:
     
     

    • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 large eggs, room temperature
    • 1 egg yolk, room temperature
    • ¼ cup vegetable oil
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup cocoa powder, sifted
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • crushed peppermint candy canes (about 15 mini candy canes)

    Instructions:
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, creating "handles" that hang over the sides. Then spray with non-stick spray.
    • In a small microwaveable-safe bowl, melt the butter and allow it to cool on the counter for 5 minutes.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, and egg yolk for 3 minutes (this step is crucial). Then whisk in the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and melted butter just until combined.
    • Gently fold in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt just until combined. Then scrape the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan.
    • Bake for 23-27 minutes, or just until the edges are set and the middle of the brownies do not jiggle. You can also use a toothpick to check the center (the toothpick should come out clean with just a few crumbs). Immediately top the brownies with the crushed candy canes and allow them to cool for 1 hour before slicing them into bars.
    • Keep any leftover brownies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 7 days.

    Notes:

    Baking Pan: Line your 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, creating “handles” that hang over the sides. Then grease your pan with non-stick spray. This makes extracting the brownies, once they’ve cooled, extremely easy.
    Cocoa Powder: Use a fine mesh sifter to sift the cocoa powder before adding it to the mixture. This will avoid any lumps. 
    Folding: This means we carefully combine our ingredients without stirring or beating. We do this with a silicone spatula until the ingredients are just combined with each other, “folding” everything together.
    Candy Canes: I used 15 mini candy canes but you could also use larger ones. Place your candy canes into a sealable bag and use a rolling pin to carefully crush them. Or you could buy already pre crushed peppermint candies. Do not put the pieces onto the brownies until AFTER they have baked.
    Cooling: To easily cut and serve the brownies, allow them to cool for at least one hour. I like to use a dough scraper to get smooth and even cuts.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1brownieCalories: 205kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 1gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 100mgPotassium: 63mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 22IUCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg
    US Customary - Metric
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    This recipe was originally published in December of 2020, but was updated on November 15, 2023 with newer content.

    16 peppermint candy cane brownies.
    168Shares

    More Easy Brownies & Dessert Bars

    • Pumpkin Streusel Bars
    • Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats
    • Coconut cream pie bars with toasted coconut on a marble board.
      Coconut Cream Pie Bars (Easy)
    • Loaded Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

    Comments

    1. Hannah Salt3r says

      December 22, 2023 at 9:01 pm

      5 stars
      These were SO good!!!

      Reply
    2. alex says

      December 17, 2023 at 9:48 pm

      comments from my friends who ate them include: “these are dangerous” and “these are addictive”. i doubled the batch and good thing i did bc i ate like half a pan myself before even taking them to the function. im saving this recipe bc im now going to use it without the peppermint extract/candy canes as my go-to brownie recipe bc its better than any other ive ever tried.

      also for anyone who doesnt have peppermint extract like me: just put a few teaspoons of crush peppermints in a tiny bit of water and microwave it - dissolves very quickly and made the brownies perfectly minty 🙂

      Reply
      • Karissa Parrish says

        December 22, 2023 at 7:16 pm

        Thank you so much, Alex!! So glad these brownies were a hit! Love that you made your own "peppermint extract" too!

        Reply
    5 from 6 votes (5 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Hi, I'm Karissa! I am the professional home baker and food photographer here at Ginger Snap's Baking Affairs. I have 6+ years of experience creating easy desserts that every home baker can make in their own kitchens! You'll find many desserts here, including cakes, cupcakes, frostings, and cookies. I'm so glad you're here and happy baking!

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Easy One Layer Vanilla Cake Recipe
    • One Banana Banana Bread
    • Coconut cream pie bars with toasted coconut on a marble board.
      Coconut Cream Pie Bars (Easy)
    • Easy Honey Buttercream Frosting
    • Best one layer lemon cake sliced into 8 cake slices.
      Best One Layer Lemon Cake
    • Peanut butter chocolate cake sliced into two pieces on a plate.
      Reese's Peanut Butter Cake

    4th Of July

    • No Bake Blueberry Pie
    • Simple Funfetti Ice Cream Recipe (No Churn)
    • S'mores Cupcakes
    • Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
    • 16 rice krispie treats for the 4th of July.
      4th of July Rice Krispie Treats
    • Mini pies with white flowers in the background.
      Mini Strawberry Pies

    FREE EBOOK

    SIGN UP BELOW TO GET MY FREE 5 CUPCAKE RECIPES EVERY HOME BAKER SHOULD KNOW SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

    We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

    Check your inbox or spam folder to get your cupcake recipe ebook!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • About Me

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Portfolio

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Ginger Snap's Baking Affairs on the Foodie Pro Theme

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.