Name: Peppermint Mocha Brownies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies; 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature; 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; 2 oz white chocolate, melted; 1 teaspoon half-and-half; 1/2 cup unsalted butter; 8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped; 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder; 1 1/2 cups sugar; 4 large eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/4 teaspoon salt

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Peppermint mocha brownies are a fun, festive dessert! Fudgy chocolate mocha brownies are topped with white chocolate frosting and crushed peppermint.

An uncut sheet of frosted peppermint mocha brownies

Welcome to #ChristmasSweetsWeek 2019! Co-hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures! What better way to celebrate the holidays than with food and fun? 25 bloggers from around the country have come together to share some of their favorite sweet Christmas recipes!! Deck the halls and get ready for very merry sweet treats, like fudge, cookies, Christmas morning breakfasts, layer cakes, cocoa, and more! Follow along on social media with our #ChristmasSweetsWeek hashtag. Happy Holidays!

Frosting being spread onto a sheet of brownies

I've made a few gingerbread recipes already this season, so I thought I should throw in some peppermint as well. After all, candy canes are one of the classic treats of Christmastime!

These peppermint mocha brownies are based on one of my favorite coffeehouse drinks, the peppermint mocha. I took my favorite fudgy brownies, flavored them with espresso powder, and topped them with frosting and crushed peppermint.

An overhead view of peppermint mocha brownies on a white plate

Since brownies don't have a ton of ingredients, it's important to use high-quality ones, especially the chocolate. I like to use Ghirardelli, which is on the higher-quality end of the scale when it comes to commercial market chocolate, but is still available at most grocery stores.

I'll let you in on a time-saving secret, too. You don't have to buy a bunch of peppermint candies and crush them yourself. I know I scare the crap out of my dog when I used to do that. Now, you can buy a bag of peppermint crunch, as you would buy a bag of chocolate chips!

Peppermint mocha brownies are a fun, festive dessert! Fudgy chocolate mocha brownies are topped with white chocolate frosting and crushed peppermint.

Prefer cakey brownies instead? Go ahead and make them! Add the same amount of espresso powder to your recipe, and proceed with the frosting and peppermint topping.

Peppermint Mocha Brownies

Yield: 16 brownies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Peppermint mocha brownies are a fun, festive dessert! Fudgy chocolate mocha brownies are topped with white chocolate frosting and crushed peppermint.

Ingredients

For the brownies

½ cup unsalted butter
8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 ½ cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt

For the frosting

¼ cup butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 oz white chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon half-and-half

For the topping

½ cup crushed peppermint candies

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or tin foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on two opposite sides. Set aside.
Place butter and chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high in 30-second bursts, stirrin in between each, until butter and chocolate are melted. Add espresso powder and stir to combine. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Stir sugar into the melted and cooled chocolate till combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Stir in the flour and salt.
Bake until a cake tester comes out of the center with just a few moist crumbs, 45-50 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
While the brownies are baking, in a bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Beat in the vanilla, then the white chocolate. Add the half-and-half, and beat until fluffy.
Lift the brownies out of pan using the foil. Spread the frosting over the brownies, then sprinkle on the crushed peppermint. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 312Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 84mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 1gSugar: 37gProtein: 3g

I am not a certified nutritionist. This nutrition information is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only.

Enjoy these #ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes from our bloggers:

Christmas Beverages:
Hot Apple Cider Buttered Rum from Love and Confections

Christmas Breakfasts:
Easy Candied Orange Peel Sticky Rolls from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Christmas Pastries and Desserts:
Cherry Streusel Pie from Seduction In The Kitchen
Chocolate Chip Rudolph Cheese Ball from Big Bears Wife
Eggnog Kringle from The Kitchen Prep
Key Lime Thumbprint Cookies from It Bakes Me Happy
Peppermint Mocha Brownies from The Redhead Baker
Polar Bear Paws from Our Good Life
Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes from The Baking Fairy

Christmas Candies:
Christmas Snack Mix from Katie's Cucina
Easy Nut Brittle from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures