Candy Cane Brownies (Christmas Brownies)
Candy Cane Brownies are full of holiday spirit and chocolatey, fudgy goodness, my favorite! Enjoy these brownies with crushed candy canes on top and a white chocolate drizzle!
I know some may not be a fan of peppermint desserts, but this one may change your mind. These healthier brownies have just enough peppermint to be delicious without overpowering.
The color is super festive and the chocolate flavor is absolutely delicious, but you already knew I was a chocolate addict so we don’t even have to go there!
My candy cane brownies are also gluten-free and vegan friendly (when you swap the honey and eggs).
This is also a great recipe for the winter when you are trying to figure out what to do with all of the leftover candy canes! Hint: brownies with crushed candy canes on top – DUH!
You may be wondering what makes these little squares of heaven so fudgy? Food science. When you add more flour and less fat that’s when you will have a cakey texture. The coconut oil helps with the fudgy texture, while the cocoa powder brings in the chocolatey brownie flavor we love!
Ingredients for Crushed Candy Cane Brownies
Eggs – for the vegan version, swap for a flax for chia egg
coconut sugar
Honey – swap for maple syrup if you need the recipe to be vegan
coconut oil
peppermint extract
almond flour
cocoa powder
baking soda
sea salt
Crushed candy canes
For the topping:
white chocolate
coconut oil
peppermint extract
Crushed candy canes
How to Make Fudgy Peppermint Candy Cane Brownies
Crush the candy canes, preheat your oven, and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
Beat the eggs, sugar, honey, oil, and peppermint extract in a large bowl. You can mix it by hand or use an electric mixer.
In another bowl, stir the cocoa powder, almond flour, salt, and baking soda.
Then add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir them together well.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 15 minutes.
Sprinkle half of the crushed candy canes on top of the brownies and continue baking for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the coconut oil to the white chocolate and microwave for 30 seconds. Add a small drop of peppermint extract and stir.
Pour the chocolate into a Ziploc bag and snip off a corner. Squeeze the chocolate out of the bag in a zig-zag motion and cover the brownies.
Sprinkle the rest of the candy canes on top and serve!
Do the Candy Canes Melt in the Oven?
Not really. Most of the peppermint flavor comes from the extract. This is one reason why we don’t add the crushed candy canes to the batter (because we don’t want it to melt). When you add them at the end and as a topping, the recipe turns out much better!
So what’s next? While you are waiting for your candy cane brownies to cool, take two seconds and go tag me on Instagram with a picture of your batch!
Why I Love These Christmas Brownies:
- They are stunning (looks like you slaved away in the kitchen all day) but are so super easy!
- Easy to customize to your liking. You can leave off the white chocolate, toss in some nuts, or even add marshmallows!
- Get you in the Holiday Spirit!
More Brownie Recipes:
- Tahini Brownies
- Flourless Vegan Pumpkin Brownies
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Brownies
- Super Fudgy Date Brownies – Gluten-Free, No Added Sugar
- Healthy Zucchini Brownies
More Christmas Recipes
- Bananadoodles: Gluten Free + Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole
- Paleo Green Bean Casserole
- High Protein & Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
Candy Cane Brownies (Christmas Brownies)
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 3/4 cups almond flour
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 Crushed candy canes divided in half for brownies and topping
For the topping:
- 1/4 cup white chocolate
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
- a small drop of peppermint extract
- Crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper or oil.
- In a large bowl, beat together eggs, coconut sugar, honey, coconut oil, and peppermint extract.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together almond flour, cacao powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet, and stir until fully combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared dish and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with ½ of the crushed candy canes. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While brownies are baking, melt white chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir in peppermint extract and mix until smooth. Place in a ziplock bag and cut off a corner.
- Remove the brownies from the oven and drizzle with white chocolate and sprinkle remaining crushed candy canes on top.
- Cool completely before slicing and serving!
