Peppermint Bark Brownies

Fudge-y, super chocolatey, and decked for the holidays with peppermint, these Ghiraredelli Peppermint Bark Brownies use hot cocoa, peppermint bark, and a crushed candy cane garnish to create an unforgettable, festive treat.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Hot Cocoa Peppermint Bark Brownies, peppermint bark brownies

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 23

Total Time 43

Servings brownies

Calories 308kcal

Author Christina Koncker

Equipment

8x8 baking pan
Whisk
Spatula

Ingredients

½ cup salted butter (or 1 stick)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup white granulated sugar
2 0.85 ounce packages double chocolate Ghirardelli hot cocoa mix (approximately ¼ cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 bar Ghirardelli peppermint bark
peppermint candy stick (candy canes)
cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add a stick of butter to a saucepan and melt over medium-low heat. When fully melted, remove from heat.
½ cup salted butter
Pour hot melted butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and ¾ cup sugar into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk for one minute, or until completely combined.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, ¾ cup white granulated sugar
Add the two eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the bowl and whisk for another minute.
2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add ½ cup flour, 2 packages of double chocolate Ghirardelli hot cocoa mix, and ¼ cup cocoa powder to the bowl.
2 0.85 ounce packages double chocolate Ghirardelli hot cocoa mix, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. You want there to be pockets of dry ingredients in the batter because this is what helps achieve that fudgy consistency.
Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking oil spray.
cooking spray
Pour the brownie batter into the greased pan. Smooth it flat with a spatula.
Unwrap the Ghiradelli bark and, using a sharp knife, cut it into smaller pieces. Add the chopped bark to the brownie batter, sprinkling it evenly over the top.
1 bar Ghirardelli peppermint bark
Bake for 22-24 minutes. I’ve baked these in my regular oven and in my Ninja and right around the 23-minute mark is about perfect for me. I give the pan a gentle shake at this time and look for the center to be just set.
While the brownies are baking, smash up some peppermint candy. I took the candy cane stick, unwrapped, put it in another bag, and smashed it up with a meat mallet. I maybe used ¼ to ⅓ of the one pictured.
Remove from oven and immediately top with crushed candy cane pieces, sprinkling evenly over the brownies.
peppermint candy stick
It’s a very important (but a very difficult ask!) that you let the brownies cool completely before attempting to cut. These fudgy brownies are prone to crumble when cut tooearly. You can speed up the cooling process by putting them in the fridge, but let them cool down considerably beforehand so you don’t risk heating up the interior temperature of your refrigerator.

Notes

If you’re using unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon salt to the recipe and add in with the other dry ingredients.

I recommend using candy canes. I used ¼ to ⅓ of a large (3.5 ounce) candy cane stick, but 2-3 small candy canes should be enough. Add as much or as little as you’d like.

Nutrition