Vegan Peppermint Brownies with Candy Canes

Vegan peppermint brownies are a mint chocolate holiday dessert! These candy cane brownies are fudgy, moist, dense, and chewy. They’re topped with a rich peppermint chocolate ganache and sticky-sweet crushed candy canes. The recipe is easy to make, dairy-free, eggless, and gluten-free friendly. Enjoy this chocolate peppermint dessert for Christmas, holiday parties, and more!

If you’re looking for a way to put your extra candy canes to good use, you’ve found the most delicious solution! These Vegan Peppermint Brownies are a mint chocolate delight.

The base is a rich layer of moist, chewy, and ridiculously-fudgy brownies. Then, they’re topped with a smooth layer of peppermint chocolate ganache. Completed with crushed candy canes on top, it’s a chocolate-peppermint dream come true!

What’s more, these holiday brownies are pretty easy to make. The recipe uses pantry staples – like flour, cocoa, sugar, and chocolate chips. We’ll need a few extra ingredients to elevate them from traditional brownies, though, like peppermint extract, coconut milk, and candy canes. Feel free to replace the candy canes with holiday sprinkles, if you’d prefer those instead.

PS: If you love peppermint chocolate desserts, you’ll also enjoy these Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cookies and Healthy Chocolate Peppermint Truffles.

These peppermint brownies are:

• Vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, and gluten-free friendly
• Moist, fudgy, dense, and chewy (not cakey)
• Topped with rich chocolate ganache
• Sprinkled with crushed candy cane pieces
• An easy holiday dessert for chocolate peppermint lovers
• Great for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holiday parties

Ingredients in vegan peppermint brownies

• Flour: Regular flour, also known as all-purpose flour, is the best choice here. However, if you are gluten-free, you can swap it with gluten-free all-purpose baking flour.
• Cocoa powder: I recommend using natural cocoa powder, not dutch-processed cocoa powder for this brownie recipe.
• Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is the main sweetener.
• Chocolate chips: I suggest using dark chocolate chips. For the brownie layer, make sure you divide the cup of chocolate chips into two halves. Each half cup is used for a different portion of the brownie recipe.
• Vegan butter: Melted butter is needed to create a fudgy, dense texture.
• Coconut milk: Be sure to use full-fat canned coconut milk, not the lite variety.
• Candy canes: Crushed candy canes (or peppermint candy) make these brownies a festive holiday dessert. They add a sticky-sweet, minty flavor and crunchy texture.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds warmth and sweetness.
• Peppermint extract: This extract creates a subtle mint flavor in both the fudgy brownies and the chocolate ganache topping.
• Salt: A dash of salt enhances the other flavors.

How to make vegan peppermint brownies with crushed candy canes

For the full ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to view the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Prepare vegan peppermint brownies

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, leaving some of the paper hanging over the edges.

Prepare peppermint chocolate ganache

Let the brownies cool completely before preparing the chocolate peppermint ganache.

Tips for making the best vegan holiday brownies

Use full-fat canned coconut milk. Coconut milk is found in the Asian food section of the grocery store. Make sure you use the full-fat kind, not the lite variety. This will produce a rich, fudgy texture.

How to make them gluten-free: Simply replace the flour with gluten-free all-purpose baking flour. I recommend the Bob’s Red Mill brand.

Cool brownies before adding ganache. Make sure the brownies have cooled completely before you create and add the chocolate ganache layer.

Add your favorite topping. As the original recipe instructs, you can top the ganache with crushed candy canes. However, you can also use crushed peppermint candy. If you want to tone down the mint chocolate flavor, swap them with festive holiday sprinkles instead.

How to store vegan peppermint brownies

Store the brownies inside a sealed container in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 3-5 days. If you would like to save them longterm, store in the freezer. Enjoy within 2-3 months.

More vegan peppermint chocolate desserts

• Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
• Healthy Chocolate Peppermint Truffles
• Peppermint Mocha Donuts
• Peppermint Mocha Smoothie Bowl

If you try these Vegan Peppermint Brownies, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Instagram and YouTube!

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