Oreo Peppermint Bark Brownies (Easy + Fudgy)
These brownies include peppermint bark, chopped Oreos, and candy canes with a hint of peppermint extract and flaky salt to finish—they’re decadent, fudgy, and are the perfect Christmas treat!
One of my all-time favorite Christmas sweets is peppermint bark! It has the perfect balance of sweetness from white chocolate, bitterness from dark chocolate, and aromatic peppermint flavor, and I decided to combine all these elements in a fudgy brownie. The result are these perfect, fudgy brownies layered with Oreos, chopped chocolate, and crunchy peppermint pieces!
What You’ll Need
- Unsalted butter. I always use unsalted butter for baking, that way you can control the amount of salt in the end result.
- Semisweet chocolate chips. The recipe calls for semisweet, but you can use a milk or dark chocolate if you prefer. Be sure to use a good-quality bar if you can!
- Granulated sugar. If you want a richer brownie, you can substitute half of the granulated sugar for brown sugar.
- Eggs. To bind the batter and give it structure.
- Egg yolk. Egg yolks have more fat than the white, which makes the brownies extra chewy and fudgy. If you don’t have one, it won’t make a big difference!
- Peppermint extract. To emulate the taste of peppermint bark, we’ll add peppermint extract to the brownie batter.
- Vanilla extract. The brownies won’t taste like vanilla—it will just enhance the other flavors.
- All-purpose flour.
- Cocoa powder. For another layer of chocolate flavor. Using a combination of melted chocolate and cocoa powder gives us the perfect balance between softness and fudginess.
- Kosher salt. To balance the sweetness and enhance the chocolate.
- Oreos. Oreos add the perfect crunch, sweetness, and dark cocoa flavor to the brownies.
- Peppermint bark. I always use Ghirardelli peppermint bark bars, but homemade peppermint bark will work great as well. If you don’t have any peppermint bark, you can substitute it with chocolate chips and an increased amount of peppermint extract and crushed candy canes (see the recipe note for more info)!
- Crushed peppermints or candy canes. For an extra layer of peppermint flavor and crunch.
- Flaky salt. I love adding flaky salt as a garnish for all my desserts, but it’s completely optional if you don’t have any!
How to Make Peppermint Bark Brownies
- Whisk together the butter and sugar. Mixing the sugar with hot butter is what gives you the trademark crackly top of a brownie—you’ll know the mixture is right when the butter and sugar form a very smooth, almost ribbon-like batter.
- Add eggs, extracts, and melted chocolate. To ensure that the eggs don’t scramble, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature.
- Fold in dry ingredients and mix-ins. When adding the flour mixture, don’t overmix! If you stir the brownies too much, you’ll produce too much gluten in the batter and your brownies will become cakey instead of fudgy.
- Bake, cool, and serve. I know it’s tempting to cut into a warm brownie, but it’s important to let the pan cool completely. If you try to lift them out while they’re too hot, the brownies may collapse and you won’t get neat slices.
Peppermint Bark Brownies FAQ
- Can I make these brownies without peppermint bark? Yes—if you don’t have peppermint bark, you can substitute it with semisweet and white chocolate chips and by increasing the amount of peppermint (see the recipe note for specific measurements)!
- Can I make the brownies ahead of time? Yes! Once the batter is mixed, pour it into the pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 48 hours before baking. You can bake the brownies straight from the fridge (no need to let them come up to room temperature), but they’ll most likely need a longer cook time.
- How should I cut brownies? If you want picture-perfect brownies, clean your knife off with hot water between every cut. This way, you won’t have any sticky brownie residue on the knife that gives you an uneven slice.
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Be sure to leave a review and rating if you like the recipe—happy holiday baking!
xoxo
Peppermint Bark Brownies
These brownies include peppermint bark, chopped Oreos, and candy canes with a hint of peppermint extract and flaky salt to finish—they're decadent, fudgy, and are the perfect Christmas treat!
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Servings: 16 brownies
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate chips or bar can also use a good-quality milk or dark chocolate for a sweeter or richer brownie
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk (optional)
- ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract (increase to 1 teaspoon if not using peppermint bark in the brownies)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 Oreos, crushed
- ⅔ cup (3.5 oz) chopped peppermint bark* or ⅓ cup white chocolate chips and ⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup crushed peppermint pieces or candy canes (increase to ⅓ cup if not using peppermint bark)
- Flaky salt, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×9 square baking pan with butter or baking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside. Place the Oreos into a large Ziploc bag and roughly crush them. Alternatively, you can chop them on a cutting board. Reserve around ½ to ¾ cup of Oreo pieces for topping.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter in 30 second increments until melted and very hot (be careful not to let the butter pop or explode). Add the granulated to the butter, whisking until well incorporated and very smooth, around 2 minutes.
- Crack the eggs in one at a time followed by the egg yolk, then add the peppermint extract and vanilla. Whisk the mixture until it is smooth and has lightened slightly in color.
- In a small bowl, heat the chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly, then pour the melted chocolate into the egg and sugar mixture and whisk well.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then add in the Oreos, chopped peppermint bark or chocolate chips, and crushed peppermint, then fold everything together until just combined.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and top with the reserved Oreos and extra peppermint bark or crushed peppermint pieces, if desired. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
- The brownies are done baking once puffed and set in the middle; if you insert a toothpick into the center of the brownie, a few moist crumbs should stick to it, but not raw batter (the brownies will continue to cook and set while they cool).
- Remove the pan from the oven and top the brownies with flaky salt, if desired. Let them cool completely before lifting out of the pan, slicing, and serving.
Notes
*If you don’t have peppermint bark, you can make the brownies with the following substitutions:
- Increase the peppermint extract to 1 teaspoon
- Substitute the chopped peppermint bark with ⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips and ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
- Increase the amount of crushed peppermint pieces from ¼ cup to ⅓ cup
