Vegan Peppermint Brownies

Fudgy, moist, and filled with minty flavor, these vegan peppermint brownies will become a holiday staple. Made in under an hour for a dessert that will impress all your friends.

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I'm not sure why, but I've always been a bit too intimidated to make brownies for my blog. Maybe it's because of that elusive texture that is somewhere in between chewy and gooey. Perhaps figuring out the best egg replacer seemed a task insurmountable. Or maybe with so many awesome vegan brownies already floating around on the internet, it seemed unnecessary to come up with a recipe of my own. Whatever the reason, it was time to quiet those silly voices, roll up my selves, and get a little messy.

Last weekend I confronted my fears in the kitchen. Do you know what I discovered? Brownies are super simple to make! If you can melt a little vegan butter over a double boiler and mix together sugar and flour, then you've basically figured out the right technique.

With this recipe, I did some experimenting with chocolate chips and varying amounts of flour and sugar, but after some trial and error, I think I found the ultimate brownie texture and taste that will, hence-forth, become my go-to brownie recipe.

Which goes to prove, facing your fears is always better than hiding behind them.

BEST EGG REPLACER FOR VEGAN BROWNIES

Traditionally eggs are a key element to making chewy and fudgy brownies with the perfect crackle on top. I’m tried many types of egg replacers for my vegan brownies over the years and I have found that flax eggs have given me the best results. Flax eggs provide the best binding while also giving it need moisture with no added taste or texture.

If you’ve never made a flax egg before, check out this step by step guide from Minimalist Baker.

Now that we’ve sorted out our ingredients, let’s take a closer look at how to make these easy vegan brownies.

3 STEPS TO THE PERFECT VEGAN PEPPERMINT BROWNIES.

STEP ONE – MELT THE BUTTER, SUGARS, AND COCOA POWDER

The sugar, butter, and cocoa powder should be gently heated in a double boiler until the butter is melted and the sugar has completely dissolved. This technique both gives you the smoothest batter while also being the base for your chewy and rich texture.

STEP TWO: FOLD IN FLAX EGGS AND FLOUR

First, let’s talk about how to make a flax egg. Flax eggs are simply ground up flax seeds that are mixed with water until you have a gooey, egg-like consistency.

With your flax egg made, you can slowly add it into your butter/sugar/cocoa powder mixture along with the flour. Fold the flour in gently and take care not to over-mix.

STEP THREE: BAKE THE BROWNIES

I prefer chewy brownies and therefore baked them at a low temperature. This allows the whole brownie to bake inside and out. For fudgy, gooey brownies, you can set your oven temperature a bit higher (between 375-400F) which will cook the outsides with that perfect crisp while keeping the inside underdone and chewy.

Regardless, you’ll want to keep an eye on those brownies and pull them out when they are slightly underdone – a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out with a few moist crumbs – as they will continue to harden as they cool.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MAKING THE PERFECT VEGAN BROWNIES

1. If you can’t find flax seeds at your local grocery store, you can pick some up online. They should be stored in the freezer and ground as you need them.
2. Be careful not to over-mix your batter. This will encourage the gluten to form making your bars gummy and dense.
3. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper so that brownies do not stick to the pan.
4. Make sure to let the brownies cool completely before removing them from the pan.
5. When your brownies are completely cool, you can slice them. Use a sharp knife and clean it off between each cut so that you can get clean, crisp edges

SERVING AND STORING VEGAN BROWNIES

You can serve your brownies at room temperature or rewarm them and serve them with some coconut ice cream for a delicious dessert. So good!

Brownies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also wrap the brownies in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer to store for up to 2 months.

These brownies are everything you want in this classic chocolate treat.

Deep in flavors of chocolatey goodness, mixed with refreshing peppermint candies then baked to perfection with a chewy outside and a gooey, ultra-fudge-y middle. And with a little bit of peppermint crunch in each bite, these might just be exactly what you're looking for this holiday season.

So what do you say? Ready to whip up a batch today?

Vegan Peppermint Brownies

Fudgy, moist, and filled with minty flavor, these vegan peppermint brownies will become a holiday staple. Made in under an hour for a dessert that will impress all your friends.  

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 9 people

Calories: 251kcal

Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

Peppermint Brownies

• 2 flax eggs
• ½ cup vegan butter
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon peppermint
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅓ cup crushed peppermint candies, divided
• ½ cup chocolate ganache

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper, letting the excess paper hang over the edges.
• Prepare the flax eggs and set aside.
• Fill a pot with a couple of inches of water and bring to a boil. In a medium heat-safe bowl combine vegan butter, sugars, cocoa powder, and salt. Place on top of the pot - the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water - and remove from heat. Stir butter/sugar mixture occasionally until the butter has melted completely. Meanwhile, mix together flour and baking soda and set aside.
• Stir in vanilla and peppermint extract and flax "eggs" to the butter/sugar mixture. Add the flour and baking soda and stir vigorously until well combined; the batter will be very thick. Once well combined, add 2 tablespoons of crushed peppermint candies and transfer into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until mostly set. They should be slightly underdone.
• While brownies are baking, prepare the chocolate ganache.
• Remove brownies from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes. Top with chocolate ganache and sprinkle with the remaining peppermint candies. Let the ganache set up completely before slicing.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 4 weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 212mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1.7mg