I have a few recipes that are perfect for the holidays, and this is one of them. I make a really delicious brownie that can be made gluten-free and dairy-free, but you won’t even know it’s missing those elements when the peppermint flavor hits. It’s really simple, and you’re going to LOVE this brownie for your holiday office parties, your Christmas family gathering, or as a treat for yourself for just about anytime.
Watch the Peppermint Brownies Video
How to Make Gluten-Free Peppermint Brownies
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees on the convection setting. Add unsweetened cocoa powder to a stand mixer bowl with a whisk attachment, and pour over 1 1/4 cups of boiling hot water. Combine it on low—we don’t want to lose the heat, we just want to break up the cocoa. Now add some bittersweet (around 74%) baker’s chocolate (I’m using Guittard Baking Wafers) that’s been chopped so it’s easier to melt. Whisk it gently in the mixer until it melts, making sure to scrape down the sides.
Next melt 1 cup of coconut oil in the microwave for around 30 seconds to a minute. (You can use a mix of coconut oil and butter if you’re not dairy-free). Pour 1/2 cup of avocado oil into the mixer and let it whisk on low with the melted coconut oil. Now add your vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Let this whisk until it’s cooled down just slightly.
Next you’ll add four whole eggs plus four egg yolks to the mixture. I like to crack these into a separate bowl first to make sure there are no shells. Add four cups of sugar into the mixer and continue mixing on low. Measure out your gluten-free 1:1 flour baking mix and add that to the mixer, just until it’s fully combined.
Bake the Peppermint Brownies
Coat an 9 x 13 or larger baking dish with cooking spray or coconut oil (I use gloves or a plastic Ziplock bag to apply the coconut oil so my hands aren’t all coated as well). Pour in the batter. Sprinkle a 9-ounce bag of mini white chocolate chips evenly across the top of the batter, and then take a spatula and swirl the batter so that some of the chips are mixed in. Sprinkle on some flaky sea salt (like Maldon). Don’t skip this part! It’s so delicious.
It depends on how deep your pan is and how thick your batter is, but it could take around an hour or more to bake. I used a pan that was a little smaller…definitely size up to 9 x 13 at least! You want to be able to insert a toothpick or skewer into the middle and have it come out without batter (some melted white chocolate is fine.)
In this ceramic dish, it took me around an hour and 15 minutes. Let the brownies cool for 30 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle a little dusting of powdered sugar over the top, cut into squares, and serve!
These gluten-free, dairy-free peppermint brownies are going to rock your holiday parties this season. I hope you share these with the people you care about!
