Baking Dish | Striped Dish Towel (similar)
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!
Plate | Kitchen Towel (similar)
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!
Holiday Peppermint Brownies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Ingredients:
For the brownie batter
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cup boiling water
- 4 oz bittersweet baker’s chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp peppermint extract
- 4 whole eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
For the mix-ins/toppings
- 9 oz mini white chocolate chips, dairy-free
- 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt
- powdered sugar
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F degrees on the convection setting. Mix the cocoa powder and boiling water in a stand mixer bowl with a whisk attachment on low until blended, scraping the sides with a spatula. Add the chopped baker's chocolate and continue to blend on low.
- Melt the coconut oil in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the coconut oil and avocado oil to the mixing bowl. Add the vanilla and peppermint extracts to the mixing bowl and blend until the mixture has cooled slightly.
- Crack the whole eggs into a separate bowl and then add to the stand mixer along with the four more egg yolks. Add four cups of sugar to the mixing bowl and blend. Then add the flour baking mix and whisk until just blended. You should have a smooth, silky batter.
- Coat an large 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, no more than 1 inch deep! If it’s too deep it may impact the final texture.
- 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) over the top.
- Bake the brownies until at toothpick comes out without batter (melted white chocolate is fine!) for around an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. Let the brownies cool for 30 minutes. Then sprinkle a little dusting of powdered sugar over the top and serve!
This turned out terrible- hard and crunchy on the top and gooey on the inside and somehow has NO flavor. I followed the recipe exactly, I’m mad I wasted eight eggs and all the other ingredients.
I tried these as well and I’m not sure what I did wrong. Also, had a hard top with gooey inside with an odd flavor. I think it may have been the avocado oil, but it was a brand new bottle. I’ve never baked with avocado oil before so maybe I’m just not a fan of the taste.
Loved this! Thank you for the GF/DF holiday spirit. I have Hashimoto’s and am relearning how to make everything. Appreciate it!
Can I use coconut oil in place of the avocado oil?
I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work well.
These sound delicious. Any changes if I wanted to use regular flour? Nothing against GF, but don’t want to buy an ingredient I probably wouldn’t use again.
Looks fantastic! Any tips on making it egg free? I know that’s a tall order.
Bob’s Red Mill has a powdered egg replacer you could try (I haven’t given it a go, but let me know if you do!)
I had no idea! I trust Bob. Will report back! Thank you!