Candy Cane Brownie Bites

These Candy Cane Brownie Bites make the cutest little holiday dessert!

I added in some peppermint extract and crushed candy canes to a standard, fudgey brownie recipe to make these treats a little more festive. The red and white contrasted with the dark brown chocolatey brownies make them a beautiful sight for the eyes as well as a delicious bite for the stomach.

Candy Cane Brownie Bites

yields 8 regular or 16 mini brownies

1/2 cup butter (for non-dairy option, use a vegan butter such as Earth Balance), melted 3/4 cup natural cane sugar 4 eggs, beaten well (or 1/4 cup ground flax seeds for egg-free option) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon peppermint extract 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 cup cocoa powder 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (or Gluten-free flour blend if desired) 5 - 6 candy canes

Preheat oven to 350F and spray a mini-muffin tray (or regular-sized tray) with cooking spray.

If using, mix the ground flax meal with 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.

Combine the melted butter, eggs or flax egg, sugar, vanilla, peppermint, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Lastly, add the flour. Scoop batter evenly into muffin tins until 3/4 full and bake on the middle rack for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, crush the candy canes into small pieces (but not too powdery) using a mortar and pestle, or by placing them in a sealed ziplock bag and using a heavy item to crush them. Set aside.

At 15 minutes, remove the brownies from the oven and sprinkle each with a little bit of the crushed candy canes, pressing down slightly so they stick to the batter. Return to oven and bake for about 5 more minutes (if using mini-muffin tray) and about 8-10 more minutes if using regular-sized tins. The brownies are done when they start to pull away from the sides and spring back slightly to the touch. Be careful not to overcook or they will get crumbly. Remove from oven and let rest in the tin for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container to keep fresh for a couple days. Recipe yields about 16 mini or 8 regular-sized brownies.