Using CorEats Brownie Mix
Free of grain, gluten, and dairy 
Everybody loves brownies, right!? It’s SO easy to dress these decadent, fudgey squares of goodness up by adding peppermint!
There are a few ways to do this! The simplest way is to add 1 tsp of peppermint to your brownie mix! Before serving, you can drizzle with chocolate, sprinkle with crushed candy canes, or even garnish with fresh mint leaves. Simple. Easy. Done.
For those of you who really want to bring on the wow factor, try the super easy peppermint cream cheese brownies! With so many yummy layers, you have options as to where you decide to add your peppermint flair. Do you prefer your peppermint in the frosting, in the brownies, OR are you a Peppermint Patty type- all in for a bold flavor with BOTH? Fa la la la la, baby!
It’s my personal preference to encapsulate peppermint with chocolate, so I like to leave the brownies and the chocolate drizzle alone and bring in the peppermint flavor through the decadent cream cheese frosting layer.
Before we get started let’s talk about those candy canes. While it’s going to be nearly impossible to find sugar-free ones that don’t have scary sweeteners in them, Yum Earth offers organic ones that are free of dyes and corn syrup (linked at the bottom of this post). If sugar is not a problem for you, these are an excellent option! Or for a more polished look, you can always garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Peppermint Brownies
1 CorEats Brownie Mix
1 tsp peppermint extract, optional
Cream cheese Frosting
½ cup vegan Earth Balance butter*
4oz vegan Kite Hill cream cheese*
½ cup Spectrum organic shortening
2/3 cup Lakanto Monkfruit, powdered**
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp peppermint extract, or to taste
Chocolate Drizzle
1 cup chocolate chips***
2 Tbsp coconut oil
**Okay with dairy? Go for it!
**In a pinch? Blend your granular sweetener in a high speed blender on high for a couple seconds to make powdered sugar!
***For sugar-free, pure dark chocolate experience try Pascha unsweetened chocolate chips. Lily’s offers a sugar-free semi sweet chocolate chip, but be advised that it contains soy. For an allergen free semi-sweet chocolate chip Enjoy Life is a good choice.
Instructions
1. For the brownies, follow all the package instructions. If opting to blend chocolate and peppermint flavors, mix 1 tsp peppermint extract into your brownie batter. Bake as per package instructions. Set aside and cool, completely.
2. For the chocolate drizzle add chocolate chips and oil to a small saucepan. Over LOW heat, stir continuously until chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside and cool.
3. To make the peppermint frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add sugar, mixing well until smooth. Add vanilla and peppermint extract, if using, and mix to incorporate.
4. To build your brownies, spread peppermint cream cheese frosting over cooled brownies. Drizzle with chocolate and top with crushed candy canes or garnish with fresh mint! ENJOY!
*To create brownies as pictured, add cream cheese frosting to a plastic baggie. Twist top to push frosting to one corner. Cut a small opening into corner of the baggie. ‘Pipe’ frosting onto brownies in a zag-zag motion, until desired coverage is reached. Follow with chocolate drizzle and finish with crushed candy canes!
5. Enjoy!
Variations
For a zero-glycemic, sugar free option, try CorEats Chocolate Cupcake Mix with Lakanto sweetened peppermint cream cheese frosting. Garnish with fresh mint leaf!
