These vegan peppermint chocolate chunk brownies are rich, fudgy, and festive. They make an easy and crowd-pleasing addition to any holiday spread!
This post is sponsored by Stevia In The Raw®. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Blissful Basil!
Holiday cookies are great, but these festive vegan peppermint chocolate chunk brownies are hard to beat.
Not only are they fudgy, rich, and gooey, they're also friendly for a variety of dietary needs. In addition to being vegan, they're nut-free (so long as you use nut-free milk), gluten-free, and oil-free.
They're also lower in sugar than other brownie recipes on my site thanks to Stevia In The Raw®.
Stevia In The Raw® is a zero-calorie sweetener that contains an extract from the sweet leaves of the stevia plant. Available in a Bakers Bag, it measures cup for cup with sugar, so it can easily be used in baking recipes to reduce added sugar with no conversion necessary.
Something to keep in mind when using Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag for baking recipes is that, in order to achieve the proper browning, rising, and caramelizing that only sugar can provide, it’s best to replace about half of the sugar.
For this recipe, I simply used half Stevia In The Raw® and half coconut sugar.
To make these simple vegan brownies, you'll start by creaming together Stevia In The Raw®, coconut sugar, tahini, and vanilla.
If you have a stand mixer, I highly recommend using it for this recipe. Having said that, you can get by with a hand mixer.
Next, whisk together the dry ingredients, including oat flour, cocoa powder, ground flaxseed, baking powder, and sea salt.
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture along with a bit of water, and beat until it pulls together into a dough.
Then, stir in the chocolate chunks.
Press the brownie dough into a lined baking pan and bake for 14 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs at the tip.
When in doubt, lean towards under-baking to ensure your brownies are rich and fudgy.
While the brownies cool, prepare the peppermint chocolate glaze. To make it, simply melt down a bit of dark chocolate over the stove. Then, whisk in a few splashes of plant-based milk, some cocoa powder, and a few drops of pure peppermint oil.
Pour the glaze over the cooled brownie, and tilt the pan back and forth to evenly coat the surface.
For an added touch of festive flair, sprinkle the top with crushed candy canes. Then, chill the brownie until the glaze has set.
Finally, slice, serve, and enjoy.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Peppermint Chocolate Chunk Brownies
Ingredients
Chocolate Chunk Brownies
- ½ cup Stevia In The RawⓇ Bakers Bag
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup pourable tahini*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups oat flour
- â…“ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 ½ teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- â…“ cup filtered water
- ½ cup non-dairy chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
Mint Chocolate Fudge Glaze
- ½ cup non-dairy chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened plain plant-based milk
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 3 to 4 drops peppermint oil or ¼ to ½ teaspoon peppermint extract to taste
Optional Topping
- 2 vegan candy canes crushed
Instructions
For the Chocolate Chunk Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8 x 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. (Double-check your pan size—a 9 x 9-inch pan won't work for this recipe.)
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the Stevia In The RawⓇ, coconut sugar, tahini, and vanilla for 1 minute using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer with the beater attachments if you don't have a stand mixer).
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the oat flour, cocoa powder, ground flaxseed, baking powder, and sea salt. Place the water within reach of the mixer.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the oat flour mixture to the tahini mixture. Then, immediately add the water, increase to medium speed, and beat for 15 seconds, or until incorporated. The dough should be moist and pulled together in large mounds as it moves around the mixing bowl, not dry and broken into small crumbles. Note: If the dough appears dry and crumbly (it likely will if you're using a hand mixer), add another 1–2 tablespoons water. A little liquid goes a long way in this recipe, so start with 1 tablespoon and mix again before determining whether or not a second tablespoon is needed. Adding more liquid may increase the baking time by a minute or two, so adjust as needed.
- Fold the chocolate chunks into the batter/dough.
- Scoop the brownie dough into the lined pan, and use your fingers or a spatula to press and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake for 14–18 minutes, or until the edges appear slightly crackled and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs at the tip. Lean toward underbaking if you're questioning doneness, as this will ensure a dense, fudgy texture.
- Let cool completely in the pan. In a pinch, cool at room temperature for 5 minutes and then transfer to the refrigerator to expedite the cooling process.
For the Mint Chocolate Fudge Glaze
- Once the brownie has cooled, make the chocolate glaze. Melt the chocolate over low heat, being very careful not to scorch.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the plant-based milk, cocoa powder, and peppermint oil until smooth and glossy.
- Pour the glaze over the brownie and tilt the pan back and forth to evenly coat the surface. Sprinkle with the crushed candy canes (if using).
- Chill for 1 hour, or until the glaze is set and the brownie is chilled through. Then, gently lift the brownie out of the pan, and slice into 12 bars.
- Return the brownies to the parchment-lined pan and loosely cover with foil.
- Serve the brownies chilled and store in the refrigerator.
Bryan says
Those brownies look really good! I almost licked my computer screen while staring at the pictures haha great recipe!
Ashley says
Thanks, Bryan! :)
Allie says
Wow! We can't get enough of the tahini brownies in your cookbook, and this festive variation sounds divine! Happy holidays,
Ashley! :)
Ashley says
So glad you're enjoying the tahini brownies, Allie! Hope you enjoy this peppermint rendition just as much. Happy holidays to you, too!
Celeste Jackson says
I made these for a holiday party along with your peppermint ice cream featured on Instagram....both were delicious and easy to make! Thank you for making our celebration extra special & healthy!
Ashley says
Love that combination!! So glad you enjoyed both recipes. :)
Genet Harris says
What kind of tahini are you using ? Didn't realize there was a "pourable" kind ?
Ashley says
Hi, Genet! I use the Whole Foods 365 brand, which is very thin and pourable. Cedar's is also quite thin and runny. You want to avoid thick tahini (usually the kind in glass jars) as it will create dry, crumbly brownies.
Anglinia says
I like chocolate brownies. Your brownies look yummy and perfect. Thanks for sharing.
Ashley says
Thanks, Anglinia!