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A mason jar filled with layered baking ingredients for peppermint chocolate brownies, topped with crushed peppermint, chocolate chips, and marshmallows, decorated with a red ribbon and a recipe card labeled “Peppermint Brownies.”.
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Peppermint Chocolate Brownies in a Jar

Peppermint Chocolate Brownies in a Jar make a thoughtful—and delicious—homemade gift! Layer crushed candy canes and chocolate brownie ingredients for fudgy brownies that are ready to bake in minutes. A festive recipe gift tag to attach to your homemade brownies in a jar is included!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time34 minutes
Total Time54 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 9 brownies (1 jar)
Author: Melissa Griffiths

Equipment

Ingredients

To be added to jar:

  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch divided
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 9 peppermint candy canes

To be added by recipient:

  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

Instructions to assemble the jar:

  • Remove the wrapping from the candy canes. Place the candy canes and ½ tablespoon cornstarch in a food processor. Use the ‘pulse’ setting for about 20 seconds or until the largest candy cane piece is no more than ¼ inch long. Set aside.
  • Add a wide mouth funnel to the top of a quart-sized or 32oz mason jar. Layer the ingredients in the jar in the following order: brown sugar, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, ½ tablespoon cornstarch, salt, chocolate chips, and crushed peppermint candy canes. After adding each layer, compress the ingredients in the jar with a muddler or other flat-ended kitchen utensil.
  • Tightly seal the jar and either tape the instructions to the side of the jar or tie them to the lid with a ribbon.

Instructions to make the brownies: (These instructions are printed on the gift label.)

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Remove 1 tablespoon of crushed candy cane from the top of the jar.
  • Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl until combined. Add the eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and vegetable oil and mix again until smooth. Pour into a greased 9x9 baking pan.
  • Bake for 34-36 minutes. Immediately after removing from the oven, spread the reserved 1 tablespoon of crushed candy cane evenly on top of the brownies. Let cool and enjoy!

Notes

A Note on Times: Jar assembly takes approximately 20 minutes. The times included in the recipe are for preparing the brownies from the jar.
Crushing Candy Canes: If you don’t have a food processor, you can place the candy canes in a zipper bag and crush the canes with a rolling pin until the largest piece is no more than ¼-inch long. Add ½ tablespoon cornstarch to the bag and mix until the candy cane pieces are lightly coated in the cornstarch. Be careful not to poke a hole in the bag or you may lose some of the candy cane dust.
When you crush the candy canes, it’s likely that you’ll end up with both candy cane chunks and candy cane dust. Do not discard the dust. It spreads more easily through the brownie batter and helps give a more uniform peppermint flavor.
Funnel Substitute: If you do not have a wide mouth funnel, cut a piece of parchment paper that is at least six inches long and connect the edges to form a paper tube that can double as a funnel. (This method is depicted in the photographs.)
Seal Well: It is important to tightly seal the jar. This will help prevent moisture from getting in and will keep the ingredients fresh for longer. It will also help prevent the candy cane pieces from sticking together. (If you have one of these useful jar vacuum sealers, this is a great project to use it and really seal the gift jars!)
Layering is Optional: If you’d prefer, you can also mix the dry ingredients together before adding them to the jar. This will, of course, mean that the jar has a uniform, brownie mixture appearance rather than clear ingredient layers. In order for the recipient to top their brownies with crushed candy canes; however, I’d recommend keeping at least 1 tablespoon of candy canes unmixed and placed on top.
Use By Date: It is recommended that the brownies be made within 1 month of the jar being gifted. Until then, they should be kept in a cool, dry place.

Nutrition

Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 157mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 404IU | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 3mg

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