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Combine flavors in this Peppermint Bark Brownie Cupcakes recipe. A great mixture of rich chewy brownie, delicious cake, bright peppermint, and delicious frosting comes together to become a new favorite Christmas cupcake!
Looking for another fun Christmas cupcake? Try this Santa Hat Cupcakes. It is so easy to make.
Peppermint Bark Brownie Cupcakes
These cupcakes are so good!!! They bake up really pretty for a wonderfully stunning presentation. Even though they have a few extra steps, they really are pretty easy to create. Since these bases are mixes, you can easily mix this up in no time!
I love these for a special event at the holidays. Since they look so great, everyone thinks they come from a fancy bakery!
What is the Best Brownie Mix to Use?
Whenever I use a brownie mix to make these cupcakes or anything else with brownies, I prefer to use the Betty Crocker box. I find that it gives the best tastes and texture to my brownies. Another favorite is the Ghiradelli brownie mix. There are tons of options, just pick the one you prefer.
Can I Use Homemade Peppermint Bark Instead?
You definitely can! I love making homemade barks as a super easy treat. For peppermint bark, you really only need good chocolate and crushed mints! So easy to make, and a great addition to your holiday treat menu. Make up a batch and set some aside for this recipe!
Ingredients for Brownies
- Brownie mix
- Eggs
- Oil
- Milk
Ingredients for Peppermint Cake
- Vanilla Cake Mix
- Eggs
- Oil
- Heavy cream
- Red food coloring gel
- Ghirardelli peppermint bark
Ingredients for Buttercream Frosting
- Butter
- 1 cup of Crisco
- Vanilla
- Heavy cream
- Powdered sugar
- Red food coloring gel
- Ghirardelli peppermint bark
How to Make Peppermint Bark Brownie Cupcakes
Using a mixer, blend together the brownie mix with the eggs, oil, and milk until smooth. Then, line a cupcake tin with papers and fill halfway with the brownie batter and set aside.
Next make the vanilla cake mix with the eggs, oil and heavy cream. Beat well for 2 minutes, scrape down the sides and do it again.
Cut up the peppermint bark into small pieces and add it to the mixing bowl. Add red food coloring to the batter in a swirl pattern, and do not mix it all together.
Add the cake batter over top of the brownie batter and bake for 22- 25 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
Next, make the frosting. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, Crisco, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Beat well until it is light and fluffy.
Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, blending between each addition. Slowly add a bit more of the heavy cream as needed to get the powdered sugar combined. Scrape down the bowl and mix again. Refrigerate the frosting until the cupcakes are completely cooled.
Once the cupcakes are cool, remove the frosting from the refrigerator and put it in a large pastry bag that has a fluted tip. Frost the cupcakes and then top with peppermint bark pieces.
Peppermint Bark Brownie Cupcakes
Combine flavors in this Peppermint Bark Brownie Cupcakes recipe. A great mixture of rich chewy brownie, delicious cake, bright peppermint, and delicious frosting comes together to become a new favorite Christmas cupcake!
Servings: 24
Ingredients
- 1 box Brownie mix Betty Crocker
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1 cup milk
- 1 Vanilla Cake Mix
- 4 eggs
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon red food coloring gel
- 1/2 cup Ghirardelli peppermint bark crushed
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup Crisco
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon red food coloring gel
- Ghirardelli peppermint bark pieces for topping the cupcakes
Instructions
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, blend the brownie mix, eggs, oil, and milk, until smooth. Place the cupcake liners in the muffin tin(s), and fill 1/2 full with the brownie batter, and set aside. Rinse out the mixing bowl, and add the Vanilla cake mix, eggs, oil and heavy cream. Blend on high for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, and mix again. Cut the peppermint bark with the sharp knife on the cutting mat until it's in small pieces. Add the crushed peppermint bark to the mixing bow, and mix well. Add the red food coloring, swirling through the batter, but not mixing completely. Fill the cupcake liners with the cake batter, on top of the brownie batter, and place the cupcakes in the oven at 350 for 22 - 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven to a wire rack to cool, and cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, place the softened butter, Crisco, Vanilla, and 1 Tablespoon of the heavy cream in the the mixing bowl, and blend until smooth, light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, blending between additions, and a few drops of the remaining cream until all the powdered sugar has been added. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, and blend again. Place mixing bowl in the refrigerator until cupcakes are cool, and frosting is chilled.
- When the cupcakes are cool, remove the frosting from the refrigerator, and place in a large pastry bag with a fluted tip (see link). Starting at the outer edge, swirl the frosting onto the cupcakes, swirling up to a point or peak in the middle of the cupcake (see photo). When all cupcakes have been frosted, cut a few of the Ghirardelli peppermint bark in pieces, and place them in the frosting of each cupcake, along with a couple of whole pieces of peppermint bark (see photo). Serve and Enjoy!
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 24 or 2 12 count muffin tins
- Spatula's
- cutting mat
Notes
NOTE: If not serving immediately, place cupcakes in a single layer airtight container, and place in the refrigerator until time to serve. Cupcakes can be kept up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 602kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 486IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg
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