Peppermint Kiss Brownie Bites (dairy-free option)

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If you love chocolate and peppermint, these from-scratch Peppermint Kiss Brownie Bites are for you!

I finished book 7 of the Harry Potter series the other day. And now I just want to cry, because it’s over. Over the past 8 weeks, I feel like I’ve lived seven years with this boy and his friends…and now it’s over.

Authors shouldn’t write series if they’re going to end them. There should be a rule that they must keep writing them. Or that, every 5 years after the end of the last book they write a short novella letting us back into the characters lives.

I seriously feel lost. Like, where do I go from here? How do I read a regular book now?

The answer? I don’t. I started book 1 again yesterday.

I’m addicted to Harry Potter.

Kind of like I’m addicted to peppermint. And brownies.

I can never, ever get enough peppermint. I’ve already posted two peppermint recipes this year and I’m sure more will spontaneously pop into my head.

Also? I can’t get enough gingerbread. Or brownies. Or Hershey’s Kisses. #addicted #christmasbakingrocks

Today I combined two of my favorites: Brownies + Candy Cane Hershey’s Kisses. These are like Blossom Cookies…but they’re brownies.

So. Much. Better.

These bites are a from-scratch brownie, based on my favorite recipe, but I altered it a bit to make it dairy-free. The brownie recipe uses unsweetened cocoa powder instead of baking chocolate, and vegetable oil instead of butter. The result is a fudgy inside and a flaky outside, much like a box mix, but better. They are a little more frail then your average brownie, because they are so tender on the inside.

And they’re goooooood.

{Now, I know there are all ranges of dairy intolerance out there. These were made especially for a class party, because one of my daughter’s friends can’t have dairy. She’s okay with chocolate. And, of course, the Kiss isn’t dairy-free, but again, chocolate candy doesn’t bother her. Adapt these with a candy you can eat!}

When they come out of the oven, you simply top them with an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss. You need to do this immediately, before the brownies cool. That makes the Kiss stick.

Note that the flavored Hershey’s Kisses are not as firm as regular chocolate ones. They tend to collapse in blossom cookies if you’re not careful. This is especially true with the Candy Cane Kisses – even if you don’t touch the pans, they still might fall. But that’s okay…they’re still amazing.

Try these with Mint Truffle Kisses. Or Cherry Cordial. Or, in the Spring, Coconut. Or, I’ve heard rumblings that Target has Gingerbread Kisses. #mustgoshopping

These are super simple to make – only one bowl for easy clean up. No melting. Just stir, portion, and bake. Easy is the word this time of year, right?

And they’re just pretty. I love that candy cane stripe!

It sort of reminds me of the Gryffindor stripe, but without yellow. Which just makes me sad again… 😉

#harrypotteraddict #TeamGryffindor

Enjoy!

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Servings: 48

Peppermint Kiss Brownie Bites

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• 48 Candy Cane Kisses — unwrapped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray.
2. Stir together oil and sugar. Stir in vanilla, cocoa, and eggs. Slowly stir in salt and flour.
3. Scoop 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cavity. Bake 8-10 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs stuck to it.
4. Immediately upon removing from oven, top with a Candy Cane Hershey’s Kiss (or your favorite Kiss flavor). Do not move your trays until the Kisses have completely hardened. The flavored Kisses are less stable than the regular chocolate ones, so there is a chance some of them will fall slightly, but if you touch the trays they will certainly all fall!
5. Use the tip of a knife to help you removed cooled bites from pans.

All text and images © Dorothy Kern for Crazy for Crust. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be accurate.

Peppermint Gooey Bars

White Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Blossoms

Coconut Kiss Brownie Pies (try with any flavor Kiss!)

Chocolate Mint Kiss Crinkles

Sweets from friends:
Peppermint Brownie Bars by Love from the Oven
Peppermint Cheesecake Rice Pudding by Something Swanky
Meringue Hugged Kisses by Pint Sized Baker