Give the gift of incredible fudgy brownies anytime with this simple peppermint fudge brownie mix - or leave out the peppermint and add more chocolate! Package it in a mason jar, add a bow and one of the printable labels and you'll have an inexpensive and easy gift for any occasion.
Some links in this article are affiliate links and if you click on them I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.
Oh, I think you're going to love this peppermint fudge brownie mix in a jar gift idea!
Not only because it is quick and easy to make, costs less than $5 with mostly pantry ingredients, and is made and given with love (of course!), but because the mix seriously makes the BEST brownies.
They are a nice balance of fudgy with crisp edges and top and are studded with pieces of chocolate, which always makes a brownie better in my book.
I had to make photograph them for you so you could see for yourself how perfectly fudgy they are - and then I had to try one, of course!
So you can feel good about gifting a jar of this brownie mix to anyone - it looks AND tastes great.
Double Fudge Brownie Mix Variation
What about giving this mix at another time of year when peppermint isn't quite the thing? Or the person you'd like to give it to doesn't like peppermint?
Easy! Leave out the peppermint pieces and just fill the top of the jar with more chocolate chips.
They can be more of the semi-sweet chips or you can use milk chocolate, white chocolate, or even peanut butter chips.
All the other ingredients and directions remain the same.
I even included two tags on the sheet with a Double Fudge option in case you'd like to gift the brownies without the peppermint. (The "double" means cocoa powder and chocolate chips, so you do want to make sure you keep some chopped chocolate in the version so the tags match.)
I'm all about giving you choices!
Peppermint Fudge Brownie Mix
Ingredients & Supplies
- Sugar
- Salt
- Cocoa powder
- Whole wheat pastry flour (or whole wheat white flour or unbleached all-purpose)
- Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- Crushed peppermint pieces
- Optional candy canes to decorate the jar
- Quart size mason jar with lid - wide mouth is best, but regular mouth is okay (here's a set of six that would work well)
- Large funnel (I use a canning funnel, which I use all the time, not just for canning)
- Ribbon or twine, scissors
- Printed direction tags (below)
Directions
Layer the ingredients in a quart mason jar in the order listed in the recipe card below.
You'll really need to tamp the jar down on the counter (or wood cutting board if your counter is hard like quartz) after each layer to compress the ingredients to make everything fit - this mix goes right to the top of the jar as you can see above!
Note: you may be able to fit a few more chocolate chips if using a wide-mouth jar.
Attach a lid to seal the mix in the jar and print out the tags I've created for you below and attach one to the jar with ribbon or twine.
Free Peppermint/Double Fudge Brownie Mix Recipe Tags
Click on the image of the tags below to open in a new window and download to your computer. (Or click here to open.)
How to Print & Cut Out Tags
- There will be two pages, the brownie name on front and the baking directions on the back - print back to back on a colored printer to get the kraft paper tag color.
- Use a heavyweight paper or light cardstock for best results.
- You may notice that the front and back tags don't match up exactly (a-hem), but it doesn't matter after cutting. Cut from the front side first along the lines and then trim any white you see on the back after cutting out. It all works out!
- Use a hole punch on the white circle for the tag hole - it should match up perfectly.
Peppermint Fudge Brownie Mix FAQs
Brownie mixes generally last 3-6 months, the longer time for mixes (like this one) that don't contain a rising agent like baking powder or soda. Because of the peppermint pieces, though, it's best used within a couple months for best flavor.
Even with cocoa powder that's more expensive than flour, this mix still costs only about $4.00 per jar.
This recipe has been tested as written, so I can't say for sure if other sugars and flours would work other than what I've listed in the recipe.
You can definitely use whatever kind of chip you'd like, and leave out the peppermint pieces like the double-fudge variation and use different kinds of chips (milk chips, peanut butter, etc.). Or try adding chopped nuts.
Ideas For Packaging
You can always give the jar as-is, but if you'd like to add a few other brownie related items here are a few ideas:
- Wooden spoon and tea towel.
- Offset spatula for spreading dough in pan (not just for frosting -SO much easier than a regular spatula).
- Box of coffee or tea, depending on what they prefer.
- A bag of freshly made brownies so they can "taste test" what their jar will be like.
- Kraft paper gift baskets to hold the jar(s) and anything else you'd like to add.
TIP: Give this brownie mix with another gift-in-a-jar mix - all with coordinating gift tags:
Peppermint Fudge Brownie Mix In A Jar
Equipment
- 1 quart jar with lid
- large funnel
Ingredients
For Quart Jar (layer in order given):
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or white whole wheat or all purpose)
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or dark chocolate)
- 1/3 cup crushed peppermint candies
To Add Later:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 eggs
Instructions
Layer Dry Ingredients:
- In a clean, dry quart-size mason jar add the dry ingredients in the order listed (sugar, salt, cocoa, flour, chocolate chips, crushed peppermint) using a large funnel and tapping the jar firmly on the counter between each layer to settle.
- Add lid to jar, print out direction tags and attach tag to the jar with ribbon or twine.
When Ready To Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease or line a 13x9-inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream the butter and vanilla. Then add the eggs, one at a time beating well after each.
- Add the jar of brownie mix and continue to beat until the mixture is smooth (it may help to use a wooden spoon, too).
- Spread evenly into the prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle top with any additional crushed peppermint (or chocolate chips).
- Bake 35-40 minutes or until puffed and top is set. Cool in pan before removing and cutting into 24 pieces.
Notes
Nutrition
More Mason Jar Gifts
Lola says
Hi Jami, this brownie recipe looks so gooey and delicious! Thank you! I love giving gifts in jars as it's such a charming and personal gift.
Just a side note...i think you may have left out the vanilla in the instructions.
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Jami says
Thank you for letting me know, Lola - I did forget to add that in the directions. It's been updated!
I hope you get a chance to try these - Merry Christmas to you, too!