Chocolate Peppermint Bread

Let’s Bake Some Holiday Magic: Chocolate Peppermint Bread

Hey there, friend! Isla here, from BiteTide. Can you smell it? That crisp, chilly air is starting to carry whispers of pine, spiced cider, and the one scent that truly makes my heart do a happy dance: chocolate and peppermint. It’s the official aroma of the holiday season, and today, we’re bottling it all up into the most incredible, shareable, and downright delicious treat imaginable—my Double Chocolate Peppermint Bread.

I’m talking about a rich, supremely moist chocolate loaf that’s so dark and decadent it’s almost sinful. We’re loading it up with pools of melted dark chocolate chips and giving it that unmistakable, festive kick with a hint of peppermint. And because we’re going all in, we’re crowning it with a smooth, creamy peppermint glaze and a cheerful blizzard of crushed candy canes. This isn’t just a bread; it’s a celebration on a plate. The best part? This recipe makes two loaves. One for you to devour with your favorite people, and one to gift, spreading that BiteTide joy far and wide. So, tie on your favorite apron, put on some holiday tunes, and let’s create some kitchen magic together. This is going to be fun, I promise!

A Pinch of Nostalgia: Grandma’s Apron Strings

Every time I cream butter and sugar for this recipe, I’m instantly eight years old again, standing on a wobbly wooden stool in my grandma’s kitchen. Her apron strings were my seatbelt, and the world was a whirl of flour clouds and the gentle hum of her ancient stand mixer. She was a baking wizard, and Christmas was her grand finale.

She didn’t make peppermint bread, but she made something similar: a dense, dark chocolate cake she called “Midnight Magic.” One particularly chaotic Christmas Eve, I was her official “chip inserter,” tasked with folding the chocolate into the batter. In my excitement, I may have “folded” a little too vigorously, sending a wave of batter right over the edge of the bowl and onto the floor. Instead of being cross, Grandma just laughed her deep, rumbling laugh, wiped a smudge of chocolate on my nose, and said, “Isla, my love, a little mess just means a lot of love went into it.” This bread is my nod to her—to that magic, that love, and that beautiful, beautiful mess. I’ve added the peppermint for that extra holiday sparkle I know she would have adored.

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Gathering Your Flavor Wave: The Ingredients

Here’s your shopping list for this festive masterpiece! Don’t worry, I’ve included all my favorite chef secrets and swaps to make this work for you.

For the Bread:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened – This is the base of our rich, tender crumb. Pro Tip: “Softened” means it should hold a slight indent when you press it. If you forget to take it out, you can quickly soften it by cubing it and letting it sit for 15 minutes. Don’t microwave it to mush!
• ⅔ cup white sugar + 1⅓ cups brown sugar – The white sugar gives sweetness and structure, while the brown sugar brings that deep molasses flavor and incredible moisture. It’s the dynamic duo of baking!
• 6 large eggs – They bind everything together and add richness. Make sure they’re at room temperature for a smoother, fluffier batter. Just pop them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes if they’re cold.
• ½ tsp peppermint extract – A little goes a long way! We want a refreshing hint, not a mouthful of toothpaste. Trust me on the measurement.
• 2⅔ cups all-purpose flour – The backbone of our bread. For a slightly lighter texture, you can swap 1 cup for cake flour.
• 1⅓ cups cocoa powder – Use natural, unsweetened cocoa powder for that classic, robust chocolate flavor. This is where the deep color comes from!
• 4 tsp baking powder + 2 tsp baking soda – Our leavening dream team. They work together to give this dense batter a beautiful rise. Check the dates on your containers—old ones won’t work as well!
• 2 tsp espresso powder – My secret weapon! It doesn’t make it taste like coffee; it just intensifies the chocolate flavor exponentially. You won’t taste it, I promise, but you’ll miss it if it’s gone.
• 1½ cups milk – Whole milk is best for richness, but any milk you have works. For a dairy-free version, oat milk is a fantastic substitute.
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips – Because more chocolate is always the answer. I prefer dark to balance the sweetness, but semi-sweet or milk chocolate work too!
• ½ tsp salt – Crucial for balancing all the sweetness and making the flavors pop. Don’t skip it!
• Optional: ½ cup sour cream OR ½ cup mini marshmallows – Sour cream guarantees an unbelievably moist, tender crumb. The marshmallows melt into little pockets of gooey sweetness. You can’t go wrong with either (or both!).

For the Frosting & Topping:

• 4 cups powdered sugar – The base of our simple, sweet glaze.
• 8 tbsp milk – This thins the sugar to a perfect drizzling consistency.
• ½ tsp peppermint extract – Echoing that festive flavor right on top.
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt (or sour cream) – This is my hack for a creamier, less cloyingly sweet glaze with a slight tang. It’s a game-changer!
• 6 tbsp crushed candy canes – The festive crunch! Unwrap them and place them in a zip-top bag, then whack them with a rolling pin. It’s a great way to relieve some holiday stress.

Baking the Magic: Let’s Get Mixing!

Okay, team! Let’s do this. Read through the steps once before you start—it makes everything flow like a peaceful holiday dream.

1. Preheat & Prep: Fire up your oven to 350°F (175°C). This is our sweet spot for a perfect, even bake without burning the edges. Take your two 8×4 inch loaf pans and line them with parchment paper strips, leaving an overhang on the two long sides. This is my favorite hack—it creates little “slings” that let you lift the baked bread out perfectly, no sticking, no fussing! Give the exposed ends a quick spray with baking spray for extra insurance.
2. Cream the Good Stuff: In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together on medium-high speed for a good 2-3 minutes. We’re not just mixing; we’re creaming. This incorporates air and is the first step to a light texture. It should be pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is getting friendly.
3. Egg-cellent Addition: Crack your room-temperature eggs into a separate bowl (to avoid any shell surprises!). With the mixer on low, add them one at a time, letting each one fully incorporate before adding the next. This prevents the batter from curdling. Mix in the ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract. Your kitchen should already be smelling amazing.
4. Whisk the Dry Crew: In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt. Whisking is key here—it sifts the ingredients and ensures the leaveners and salt are evenly distributed, so you don’t get a bitter bite of baking soda in one slice.
5. The Alternating Game: Now, with your mixer on low, we’re going to add the dry ingredients and the milk in three parts. Start with ⅓ of the dry mix. Let it just combine. Then add ½ of the milk. Repeat, ending with the final third of the dry ingredients. Stop mixing the second the last bit of flour disappears. Do not overmix! Overmixing develops gluten and leads to a tough, dense bread. A few streaks are okay; we’ll finish by hand.
6. The Fun Fold-In: Take the bowl off the mixer. Grab your spatula. Add the dark chocolate chips and your optional add-in (sour cream or marshmallows). Now, gently fold them into the batter until everything is just combined. This is where you keep that tender texture intact.
7. Pan & Bake: Divide that gorgeous, thick batter evenly between your two prepared pans. Smooth the tops with the back of a spoon. Slide them into your preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Ovens vary, so start checking at 45 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it (not wet batter). Remember, the chocolate chips will be melty, so don’t be fooled by that!
8. The All-Important Cool Down: This is the hardest part: patience. Let the loaves cool in their pans on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. Then, using your parchment paper slings, lift them out and let them cool completely on the rack. Do not frost a warm loaf! The glaze will melt into a sad, runny puddle. Let’s avoid the puddle.
9. Make the Glaze & Decorate: Once the loaves are completely cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, remaining ½ tsp peppermint extract, and Greek yogurt until it’s smooth and drippy. Drizzle it artistically (or enthusiastically!) over the top of each loaf. Immediately shower them with the crushed candy canes so they stick to the wet glaze. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes before slicing.

How to Serve This Holiday Hero

This bread is a star all on its own! I love serving it thickly sliced on a beautiful wooden board for a holiday brunch or as the grand finale to a cozy dinner party. It pairs perfectly with a hot cup of coffee, a mug of rich hot chocolate, or a glass of cold milk. For an extra-special touch, warm a slice gently in the microwave for 10 seconds—it makes the chocolate chips gooey and the whole experience feel like a warm hug.

Ride Your Own Flavor Wave: Creative Twists!

Feel like mixing it up? Here are some of my favorite ways to customize this recipe:

• Peppermint Mocha: Add 1 tablespoon of instant coffee granules dissolved in the 1½ cups of milk for a full-on coffee shop experience.
• Orange Twist: Replace the peppermint extract in the bread with 1 teaspoon of orange extract. Top with an orange zest-spiked glaze and candied orange peel instead of candy canes.
• Mint Chocolate Chip: Fold in ½ cup of chopped Andes mints along with the chocolate chips. So good!
• Gluten-Free: Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. The results are fantastic.
• Dairy-Free: Use vegan butter, your favorite plant-based milk, and dairy-free chocolate chips. For the glaze, use more plant-based milk instead of the Greek yogurt.

Isla’s Chef Notes & Kitchen Confessions

This recipe has evolved so much over the years! The first time I made it, I was so excited I dumped all the ingredients in the bowl at once. Let’s just say it baked into two very fragrant, very dense doorstops. Not my finest moment. The sour cream addition came from a happy accident—I was out of milk and had to improvise, and it created the most incredibly moist texture I’d ever achieved. Now I swear by it.

My biggest tip? Embrace the mess. There will be cocoa powder on your forehead and probably a little glaze on the counter. That’s how you know you’re doing it right. Cooking is supposed to be fun, remember? So put on those holiday tunes, sing along, and don’t stress about perfection. The love you bake into it is the most important ingredient of all.

Your Questions, Answered!

Q: My bread sunk in the middle! What happened?
A: Oh no! This usually means it was slightly underbaked, or there was a bit too much leavener. Make sure your baking powder and soda are fresh, and use that toothpick test. If it comes out clean, it’s done! Don’t worry, it will still taste incredible—just cover the dip with extra glaze.

Q: Can I freeze this bread?
A: Absolutely! Wrap the completely cooled, unfrosted loaves tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. They’ll freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature and whip up the fresh glaze before serving.

Q: My glaze is too thin/too thick. Help!
A: No problem! Glazes are super easy to fix. Too thin? Add more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Too thick? Add more milk, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your desired drizzling consistency.

Q: Can I make this into muffins?
A: Yes! This batter makes fantastic muffins. Line a muffin tin with papers and fill them ⅔ full. Bake at 375°F for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. This should make about 24-28 standard muffins.

Nutritional Information*

*This is an estimate per slice, assuming the recipe yields 32 slices and includes the glaze and topping.

• Calories: ~310
• Fat: 14g
• Carbohydrates: 42g
• Sugar: 28g
• Protein: 4g

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Bake Time: 50 minutes | Yield: 2 loaves (32 slices)

This Double Chocolate Peppermint Bread is a festive holiday must-have—rich, moist, and bursting with chocolatey goodness and cool peppermint flavor. Perfectly glazed and sprinkled with candy canes, it’s ideal for gifting, sharing at parties, or enjoying by the fire with a cozy cup of cocoa.