Ingredients

1 1/4 c. (247 g.) granulated sugar

1/3 c. (57 g.) chopped semisweet (60%) baking chocolate

1/4 c. water

1/2 c. neutral oil

1/3 c. (28 g.) unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 large egg whites

3/4 c. (90 g.) all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips

4 candy canes, crushed (about 1/3 c.), divided

1/3 c. (57 g.) chopped white chocolate

Preparation

Step 1Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 17"-by-11" rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.Step 2In a medium microwave-safe bowl, microwave granulated sugar, semisweet chocolate, and water in 20-second increments, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in oil, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Let cool slightly, then stir in egg whites. Fold in flour and baking powder just until combined.Step 3Evenly spread batter onto prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with chips and half of candy cane pieces. Step 4Bake, rotating pan every 10 minutes, until firm in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Using parchment, lift brownie off baking sheet and transfer to a cutting board. While still hot, slice into squares with a sharp knife. (Brownie brittle will become crisper as it cools.)Step 5In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave white chocolate in 10-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over cooled brownie brittle and sprinkle with remaining candy cane pieces.Step 6Make Ahead: Undecorated brownie brittle can be made 1 month ahead. Let cool, transfer to an airtight container, and freeze.

One of our favorite things about this brownie brittle is how easy it is to customize. We’ve added a white chocolate drizzle and crushed candy canes to this version to holiday it up, but you can exchange them for M&Ms, nuts, pretzels, fun sprinkles, or whatever you want. This brownie brittle is super-easy to make, but there are a few key things to keep in mind. Below are our top tips on how to make this festive Christmas treat. Looking for more chocolate goodness? Check out this brownie lasagna; it’s one of our favorites.

  1. Use parchment paper. Lining your baking sheet with parchment paper makes it easy to lift the entire sheet of brownie brittle off the pan. Without it, the brittle will definitely stick.
  2. Spread the batter as evenly as possible. Because of how thin this brittle is, it’s important to get it spread as evenly as possible so it will cook evenly and not burn around the edges before the middle is cooked. We love using a metal offset spatula for this, but a rubber spatula works as well.
  3. Cut the brittle while it’s warm. There are two ways to break up this brittle: Cut it into neat squares, or break it into irregular shards. Either works, but if you want your brittle cut into neat squares, you’ll need to slice it when it’s still warm. A sharp knife works well, or you could use a pizza wheel if you have one.
  4. Use real white chocolate. A lot of cheap “white chocolate” sold today is made of sugar and hydrogenated oils and doesn’t actually contain any cocoa butter. It may taste fine, but it might not melt as well for you. For best results, look for white chocolate that actually contains cocoa butter; we like Ghiradelli. Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!