The Best Mint Chocolate Brownies

These chocolate brownies are topped with mint buttercream frosting, and a final layer of chocolate ganache gives them a wonderful finish.

I’m a definite brownie fan; to me, there is nothing better than a fudgy brownie that is a little bit gooey inside with a crispy outer shell. You can have a classic brownie, or there are so many different variations you can play around with. I’ve never found a brownie I didn’t like, and this mint chocolate brownie will not disappoint either.

Why I love this Recipe

If you love thin mint, andes mints, or my favorite, junior mints, you will fall in love with these brownies, and here are a few reasons why.

• If you love thin mint, andes mints, or my favorite, junior mints, you will fall in love with these brownies, and here are a few reasons why.
• This brownie starts with a thick, fudgy, and chewy brownie like all brownies should be.
• The next layer is the mint, which will give you the cooling, creamy flavor you need.
• Finally, but not least, there’s the chocolate ganache, which gets poured over the top and leaves the top of your brownie beautifully shiny. It just makes you want to dig right in.
• These brownies are a show-stopper on a plate. With all the beautiful layers and the pop of mint green in the center, everyone will want to grab them.

About this recipe

• One Bowl Recipe The brownies are simple and fudgy, and you only need a large or medium bowl to make them. They can be made in a stand mixer or mixing bowl with a hand mixer or spatula.
• Great Flavor This recipe is for chocolate and mint lovers because they both come through in just the right amount.
• Can be frozen These brownies keep very well for a few days at room temperature, but are also great if you want to freeze them for a month. They can then be eaten directly from the freezer whenever you have a sweet tooth craving or a chocolate and mint craving.
• Holidays These brownies are great anytime, but even better when you can present them on a holiday like Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, or Valentine’s Day. The colors work for all of them.

Ingredients

Brownie layer

• Butter adds flavor which of course is a good thing
• Sugar balances the bitterness of the unsweetened cocoa and adds to the texture of the brownie.
• Cocoa Powder This adds the chocolate element you want in a brownie. I like to use Dutch cocoa, but you can use raw cacao or natural cocoa powder. I like the flavor of Dutch cocoa.
• Eggs add richness and provide structure to the brownies.
• Oil They tend to bake up taller with a better crumb. They also stay moist and tender for far longer.
• Salt & Vanilla also helps to round out the flavor of the brownies. Salt in baking might seem odd and, to be honest, for the longest time I always omitted it from a recipe. It really complements sweet recipes really well. Using pure vanilla is best in this recipe, but any vanilla you have will work well too.
• All-Purpose Flour You don’t need to use a lot of flour so you can use all-purpose o cake flour whichever you prefer You want to just combine the ingredients together so that you can have that great fudgy texture and not a cake-like brownie.

Mint Layer

• Butter The base of this buttercream is, of course, butter.
• Powdered Sugar adds sweetness and thickness to the frosting.
• Peppermint Extract I personally like the flavor of peppermint extract, but you can definitely use mint extract. Try to get a good-quality extract for the best results.
• Green Gel Food coloring to get that nice green color I find using gel food coloring works best, but the liquid works well if you’re not wanting to achieve a dark green color; if you are, I suggest gel food coloring.
• Milk The milk is just used here to get a nice consistency on your buttercream, so you can use any type of milk.

Ganache Layer

• Chocolate Chips semi-sweet or milk chocolate will work here
• Heavy cream or Whipping Cream is the liquid for your ganache. I have tried half and half but it’s not as thick as full-fat cream.

How to make Mint Chocolate

Brownies

• Combine hot melted butter, oil, and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well for about a minute. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until lighter in color (another minute).
• Sift in flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until JUST combined.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top out evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes

Mint Buttercream

• Beat together all the ingredients until the buttercream becomes nice and fluffy and smooth.
• Chill brownies while you make the ganache

Ganache

• Warm heavy cream in a saucepan or in a glass bowl in the microwave. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips. Continue stirring until the chocolate is melted and looks nice and smooth.
• Pour ganache over the mint layer of the brownies and return the pan to the fridge.

Tips and Suggestions

• Line your baking dish won parchment paper before adding your brownie back. I find this way easier to remove and easier to clean up.
• Ganache Make sure to not allow your cream to come to a boil; it will change the consistency.
• Cookies add a few chopped mint cookies on top of the batter before you put it in the oven.

The Best Chocolate Mint Brownie

These double chocolate mint brownies are topped with mint buttercream frosting, and a final layer of chocolate ganache gives them a wonderful finish.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Chill time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course brownies, Cake

Cuisine American, irish

Servings 24 pieces

Calories 447 kcal

Ingredients

  

Brownie Batter

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 1-1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp pure vanilla
• ½ cup all-purpose flour or cake flour
• ½ cup cocoa
• ¼ tsp salt

Mint buttercream

• ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp peppermint extract or mint
• 1 drop green gel food coloring or liquid food coloring until desired colored
• 2 tbsp milk

Ganache

• ½ cup heavy cream or whipping cream
• ½ to 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

 

Brownies

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
• Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking oil spray. Line with parchment paper.
• Combine hot melted butter, oil, and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well for about a minute. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until lighter in color (another minute).
• Sift in flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until JUST combined.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top out evenly.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the center of the brownies in the pan no longer jiggles and is just set to the touch (the brownies will keep baking in the hot pan out of the oven).

Mint Butter Cream

• beat softened butter with powdered sugar, peppermint extract, food coloring, and milk. Beat for about 3-4 minutes, until fully combined and fluffy.
• Spread over cooled brownies

Ganache

• heat cream in a small saucepan until warm or in a microwave for 30 seconds at a time making sure to not simmer or boil the milk.
• Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate chips until smooth.
• Pour immediately over the green layer on the brownies and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Return to refrigerator for one hour.
• Slice and enjoy.

Notes

To cut: Use a sharp knife to cut brownies into squares. For cleaner cuts, wipe the knife off with a paper towel each time you make a cut.

 

Cookie topping: Add a few pieces of chopped mint cookies on top of the brownie batter right before baking.

 

Food coloring: The green food coloring is optional – feel free to omit it if desired.

 

Storage: Cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container for up to 5 days (if they last that long)

 

Freeze: Cut into squares, and wrap each square in foil or plastic wrap. Place in an airtight container and store in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.

Keyword brownies, chocolate, Peppermint