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5 from 1 vote

Mint Brownies

Ultimate fudgy brownies with a layer of light mint frosting and topped with a rich chocolate ganache. This one is for you chocolate mint lovers!
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Author: Lori Vaughn

Ingredients

Brownies

  • 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter
  • 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate
  • 1 ½ cup (300g) sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) brown sugar light or dark is fine
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup (42g) unsweetened cocoa powder spoon and level if you don't use a scale
  • 1 cup (120g) all purpose flour spoon and level if you don't use a scale

Mint Frosting Layer

  • ¾ cup (141g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar
  • 1 ¼ tsp peppermint extract* or to taste
  • 1 small drop green gel food coloring*
  • 2-3 TB milk till desired consistency

Chocolate ganache layer

  • 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter

Instructions

Brownies

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare are 9x13 baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. I like to have 2 of the ends hanging out so it's easy to pull the brownies out.
  • In a microwave safe bowl, melt together the butter and chocolate. Melt in 20-30 second increments, stirring after each time. Set aside so it can begin to cool.
  • Using a hand or stand mixer, beat together the eggs and sugars until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Once your chocolate has cooled, add that to your egg & sugar mixture. Add the vanilla. Mix until combined.
  • Using a spatula, gently fold in the the dry ingredients until everything is combined. Be careful not to over mix.
  • Pour the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 30-32 minutes. Your brownies are done when the sides start to pull away from the pan, the center is not jiggly, and you have moist crumbs on your toothpick. Remember, brownies continue to bake in the pan after you pull them out. We don't want to over bake these!
  • Let the brownies cool. I like to put my pan on a wire rack to help this process. While the brownies cool, you can begin to make the mint frosting layer.

Mint Frosting

  • Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter on high for 2 minutes to get it light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, and 2 TB of the milk. Beat together until combined and fluffy. Then add peppermint extract and food coloring. Beat together till combined. Add up to 1 more TB of milk if needed.
  • Once the brownies have cooled, frost an even layer of the mint frosting on top of the brownies. Set inside the refrigerator so it can begin to set while you make the chocolate ganache. Letting it set will help the ganache spread easier and will provide cleaner layers.

Chocolate Ganache

  • In a microwave safe bowl, melt together the chocolate and butter. Melt in 20-30 second increments, stirring after each time until it's completely melted.
  • Pour the chocolate over your set mint layer. With a spoon or offset spatula, spread the chocolate out evenly. Place in the refrigerator for one hour to set the chocolate.
  • Once the chocolate has set, you can remove the brownies from the pan (optional - you can also keep in the pan) and cut into squares. I like having a paper towel handy to wipe my knife off after each cut so that I continue to get clean cuts as I go.
  • Store airtight in the refrigerator or wrap well and freeze! These bites of goodness will last well for 3-5 days in the fridge and a few months in the freezer, so they're easy to make ahead!

Notes

EXTRACT: I like using peppermint extract over mint extract as it tastes more like a true "mint" flavor rather than coming close to a "toothpaste" like flavor. 
FOOD COLORING: I like using Americolor food gel. They are a high quality food gel that will last you forever. All you need is a teeny drop. Sometimes I even transfer the color using a toothpick to ensure I get a light amount. You can use liquid food coloring, but you'll need more that one drop, and will probably use less milk since it's more liquid-like consistency than the food gel. I've linked my favorite food gel above this recipe. As an amazon affiliate, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you when you use that link to purchase. 
BUTTER: Yes, you can use salted butter if it's all you have! I've used it in the frosting and brownie base before and was still happy with the results. As bakers, we like to keep it unsalted so that we can keep the salt ratios as consistent as possible.