Mint Brownies

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Nothing better than Mint Brownies! A homemade dessert that everyone loves. They are based on my homemade brownie recipe, but with a delicious two-layer topping that will blow your ever-loving minds. Chocolate brownies, minty fresh filling, and chocolate top!

Mint Brownies | How I Love Thee

Everybody’s favorite dessert is finally gracing the pages of my blog. Mint Brownies (or peppermint brownies, depending on who you talk to) are probably some of the most beloved potluck/dessert/buffet/party treats. They always are the first to go and everyone loves them! They take a hot second to make because every layer is homemade, but if you have a little time to make something decadent and special, these are oh so worth it! Just be sure to cut them small!

Whether you’re making these for the holidays or just because you love ’em, this recipe will bring you everything you love about a mint brownie and more!

The middle green layer is the minty, creamy layer that is essentially a thick mint frosting. On top of that is the chocolate topper that is simply melted chocolate chips and vegetable shortening spread over the top.

Main Ingredients Needed

Don’t be too intimidated by this long ingredients list! I’ve broken it up into three sections that correspond to the three layers on these mint brownies. Let’s take it section by section. Here’s what you need:

For the Brownies

• Salted Butter + Canola Oil – butter for flavor and oil for extra moisture.
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate – I used a bar and chopped it up. You can also use chocolate chips!
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – I used unsweetened cocoa powder. I prefer Hershey’s but any is fine.
• Granulated Sugar – to sweeten.
• Eggs – for structure and texture.
• Vanilla Extract – for flavor.
• Baking Powder – this is our leavening agent.
• Salt – to balance out all of the flavors.
• All-Purpose Flour – this fills out the rest of our brownie.

For the Mint Filling

• Salted Butter – softened! I like to use salted butter because the salt helps balance out flavors.
• Powdered Sugar – to sweeten.
• Milk – to loosen up this frosting-like filling.
• Peppermint Extract – this is where our minty flavoring comes from! I like to use peppermint flavoring instead of mint (tastes a little too much like toothpaste).
• Green Food Coloring – this is an optional step but the brownies look better with some green.

For the Chocolate Topping

• Chocolate Chips – more chocolate!
• Vegetable Shortening – this is to help the chocolate top not crack when you cut into it. You can use butter, but I find the shortening to give a much better finished product.

Love mint? Try these other recipes: Chocolate Mint Brownie Bites, Layered Peppermint Bars, and Chocolate Mint Cookies.

Tips and Tricks

To make the best Mint Brownies possible, I’ve put together a couple of tips and tricks for you!

• Parchment Paper. Line your pan with parchment paper with some sticking up on the sides. This is so you can pull out the mint brownies (without messing them up) to cut them. This is the parchment paper I use and I love it.
• Don’t Overmix. When making the brownie batter, please be careful to not overmix. This creates more gluten making them fluffy and not dense and rich.
• Refrigerate. Be patient (I know it’s hard) when refrigerating each layer. The refrigeration is to make sure each section doesn’t melt into each other when layering.
• Shortening. The last layer is melted chocolate chips and shortening (just a little bit) to make sure the chocolate doesn’t crack when you cut them into bars. I’ve tried it with butter and it doesn’t work nearly as well as the shortening. Just make sure you cut these into bars after the 30-minute window of refrigeration to prevent as much cracking as possible.

How to Make Mint Chocolate Brownies

I start this recipe off in a pot on the stove and then finish the brownies off the heat. After they are baked and cooled, I top with the last two layers, with some refrigeration time in between. Full recipe details are in the recipe card below!

Brownie Layer

Preheat oven. Spray a 9 x 13 pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray, line with parchment paper, and spray again with more nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large pot over medium-low heat, melt butter, oil, chocolate, and cocoa together until fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

Pour in sugar and vanilla extract. Add in eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously before the next addition. After all four eggs have been mixed in, the batter should be thick and smooth without that granular look to it. Add in the remaining dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Do not over-mix.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth the top and bake until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Cool to room temperature.

Mint Layer

Measure all ingredients into a large bowl and using an electric hand mixer, stir until thick and smooth. Add milk as needed to get a thick mixture. Spread over cooled brownies as evenly as possible and refrigerate.

Chocolate Layer

Place chocolate chips and shortening into a small bowl and microwave until melted, stirring every 20 seconds. Pour over the mint layer and spread until smooth. Refrigerate.

Remove bars from the glass pan using the edges of the parchment to pull out completely. Using a very sharp knife, cut off the crispy edges and cut into 50-60 small squares. Serve.

How to Store

These Mint Brownies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, though I doubt they will last that long!

More Brownie Recipes to Try!

• 3-Minute Brownie in a Mug
• Zucchini Brownies
• Brownie Bites
• Oreo Brownies
• Pumpkin Brownies
• Cheesecake Brownies
• Hot Fudge Brownie

That’s basically it! A straight forward mint brownies recipe that doesn’t take a rocket scientist, but just a little patience!

Printable recipe card below. Have a great day, friends! xo

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5 from 2 votes

Mint Brownies

Nothing better than Mint Brownies! A homemade dessert that everyone loves. Chocolate brownies, minty fresh filling and chocolate top!

servings 50 bars

Prep Time 1 hr 15 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Total Time 1 hr 50 mins

Ingredients

For the brownies:

• ▢ 3/4 cup salted butter
• ▢ 1/4 cup canola oil
• ▢ 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped (or 1 cup chocolate chips)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ▢ 2 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 4 large eggs
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

For the mint filling:

• ▢ 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
• ▢ 3 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons milk
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• ▢ green food coloring

For the chocolate topping:

• ▢ 1 1/3 cups chocolate chips
• ▢ 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray, line with parchment paper, and spray again with more nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large pot over medium-low heat, melt butter, oil, chocolate, and cocoa together until fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
• Pour in sugar and vanilla extract. Add in eggs, 1 at a time, stirring vigorously before the next addition. After all four eggs have been mixed in, the batter should be thick and smooth without that granular look to it. Add in the remaining dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Do not over mix.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth the top and bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Cool to room temperature.
• For the mint filling: measure all ingredients into a large bowl and using an electric hand mixer, stir until thick and smooth. Add milk as needed to get a thick mixture. Spread over cooled brownies as evenly as possible and refrigerate.
• For the chocolate topping: Place chocolate chips and shortening into a small bowl and microwave until melted, stirring every 20 seconds. Pour over the mint layer and spread until smooth. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Remove bars from the glass pan using the edges of the parchment to pull out completely. Using a very sharp knife, cut off the crispy edges and cut into 50-60 small squares. Serve.
• It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, though I doubt they will last that long!

Nutrition

Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 176IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: mint brownie recipe, mint brownies, mint chocolate brownies