Mint Brownie Recipe

A mint brownie, where the rich indulgence of chocolate meets the freshness of mint. This recipe presents a tasty blend of a gooey chocolate brownie, topped with a minty frosting and a smooth chocolate ganache, creating a dessert that’s not just a treat for the taste buds but also a feast for the eyes.

How to Make a Gooey Brownie

The trick to getting a gooey brownie is to have a higher fat to flour ratio in your recipe. This recipe has 1 cup of butter and 4 eggs, compared to 1 1/2 cup flour, making the fat content higher than the gluten content.

The foundation of this dessert is a classic gooey brownie, made with a rich blend of unsalted butter and baking chocolate. The addition of granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and a hint of peppermint extract infuses the brownies with a depth of flavor and a subtle minty undertone. The all-purpose flour and fine sea salt give structure to the brownies, ensuring they are perfectly gooey and moist.

How to add mint to a Brownie

The peppermint frosting is a simple yet impactful layer. A combination of unsalted butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and peppermint extract whipped together creates a light and fluffy frosting. The green food coloring adds a festive touch, visually cueing the mint flavor that awaits.

Topping a Brownie with Chocolate Ganache

The final touch, a silky chocolate ganache, made from chocolate chips and butter, adds a glossy and rich finish to the brownies. This layer not only enhances the chocolate flavor but also adds a beautiful texture contrast to the soft frosting and chewy brownie base.

The Chemistry Behind the Flavors

3 Tips for Making the Perfect Mint Brownie

• Melting Chocolate: When melting chocolate with butter, do it gently to avoid burning the chocolate. That means cook it low and slow. Place in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, while vigorously stirring in between each heating. Stirring will help spread out hot pockets and continue melting the chocolate without adding additional heat. In my microwave it only takes 2 microwave visits to fully melt.
• Mixing the Brownie Batter: Mix until just combined to avoid overworking the flour, which can result in a tougher brownie texture.
• Frosting Consistency: Adjust the thickness of the frosting with more cream or powdered sugar to get the perfect spreadable consistency. Adding more cream will thin the frosting out while adding more sugar will thicken it.

Can you make these brownies with mint chocolate chips instead of Mint extract?

Yes, you can substitute mint chocolate chips in the brownie batter for a more subtle mint flavor.

How should a Mint brownie be stored? 

Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate to extend their shelf life.

Can the frosting or ganache be made in advance?

Both the frosting and ganache can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Bring them to room temperature before using for easier spreading.

How to change a recipe for different dietary needs? 

For a gluten-free version, substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend. I prefer Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour. For a dairy-free version, use dairy-free chocolate and a butter substitute in both the brownie and the frosting.

What is in a Mint Brownie

Unsalted butter

It is always important to use unsalted butter when baking. If you use salted butter, you have no way of knowing how much salt you are adding to your batter and it will result in an over salted treat.

Butter adds fats to your batter which helps with moistness, flavor & texture. Butter melts at body temperature, which creates a ‘melt in your mouth’ sensation.

When baking with butter the temperature is important. If the butter is too warm your brownies will melt down too fast and spread too much in the oven leaving you with a greasy, flat brownie. If butter is too cold it will have the opposite problem and not melt down enough, leaving your brownies too thick.

Since this recipe calls for melting the butter, just make sure it has time to cool down before adding into the sugar. That way you won’t melt the sugar granules before setting in the oven.

Baking chocolate

Baking chocolate provides a more concentrated chocolate flavor.

Granulated sugar

Adds sweetness, provides a caramelized flavor and crisp texture. Sugar assists with rising when creamed with butter & sugar. It helps add moisture to your cookie and helps it evenly spread as it melts into a liquid in the heat of the oven. Sugar also helps with naturally preserving your baked treat.

Eggs

Adds both protein (egg whites) and fat (egg yolks). The egg whites help with rising because when foamed, little air pockets get trapped inside the mixture. The water content in egg whites encourages steam while baking which helps with gluten formation, resulting in nice and thick brownies. Egg yolks have emulsifying properties that bring batters together and help your batter from collapsing.

Vanilla extract

When using pure vanilla extract, it will add the deep rich flavor everybody wants in a treat.

Peppermint extract

This adds the sweet zing of mint into your brownies

All-purpose flour

Flour builds structure as it absorbs liquids and expands. All-purpose flour falls in the middle of bread flour (high in gluten) and cake flour (low in gluten). It is exactly what it is named, all-purpose, the most universal flour that can be used in most baked goods. 

Fine sea salt

Enhances flavor, adds balance, masks any bitter flavors. Salt is the most powerful and oldest preservative. Always make sure to use fine sea salt so that it melts down at the right speed in the heat of the oven. If you use larger granule salt it will not melt down fully when baked and will leave salt crystals throughout your brownie, making it crunch like you dropped it into sand.

Powdered sugar

Powdered sugar is just finely ground granulated sugar. It dissolves easily, ensuring a smooth texture without grittiness. It also stabilizes & thickens the frosting, thanks to its small amount of cornstarch.

Heavy cream

Adds more fat into your frosting, creating a smooth, spreadable frosting.

Green food coloring

Adds a peppermint visual to your brownies so that people know what they are biting into

Semi- Sweet chocolate chips

Is a form of dark chocolate. Chocolate chips are not pure chocolate, they are typically made up of cocoa, sugar, emulsifier and vanilla.

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