Calling all chocolate and peppermint lovers! These rich chocolate brownies, topped with mint icing, bitter chocolate glaze, and chopped creme de menthe mints, are about as mint-chocolatey as you can get.
I've said this before, but feel compelled to say it again: Chocolate and mint are the perfect match. Seeing as I feel this way, it's no surprise that I'd be a fan of a brownie topped with mint frosting and chocolate mint candies. If you also have an affinity for chocolate and mint, you'll love these too.
You might be surprised that the chocolate glaze topping the mint frosting contains absolutely no sugar. This is not a typo. That thin layer of unsweetened chocolate is essential to keeping the sugar shock of these brownies slightly under control. Granted - the "line" between sweet and waaaaaaay too sweet is completely subjective to personal taste. Still, I feel that aiming to strike a balance that most people will agree on is worth striving for.
Because the mint icing on these bad boys is pretty far over on the sweet side of things, topping it with a thin layer of unsweetened chocolate before piling the whole thing with mint candies pulls these brownies back from the edge of complete sugar overload. At least, I think so. You'll have to try them yourself and be the judge.
Used in this Recipe:
- Andes Creme de Menthe Mints
- Pure vanilla extract
- Peppermint extract
- Le Cruset 9-inch Square Baking Dish
more christmas cookie recipes:
- Decorated Brown Butter Citrus Cookies with Chocolate Fondant
- Mini Ginger Snaps with Sorghum and Brown Sugar
- Chocolate Kiss Cookies
- Christmas Funfetti Cookies
- Marshmallow Brownie Crinkle Cookies
- Cranberry Orange Dark Chocolate Biscotti
- Malted White Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Halva Buttercream
- Spritz Wreath Cookies
- Cherry Almond Rugulach
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #ofbatteranddough on Instagram.
Chocolate Mint Brownies
These rich chocolate brownies, topped with mint icing, bitter chocolate glaze, and chopped creme de menthe mints, are about as mint-chocolatey as you can get.
Ingredients
For the Brownie Layer:
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- ½ cup (4 oz) unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon table salt (1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
For the mint icing layer:
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
- ¾ teaspoon table salt (1 teaspoon kosher salt)
- 1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ - 1 teaspoon peppermint extract (to taste)
For the chocolate glaze and candy topping:
- 1 ½ oz unsweetened chocolate
- 1 ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
- Andes Creme de Menthe Mints
Instructions
Bake the brownie layer:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9-inch square baking dish with foil so that there is a couple of inches of foil that overhangs the edge of the pan. This will allow you to lift up on the foil to remove the brownies from the pan. Spray the foil with non-stick baking spray.
- Melt the chocolate with the butter by putting them in a small bowl and heat it in the microwave for 1 ½ to 2 minutes at half power, stopping every 30 seconds to stir. Set aside.
- Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until they are foamy. Add the salt, vanilla and sugar and beat on medium-high speed for 60 seconds to mix. Add the melted chocolate and beat on low just to blend.
- Add the flour and stir just until incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the brownies are pulling away slightly from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out without any evidence of raw batter.
- Let the brownies cool completely in the pan.
Make the mint icing layer:
- Put all the icing ingredients into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread the icing in an even layer over the cooled brownies. Put the iced brownies in the refrigerator, uncovered, while you make the bitter chocolate glaze.
Make the chocolate glaze and decorate with mint candies:
- Put the chocolate and butter into a small bowl and heat in the microwave on 50% power for 1 to 1/1/2 minutes, stopping to stir every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.
- Remove the brownies from the refrigerator and drizzle the glaze over the surface. Working quickly, tilt the pan from side to side to encourage the glaze to cover the entire surface. It will be a very thin layer.
- Immediately sprinkle the chopped mint candies over the chocolate. Place the whole thing in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes, until the chocolate glaze is set.
- At this point, you can remove the brownies from the refrigerator, use the foil handles to lift the cake from the pan, and slice the brownies into small pieces. OR - wrap the cake tightly and place in the freezer for 24 hours (or up to 6 weeks). The brownies do not get too hard when frozen and freezing makes them even easier to slice. In fact, they are delicious eaten straight from the freezer.
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Paula A Meyers says
I made these (sort of) from left overs. I had mint butter cream frosting left over from a chocolate cake from your building blocks. I didn't have Andes Mints, but I had (last year's) thin mint girls scout cookies. I also don't have a 9 x 9 pan so I did a double batch in a 1/4 sheet pan and am so glad I did. A 9 x 9 pan would'nt have been nearly enough. They disappeared. Easy AND used up some extras.
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Paula! I LOVE that you used thin mint cookies in these instead of Andes mints. Now I'm dying to make a batch myself so I can try the same thing! Sounds so delicious. I love how you found a recipe that worked with what you had on hand and improvised to make it work. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me! I truly appreciate it! xo