These classic Mint Chocolate Brownies are a festive must-make for your holiday dessert trays! Layers of super fudgy brownies with a fluffy mint buttercream and a creamy chocolate ganache topping, they’re as delicious as they are show-stopping!
I am all about easy, impressive desserts any time of year, but especially during the holidays.
Since I am kind of abnormal (well, in many ways, but) in that I bake more than the average person, ESPECIALLY this time of year, I am always looking for super easy shortcuts, recipes that make big batches for plenty of gift-giving, and things that taste great, obviously! Holiday season is not the time for small portions, am I right?
Not only am I baking for my blog this time of year, but I also bake for my friends and family, do neighbor cookie boxes, and have an annual Christmas get-together where I make a dessert “charcuterie” board. That’s a lot going on in the span of a few weeks! And since I have the worst case of indecision, I can never decide on just one or two things to make. Variety is the spice of life and there’s no better variety than one on a Christmas cookie tray or gift box!
These Mint Chocolate Brownies combine the best of both worlds: being both festive and flavorful, but easy and makes a big batch. The beauty of this recipe is that you can cut the brownies into any size you prefer to fit your needs. I cut them rather large in the photos here, but a fraction of this size would still be irresistible!
These brownies are so flavorful! They start with my Best One-Bowl Fudge Brownie recipe, which I have doubled into a 9×13 metal baking pan for a larger batch. As I mentioned, the brownies are made in one bowl and result in the fudgiest, chewy brownies with 2 kinds of chocolate.
After they’ve baked and cooled, you’ll make your mint buttercream frosting layer! It’s the same as any self-respecting buttercream frosting, with butter, heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, mint extract, and some green food coloring to make it festive. You could also dye the frosting red for a more peppermint color, or leave it white. I just love the pop of green!
Lastly, you’ll make the ganache topping. It’s a cross between a chocolate shell and a ganache, because as the brownies set in the fridge it hardens a little bit but still remains chewy and softer so it is easy to cut, unlike a hard chocolate shell.
My tip for creating sharp, mostly clean edges to show off the layers is to dunk a very sharp knife in hot water, wipe it off, and make cuts one at a time, wiping the knife after each cut to ensure the layers don’t start to bleed together.
And if you really want to drive home the minty goodness, sprinkle some chopped Andes mints or crushed candy canes on top of the still-wet ganache!
Moist, chewy, ultra fudgy brownies with a decadent, creamy mint buttercream and rich chocolate ganache. These are heaven!
*frosting and ganache recipe by Taste of Home
- FOR THE BROWNIES:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bars, roughly chopped
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- FOR THE MINT BUTTERCREAM:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon mint extract
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- Green liquid food coloring
- FOR THE GANACHE:
- One package semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup butter, cubed
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 metal rectangular baking pan with foil, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil liberally with cooking spray and set aside.
- For the brownies: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chopped chocolate together over medium-low heat, stirring constantly for about 5 or so minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand about 10 minutes to cool slightly.
- Whisk in the granulated sugar until fully combined, followed by the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, and then the vanilla extract. Lastly, add in the salt, all-purpose flour and cocoa powder and whisk until a smooth and shiny batter comes together. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake the brownies for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the brownies comes out clean or with moist, not wet, crumbs. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, heavy cream, and extracts until fluffy and light, about 1 minute. Add in the confectioners' sugar and mix until frosting is fluffy. Add in a drop of liquid green food coloring, if using, and mix until uniform in color.
- Frost the cooled brownies evenly with the mint frosting, then cover the pan and refrigerate for at least an hour for the frosting layer to set and meld with the brownies. You can also leave the frosted brownies covered in the fridge up to 6 hours.
- For the ganache: In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and cubed butter over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour over the mint frosting layer evenly. Cover and immediately refrigerate for at least two hours, up to overnight, before cutting into squares.
- For clean cuts: wet a large, sharp knife with hot water. Wipe the water off and make quick cuts, one cut at a time, wiping the knife off between cuts for a neat, clean cut.
Don’t be intimidated by the ingredients and steps! These brownies are worth the wait!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
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