These rich Mint Chocolate Brownies, have a decadent fudge brownie base, layered with a creamy, creme de menthe mint buttercream center and topped with a thick chocolate ganache. WOW!
These rich layered brownies go by many names; Grasshopper brownies, Creme de Menthe Brownies or decadent Mint Fudge Brownies, no matter what you call them, you should make them!
If you are a mint brownies recipes lover, you might enjoy these other reader favorites; Andes Mint Brownie Bites, White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake or this show stopping Peppermint Ice Cream Cake.
Who loves Christmastime baking? I do!! And today is a favorite of mine…it’s Freaky Friday an Annual Virtual Cookie Exchange. Created Michaela of An Affair from the Heart; check out her amazing blog!
Freaky Friday Mint Fudge Brownies
Freaky Friday is a quarterly seasonal blog hop that a bunch of my blogging friends participate in, this one focusing on holiday sweets!
We are secretly assigned to another blog to bake from, then today, all at the same time, we reveal our recipe and blogger. It’s a great way for you to meet some fabulous food bloggers you may not have otherwise ever met!
I hope you take some time at the end of this post to browse through all of the fantastic recipes!
I was thrilled to be assigned one of my favorite bloggers, Sheila of Life, Love and Good Food; an amazing wife, mom and business woman, and talented cook and baker! Sheila has authored several Chicken Cookbooks and has so many delectable cookie recipes!
It was so hard to choose which recipe to make, I still plan on making these Caramel Pecan Thumbprints, and these Buckeye Brownies (be still my peanut butter and chocolate loving heart), and these new Gingerbread Gems — I sure hope you take some time to visit her site, she is one of the kindest women I know! A dear friend and mentor to me!
Sheila really shines in her creative cooking, I made this Cheeseburger Pizza last night, the family went ga-ga over it and SO easy!
Check out her Steakhouse Pan-Seared Steak or her amazing Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas — drooling!
MERRIDEE’S MINT FUDGE BROWNIES RECIPE
I decided on these Mint Fudge Brownies because every time I see these layered mint brownies at a potluck or cookie exchange I make a beeline for them, but have never actually made them. What?!?
Sheila’s original recipe is from Merridee’s Breadbasket (which I now have a hankering to visit their delightful Franklin, Tennessee bakery and cafe).
Ingredients for CREME DE MENTHE Brownies
FUDGE BROWNIES
- SUGAR | I always use all natural cane sugar in my baking, regular white sugar may be substituted
- BUTTER | the real deal! Rememeber, if it’s soft coming out of the fridge, it’s a blend not real butter.
- EGGS | I use large eggs in all of my baking
- FLOUR | I use unbleached all-purpose flour
- Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup | I used Simply 5 Natural Hershey’s Syrup
MINT BUTTERCREAM FILLING
- POWDERED SUGAR | also known as confectioners sugar
- Creme de Menthe liqueur | You may substitute with mint syrup if you don’t want the alcohol.
- BUTTER | the real stuff 🙂
CHOCOLATE GANACHE TOPPING
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Butter | still real butter (yes, yes, I know, there is a lot of butter, but you don’t eat a layered brownie like this everyday!)
How to make Mint Fudge Brownies?
These are the simplest brownies ever, just a few ingredients and you are all set for super fudgy, a teensy bit cake-y, but oh so chocolatey brownies.
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Start by preheating your oven to 350F degrees (375F for high altitude) and line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper or spray well.
- Cream the softened butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium high speed, add another minute if using all natural cane sugar.
- Add eggs, mixing on medium for 2 minutes.
- Slowly add in flour while mixer is on low, scraping down sides once.
- Pour in Hershey’s chocolate syrup and mix on medium-low speed until combined, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl until no lighter flour color is seen.
Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until the sides pull away slightly and the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool completely!
Making the Creme de Menthe buttercream filling
- Cream butter and add powdered sugar, creaming until smooth, 1-2 minutes on medium.
- Pour in Creme de Menthe* (see below for substitution)
- Creamy, fluffy, light green buttercream layer.
- Spread creme de menthe frosting on cooled brownie base, place in fridge until ready to top with ganache.
Can I Make the Buttercream without Creme de Menthe (Alcohol)
Yes, if you prefer not to use creme de menthe liqueur in these brownies, simply replace 4 tablespoons of Creme de Menthe with:
- 4 tablespoons Creme de Menthe syrup
OR - 1 ¼ teaspoons peppermint extract
- 1-2 drops of green food coloring or gel coloring (optional – but needed if you want the middle green)
- 3-4 tablespoons milk or cream (start slow and only add as much as needed for a light fluffy buttercream)
Chocolate Ganache Layer
- Place chocolate chips and butter (I slice into pieces) in microwave safe bowl.
- Microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring between each heating. The chips will melt even after you microwave it.
- Spread on top of mint layer, cool completely, then slice and serve.
If you overheat your ganache, it will seize up, “break” so to speak, see my post on how to fix broken, oily or grainy ganache.
How to Cut Grasshopper Brownies
Now, when it comes to slicing or cutting these bad boys, I honestly can never get the layers super clean and perfect, but does that change how they taste, not-a-chance!? A fudgy brownie is just plain hard to cut, but these are my tips:
- Refrigerate the brownies for 20-30 minutes prior to cutting
- Using a long sharp knife, heated with hot water and wiped clean with a paper towel, slice quickly.
- Dip the knife back in hot water and wipe off the knife between cuts
- This process worked best for me, however; with most traditional brownies, a plastic knife actually works the best, so give it a try!
High Altitude Mint Brownie Adjustments
- No ingredient adjustments necessary.
- Bake at 375 degrees instead of 350, watching at the 25 minute mark, you would be better off with them being underdone than overdone.
Why Is it called Creme de menthe?
Creme de menthe is French for mint cream, which is funny since it’s really more of a simple syrup liquor, no cream involved.
Back in the 60’s and 70’s my mom would scoop small bowls of lime sherbet and pour a little creme de menthe over the top for a quick and simple holiday dessert — even the kids would get one! Prepping them ahead of time, keeping in the freezer, until ready to serve! Pass me a spoon!
Take a look at all of our 2020 Freaky Friday Holiday Cookie Exchange Recipes:
- An Affair from the Heart – Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
- Bowl Me Over – Homemade Buckeyes Recipe
- Devour Dinner – Holiday Brownie Cookie
- Fresh Cooky – Mint Fudge Brownies
- Hostess at Heart – Homemade Butter Cookies
- House of Nash Eats – Candy Coated Crispix Mix
- Lemoine Family Kitchen – Nutella Thumbprint Cookies
- Life Currents – Easy One Hour Cinnamon Rolls
- Life, Love & Good Food – Peppermint Brownie Drop Cookies
- Or Whatever You Do – Easy Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
- Sugar Dish Me – Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
- Take Two Tapas – Chocolate Caramel Brownies
- The Speckled Palate – Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge
I hope you enjoyed this fun blog hop, Christmas cookie exchange style!
Please PIN to your Christmas Sweets board.
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Best Mint Fudge Brownies
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Ingredients
Fudge Brownies
- 1 cup sugar I used all natural cane sugar; regular white sugar may be substituted
- ½ cup butter
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ยฝ cups Hersheys Chocolate Syrup I used Simply 5 Natural Hersheys Syrup
Mint Buttercream
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons Creme de Menthe liqueur or syrup; see substitutions in notes
- ½ cup butter
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 6 oz butter 1 ยฝ sticks
Instructions
Brownies
- Start by preheating your oven to 350F degrees (375F for high altitude) and line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper or spray well. Cream the softened butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium high speed, add another minute if using all natural cane sugar.
- Add eggs, mixing on medium for 2 minutes Slowly add in flour while mixer is on low, scraping down sides once.
- Pour in Hershey's chocolate syrup and mix on medium-low speed until combined, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl until no lighter flour color is seen. Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until the sides pull away slightly and the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool completely!
- Mint Buttercream
- Cream butter and add powdered sugar, creaming until smooth, 1-2 minutes on medium. Pour in Creme de Menthe* (see below for substitutions), mixing until light and fluffy! Spread creme de menthe frosting on cooled brownie base, place in fridge until ready to top with ganache.
Chocolate Ganache
- Place chocolate chips and butter (I slice into pieces) in microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring between each heating. The chips will melt even after you microwave it. Spread on top of mint layer, cool completely, then slice and serve.
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Notes
- 4 tablespoons Creme de Menthe syrup OR
- 1 ¼ teaspoons peppermint extract
- 1-2 drops of green food coloring or gel coloring (optional – but needed if you want the middle green)
- 3-4 tablespoons milk or cream (start slow and only add as much as needed for a light fluffy buttercream)
Cutting Tips
A fudgy brownie is just plain hard to cut, but these are my tips:- Refrigerate the brownies for 20-30 minutes prior to cutting
- Using a long sharp knife, heated with hot water and wiped clean with a paper towel, slice quickly.
- Dip the knife back in hot water and wipe off the knife between cuts
- No ingredient adjustments necessary. Bake at 375 degrees instead of 350, watching at the 25 minute mark, you would be better off with them being underdone than overdone.
Candice
I am forever on the search for a brownie from scratch that is close to a box mix. I am intrigued by this recipe. I just plan to make the brownies and ganache. My question is that I like a really thick brownie. Could I use a 9×9 inch square pan to accomplish a thick brownie and adjust the baking time? Thank you.
Kathleen Pope
Hi Candice, I really believe you could do that, while I havenโt tried on this particular recipe, I have done that in previous recipes with success. Let me know how it turns out!
Amy Nash
These mint brownies were so rich and delicious! The balance of mint and chocolate is spot on perfect!
Kathleen
Thank you so much Amy! So appreciate you!
Erin
Sheila is SO great, and I am thrilled that you made these brownies because they are INCREDIBLE. I could go for a few to celebrate this holiday season! Also, loving the tips and tricks to help troubleshoot the baking and ganache process because I struggle with the ganache bit sometimes.
Kathleen
Thank you Erin, many expensive thrown away batches of ganache later, I finally dug in and figured out how to fix it! Thank you so much my friend!
Erin
These brownies are wonderfully fudgy AND the creme de menthe buttercream is out-of-this-world. So special and delicious for a holiday celebration.
Nicole Johnson
Such adorable brownies! These are fabulous!
Kathleen
Thank you so much Nicole!
Deb Clark
My goodness, these are the BEST! My grandma used to make this recipe years ago, I was so excited to run across it here.- 5 stars, excellent!!!
Jennifer Stewart
These are completely drool worthy! The brownie is fudgy goodness and the mint buttercream, oh my!
Kathleen
Oh my indeed! Thanks so much Jennifer!
Debi
These brownies are amazing! The minty frosting is the best and makes these so special. Thanks for the recipe!
Kathleen
You are very welcome Debi!! Merry Christmas!
Julie Menghini
I have to take a treat to work and this recipe came just at the right time. I loved that it was easy to make, delicious, and will feed everyone in the office!
Angela
Drooling over here. These brownies look amazing. I love the mint combo with chocolate- so perfect!
Kathleen
Awe, thank you Angela, it seems a common theme, we doesn’t love mint and chocolate!
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
The mint buttercream seems like the perfect way to lighten up a fudge-y brownie! And look at those clean layers. Sounds yummy!
Kathleen
Not super clean, but this is not about being perfect, it’s about how it tastes right! Thanks Tasia!
Michaela Kenkel
You have my whole heart with these brownies! Chocolate mint immediately makes my tummy growls, and that “Grasshopper” touch to them just screams holiday cookie exchange! You can bet I am making these!
Kathleen
Right, I totally agree Michaela!!! Thanks for hosting a fabulous virtual cookie exchange! Merry Christmas my friend!
Sheila @ Life, Love, and Good Food
Oh, wow! Thank you, my friend, for the kind words! Your Mint Fudge Brownies look absolutely luscious and now I’m thinking I need to make them again really soon! Like you, I’m always a sucker for anything chocolate and mint ๐
Kathleen
Haha, isn’t it like that! Someone makes something of ours and we forget how very yummy they are! They were absolutely perfect for our family, and those we shared with, they LOVED them!
I truly was so tickled to be assigned to your blog, I could not decide on what to make, so-so many great goodies to choose from! Your biscotti!! Drool!
Love you bunches,
Kathleen
Heather
I met Sheila forever ago at Food Blog Forum in Asheville, NC and she is THE NICEST. Her recipes are so great and I am loving these brownies! The Creme e Menthe filling is calling my name. Cheers to holiday baking!
Kathleen
Thank you Heather and I agree, Sheila is the NICEST! That Creme de Menthe filling should call all of our names! LOL! Cheers back at you! Merry Christmas!