I used to have a bit of an obsession with the Normandie Cafe in Holladay, Utah. I love their french onion soup, crusty french bread, and best of all their Mint Brownies.
But then I learned how to make the best Mint Brownies… and oh la la. There goes my waist line! I only make them for special occasions, because they are one treat I can’t keep away from.
These brownies are so lovely and professional looking. They make the perfect gift or party treat when you want to WOW the crowd. I made them today for the Bake Sale at our elementary school carnival. I thought you might enjoy the recipe, but watch out, they may make you famous… at least with your friends.
Here’s how I make them: (I am making 1 1/2 times the recipe in the pictures.)
1. Melt butter in the microwave. In a large bowl add melted butter and cocoa. Whisk together until smooth. (This is important as cocoa can be lumpy)
2. Add whisked eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt to the cocoa mixture. Whisk until smooth.
3. Measure flour and sift into brownie mixture. Stir in by hand. Do not over mix.
4. Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. (Or Baker’s Half Sheet/large cookie sheet if making 1 1/2 times recipe.) Pour mixture into pan and smooth out.
5. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 25-28 minutes… depending on how you like your brownies.
6. Cool for a few minutes then place brownies into freezer for 20 minutes.
7. Make mint layer. Mix together all the ingredients using a mixer.
8. Frost smoothly and place in the freezer for 20 more minutes.
9. While brownies are in the freezer make the chocolate ganache. Place chocolate chips and butter in the microwave for 1 minute. The chips may not look melted, but whisk together well and usually they are. Don’t overcook in the microwave!
10. Pour melted chocolate ganache over the brownies and working quickly spread it evenly over the brownies. Don’t skimp on the freezer time. If the brownies are too warm, the ganache just melts the mint layer and you have a mess. If the brownies have been in the freezer for too long… the ganache sets up really quickly and it’s hard to get it smooth.
11. Place brownies in the freezer for another 20 minutes until ganache is set up. Cut up into bars.
As you can see, I usually make one and a half times the recipe and cook it in a baker’s half sheet (large cookie sheet.) It seems like I’m always making brownies for a crowd! The cookie sheet makes 4 dozen brownies. I always cut around the edge of the pan to keep all the brownies perfect and even. My kids wait for those edges like baby birds…. so they never go to waste!
One trick for cutting the brownies evenly is to cut down the middle first. Then I make marks on the edge before cutting across the pan. For the cookie sheet, I always cut six rows on the width and 8 rows on the length.
Here’s the recipe:
Chocolate Mint Brownies – (Recipe for 1 1/2 times is in parenthesis)
Whisk together:
1 c. melted butter (1 ½ c.)
½ c. cocoa powder (3/4 c.)
And then add:
2 c. sugar (3 c.)
4 eggs beaten (6)
1 tsp. vanilla (1 ½ tsp.)
½ tsp. salt (3/4 tsp.)
Mix well and then add:
1 ½ c. sifted flour (2 ¼ c.)
Stir in by hand. Do not over mix.
Pour into 9×13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. If making 1 1/2 recipe pour into Baker’s Half Sheet (large cookie sheet.) Bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes. Cool for a few minutes and then place in freezer for 20 minutes.
While brownies are in the freezer make first layer of topping.
Mint frosting:
½ c. butter softened (3/4 c.)
2 Tbsp. milk (3 Tbsp.)
2 c. powdered sugar (3 c.)
1 tsp. peppermint extract ( 1 ½ tsp.)
green food coloring
Mix thoroughly. Evenly frost brownies and put back in freezer for 20 minutes. Make chocolate ganache top layer.
Chocolate Ganache Topping:
½ c. butter (3/4 c.)
1 ½ c. good semi sweet chocolate chips (2 ¼ c.)
Melt and whisk together. (I melt them together in a Pyrex measuring bowl in the microwave for one minute. Be careful not to overheat. It won’t look melted but once whisked it is.) Drizzle warm chocolate over brownies and spread smooth with a spatula. Put back in freezer for another 20 minutes.
Click over to Tasty Kitchen for the printable recipe.
These Brownies are sinfully good!
Oh my, I could probably eat that whole pan in about 20 miuntes – I love mint brownies!! Thanks for all the great tips and the recipe. I really enjoy reading your blog!!
This look so good :), thanks for the full receipe.
[…] Famous Mint Brownies […]
I made these brownies. Usually my efforts don’t turn out quite like the original. In this case my brownies turned out looking just like yours! And, they tasted delicious. The only change I made was I used cream for the chocolate ganache. thanks!
Bosch Kitchen tools are great help for the kitchen..they are perfect for baking and cooking, thanks for sharing some of the good information and ideas about bosch products.
So far these brownies are AMAZING! I am so excited to see how the finished product turned out I can hardly stand it! I’ve been patient, so my mint and my chocolate didn’t mix, I was a little worried that they would and these brownies would turn out to be an ugly mess, and a waste of effort….but, they look beautiful so hopefully they taste just as delicious as they look. :) Thanks for the illustrated instructions…they help a lot. Thank you for this recipe!
I used creme de menthe flavoring instead of peppermint extract. I think it turned out nicely.
Also, I used milk chocolate chips + a little cocoa powder instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips
I’m no chef, and my baking history is limited to those cookies in a tube you just slice and place on the sheet. Yet I decided to go “wild” and venture into more labor-intensive baking for a holiday sweets bake-off we had at the office. These directions were thorough and easy-to-follow, and the brownies turned out exactly as they were supposed to. Perfect! Though I didn’t win the competition, the brownies were received very well by all. Thank you for the recipe; I plan to make these in the future–but hide the little fact that they require 4 sticks of butter…
Thank you for the very clear directions. I like the idea of using the freezer to chill more quickly.
Iv tried a few different versions of mint brownies, all of which I found online. This version seemed to be heavy on the butter in all categories. The brownies were very fudge-ish, even after giving them longer then recommended in the oven. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but does make extraction from even a well greased pan very difficult. The mint cream was also butter heavy which may be the desired flavor for this particular case, but over powered the mint in my unprofessional opinion. Nit picks aside this in an excellent tasting dish, my only recommendation would be to make it one time before the “presentation” in order to make your own personal adjustments.
[…] been busy making a plate of Mint Brownies for our principal, bus driver, art teacher, and music […]
[…] been busy making a plate of Mint Brownies for our principal, bus driver, art teacher, and music […]
Made these last night and was highly disappointed. The final product was a very dense and buttery brownie that left you wanting more chocolate and mint. I honestly regret buying all of the ingredients and spending over 30 dollars just to be let down. Oh well.. maybe someone will eat them.
oh my gosh! i lost the recipe for these and i’ve been searching and searching for this one again! these are honestly the best mint brownies i have ever tasted!
[…] made mini cupcakes, chocolate mint brownies and a raspberry lemonade drink. We also served my girl’s all time favorite treats, Cream […]
I’ve been on a mint kick and needed to make something for a party. I was skeptical of the freezing steps. While I would add more peppermint extract next time (for my taste), I LOVED these and will make them again. Yum. Thanks for posting.
These brownies are the only brownies I have ever ate and wanted to eat the whole pan by myself! They truly are amazing! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe.
[…] on a countdown…. 2 (or maybe 3) more days and about 300-400 dozen cookies/chocolate mint brownies/breads left to make…. I’m starting to feel like that guy on the Dunkin Donuts […]
I made these with gluten free flour and they turned out great. I left the mint frosting white so we could tell them apart from the regular ones. It took overnight in the freezer to set up my ganache and I had to keep them refrigerated after that. I was thinking of using less or no butter next time so that the ganache layer wouldn’t melt at room temperature (its 100 degrees right now). How important do you think the butter is to the ganache?
[…] (This recipe is adapted from Make it Do.) […]