Melting Mint Brownies – Fudgy brownies topped with fluffy mint frosting and peppermint patties! The frosting is tinted green with food coloring making them perfect for your St. Patty’s day celebration when all things green rule.
The brownies easily come together in one bowl with melted butter, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, eggs, flour and baking powder. They’re on the thinner side so they cook in a mere 20 minutes.
The frosting is made of butter, sour cream, confectioners’ sugar, peppermint extract and optional green food coloring. I use sour cream to combat the sweetness of the sugar so it’s not cloyingly sweet.
I only use peppermint in my frosting and find that it’s enough along with the mint in the peppermint patties. Peppermint is so one-note that I find it to be too much in both the brownies and frosting. If you like you can add 1/4 teaspoon or so to the brownies too.
Melting Mint Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies:
- ¾ cup butter melted
- 1 + ½ cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Frosting:
- 5 tablespoons softened butter
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk if needed
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 4 - 5 drops green food coloring
- 1 bag small peppermint patties optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl stir the melted butter, sugar, and salt together.
- Add the cocoa powder and beat on low speed with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add the eggs and beat on low speed until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in the flour and baking powder on low speed just until combined, don't overbeat.
- Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly from edge to edge. Bake 20 minutes. Cool.
Make the frosting:
- In a medium bowl beat the butter and sour cream together 2 - 3 minutes on medium speed until fluffy.
- Add the sugar and beat on low to start, once combined beat on medium speed 5 minutes, adding the milk if it seems dry or too thick.
- Beat in the peppermint extract and food coloring.
- Spread over the brownies and refrigerate 20 minutes for easier cutting.
- Cut into 20 squares with a chef's knife, wiping clean after each cut.
- Press a peppermint patty onto the top of each square.
- Store in a cool, dry place tightly covered 3 - 4 days.