Moist and fudgy dark chocolate brownies, topped with a fluffy cloud of mint mousse and studded with cookie crumbles (naughty) & candy canes (nice)!
I will be the first to admit how much I love fall and spice and everything pumpkin flavored…but I think it’s safe to declare pumpkin season over and usher in peppermint season!
Which I am equally in love with. I can trade my pumpkin spice in for peppermint mocha with only a twinge of sadness. After all, it will be back in 9 months!
Maybe 8, if Starbucks keeps pushing it. We may have PSL available by the end of July.
Anyhoo, in honor of December, all things cold, and the impending jingle bells, I’d like to introduce you to a tasty incarnation of one of my favorite flavor combinations of all time – these Naughty & Nice Mint Mousse Brownies!
JUST TAKE ME TO THE MINT MOUSSE BROWNIES ALREADY!
If you’d rather skip my (pretty darn helpful) tips and tricks, essential cooking info, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to this deliciously easy mousse brownie recipe, just scroll right on down to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card!
It all starts with the brownie, folks, and these brownies? To. Die. For.
They are mind-blowingly fudgy. I made them three days before I actually made the finished products, and had them sitting in the plastic-wrapped pan with a slice of bread to keep them moist.
I was hesitant to use them, afraid that they would have dried out and not had the look I was going for.
I was so wrong.
They turned out absolutely perfect, and the espresso powder married with the dark cocoa powder made them so intensely chocolatey! I can’t wait to make them again so I can try them solo.
Though it will be hard to imagine a better combination than these with the terrifically light and fluffy mint mousse that sits on top of them!
They’re seriously scrumptious. All things chocolate and chewy and wintry and wonderful.
Imagine, if you will, a cold winter day. You’re inside your cozy house, fire crackling on the hearth, all wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket, staring out the big picture window at the snow gently falling to the ground.
A loved one brings you a plate of these brownies. You smile graciously, and with one bite, you’re simultaneously inside as well as outside; cuddling up and making snow angels, warming your hands while throwing a snowball.
It’s a little bit of Christmas magic!
Or…you’re arguing over who gets the last one. To each his own!
LOOKING FOR MORE MINT DESSERT RECIPES?
- Homemade Peppermint Hot Chocolate
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies
- Peppermint Red Velvet Macarons
- Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookie Sticks
- Mint Oreo Cookies & Cream Oreo
HELPFUL KITCHEN TOOLS FOR MAKING MINT MOUSSE BROWNIES:
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Naughty & Nice Mint Mousse Brownies
Ingredients
Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Mint Mousse
- ½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 4 ounces white chocolate finely chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract
- 3-4 drops green food coloring
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Crushed candy cane pieces and crushed Oreo cookies for garnish
Instructions
Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, then line with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on opposite sides to act as handles. Spray parchment lightly with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, with an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer fitted with a whip), beat together eggs and sugar for 4 minutes. Add in oil and vanilla and mix until well blended.
- On low speed, gradually add in dry ingredients until combined.
- Pour batter evenly into baking pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and edges of brownie have slightly pulled away from the sides.
- Allow brownies to cool completely before continuing.
Mint Mousse
- In a small bowl, dissolve gelatin into cold water and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Place white chocolate in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Warm ⅓ cup of heavy cream in a small saucepan until steaming. Whisk in softened gelatin, peppermint extract, food coloring, and salt until dissolved.
- Pour warmed cream over white chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds; gently whisk until smooth.
- Place ⅔ cup heavy cream and sugar in a large cold bowl, and whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
- With a rubber spatula, fold half of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. When lightened, fold in the remaining cream until color is uniform.
- Working quickly, spread mousse on top of the cooled brownies, smoothing it into a thick, even layer.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, 2 hours - overnight.
- Top the finished brownies with crushed Oreo cookies and candy candy pieces if desired and serve!
Nutrition
PIN THIS MINT MOUSSE BROWNIE RECIPE FOR LATER!
Kristin @ MOMentous Moms says
Ummm yummy! I love the mix of mint and chocolate. I can only imagine how much the espresso powder brings out the chocolate! OMG amazing
erica acevedo says
I tell you, ever since I discovered what espresso powder is, I use it in everything chocolate that I make! It’s great!
Beth Jenkins says
These pictures are making my mouth water!
Michelle Boyken says
I am actually drooling over these so have pinned for later. Visiting from Hump Day Happenings.
Michelle @ On A Wing And A Prayer
erica acevedo says
Thanks for stopping by, Michelle, and the pin! <3
Neatly-Packaged says
Wow these look good! You know how they say never go to a grocery store on an empty stomach? Same should be said for looking at delicious food on blogs 🙂 lol
erica acevedo says
That is so very true. It’s one of those times you wish you could reach through the screen and grab what you’re drooling over!
Reginia Cordell says
OMG these look absolutely delicious. I would have them with a strong cup of coffee and lots of great conversation. They are wonderfully presented as well.
erica acevedo says
They would be great with coffee! But I’m a coffee-holic, so…:) Thank you, Reginia!
Alli Smith says
Your brownies are beautiful and would go perfectly with my second cup of coffee I’m about to make. I like that I can be a little naughty and a little nice! 🙂
erica acevedo says
Thank you, Alli!
Leigh Powell Hines says
I love the name of these brownies. So cute. My kids would love this because they love mint.
erica acevedo says
It seemed like a fitting name, because chocolate is so decadent and mint is so light! Thanks for stopping by!
Heather Smith says
Nom, nom! I WANT these NOW! They look oh so good!
Lauren says
Those look SO GOOD!!! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
House of Faucis says
As usual your pictures are fantastic! Loving how perfect they turned out.
erica acevedo says
Thank you, Aimee! <3 They could have been more perfect – cutting brownies delicately is hard!
Alexandra McAllister says
WOW! These looks absolutely heavenly! I wonder if there are any calories? LOL! I’d still have a few…in moderation, of course!
erica acevedo says
Hahaha, holiday calories don’t count!
Megan Lamm says
These look amazing! I’m not a huge fan of peppermint of chocolate mint, but these look too scrummy to be denied. And if I decided to leave the mint out and threw on a gummy worm, it could essentially be dirt cake brownies which would also be fantastic. Great post and great recipe!
erica acevedo says
You could totally make an Oreo or chocolate mousse instead of mint and they would be just as yummy! I love the idea of dirt brownies, actually! So cute!
Jessica Hughes says
OMG i want to make these SO bad my stomach hurts. Like YUM!
sarahsofiaproductions says
These look delicious! I’ve pinned this recipe to try this holiday season! It also makes the perfect hostess gift!
erica acevedo says
Thank you, darling!
Julia Fain says
These look amazing! And reading just before dinnertime 🙂
Agnes says
So yummy looking I can almost taste them!
Olivia Claridge @ Hello, Happy Place says
I’m sorry, I have to go. I’m making these ASAP!
Erica says
Eeeee! Let me know how they turn out! I love hearing about when people remake my food! 🙂
Melodi Steinberg says
holy heck these look good. Mint is my favorite flavor year round!
Jenna @ A Savory Feast says
I just LOVE the combination of mint and chocolate! These brownies look absolutely sinful. They are definitely on my list of treats to make this season. Thanks for sharing them with Hump Day Happenings!
Melanie says
Well now I know what I’m making when I get back to having a kitchen!!! So excited for mint and Christmas fun!
jess says
omg this looks awesome! i am definitely pinning this to try at a later date 🙂
Kari says
I just made a double batch of these, split between 2 pans. I haven’t tasted the final product yet, as I’m taking them to our neighbors for game night (tonight). I have a question though, the edges of my brownies were quite done, while the center was barely done, and when I brought them out, the center sank and the edges are still raised. Did I do something wrong? To put the mousse on across the entire pan, it would be super thick in the middle and barely any on the edges, so I left the edges without. Any idea what happened? Also, I really like the idea of the parchment paper to lift out of the pan, especially since we’re taking them to a party…no need to leave the pan. Besides all that… I can’t wait to try them! We’re using the green mint oreos!!!
Erica says
Hi Kari! I’m so sorry you’re having problems! I made a double batch myself a couple days before Christmas and thought it would be OK to do them in a 13×9 pan…wrong. They ended up tasting delicious, but I also had the issue with the mousse being thicker on the middle pieces. Did you split the batter between two 8×8 metal pans? The batter is very very thick and puffs very nicely, so your best bet would be to maybe use a 9×9 pan (metal, not glass) or possibly lower the baking temp 25-50 degrees if your oven bakes hot. They’ll take longer to bake, but they should come out more evenly. I hope they are a hit tonight! 🙂 Good call on the mint Oreos!!!
Olivia says
These look ah-mazing!! I love brownies. I can’t wait to try this!
Olivia
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