Loaded Mint Chocolate Brownies
They’re dense, moist, rich, and are pure holiday comfort food. And there’s zero cakey factor. Whew, what a relief. I only like cakey if it’s cake.
There’s an abundance of Cool Mint Oreo Cookie chunks in every bite. The cookie bits add incredible texture and are a great crunchy contrast to the fudgy, smooth brownie.
These mint chocolate brownies are an adaptation of my trusty blondie recipe because it’s a no-hassle, no-fuss, no mixer required, one-bowl recipe that goes from pantry to oven in 5 minutes, perfect for last minute dessert needs or anytime you need an easy-to-make yet impressive-tasting dessert.
The holiday season is a joyous time, but can also a stressful time. Anything I can do to lighten the load of effort and stress traditionally associated with the holiday food prep and baking is appreciated.
Pans of bars are so much faster to make than cookies. No dough to chill or roll out, and bars are my favorite kitchen shortcut and a time-saving tip.
I’d rather spend time with my family, wrapping presents, shopping, or doing just about anything else than fussing over a complicated, labor-intensive recipe.
Another tip is to line your baking pans with aluminum foil, and then spray them with PAM Cooking Spray. This saves big time on cleanup time. You can lift the dessert right out of the pan using the foil overhang, peel off the foil, and your pan will hardly even look dirty. Score.
PAM for Baking is a floured cooking spray and I swear by it. Even in pans I don’t line, like loaf or muffin pans, the non-stick, no-residue qualities result in food that I trust won’t stick, and makes cleanup a breeze.
PAM Original, Baking, and Butter sprays leave up to 99% less residue than bargain brands while still offering superior no-stick results, and have zero calories per serving.
What’s in Mint Chocolate Brownies?
To make these loaded mint Oreo brownies, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- Brewed coffee
- Vanilla extract
- Peppermint extract
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- All-purpose flour
- Mint Oreos
How to Make Loaded Mint Chocolate Brownies
To make the loaded mint chocolate brownies, melt 1 stick of butter in the micro, stir in 1 egg, brown sugar, a splash of coffee, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract.
To the melted butter-sugar mixture, whisk in cocoa powder, flour, and fold in the chopped Oreos. I used 25 Oreos total. 20 I folded into the batter, and 5 I reserved and strategically placed on top.
That’s one of my tips because it creates a nice visual pop and will really make your brookies shine and stand out on a holiday platter. It’s hard to resist that green stripe, surrounded by chocolate on all sides.
The brownies have just the right amount of minty flavor, and the mint cookies help to boost it. Mint and chocolate is a perfect pairing anytime, but especially this time of year, and I just love the texture and crunch factor the cookies add.
My family went nuts for these. I wish I had one in front of me right now but they were devoured.
Do I Have to Use Coffee?
The coffee doesn’t make the brookies taste like coffee and serves to enhance and intensify the chocolate flavor. Even if you’re not a coffee drinker, I recommend it. Leftover coffee from your morning pot is fine.
Can I Substitute Peppermint Oil for Peppermint Extract?
No! Peppermint oil is even stronger than the extract, and the two are not interchangeable.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes, simply double the ingredients list and bake the brownies in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Can I Use Another Flavor of Oreo?
Yes, just keep in mind that substituting the mint Oreos will result in brownies that are far less minty.
Tips for Making Mint Oreo Stuffed Brownies
If you can’t find Mint Oreos, use your favorite chocolate sandwich cookies. Your mint brownies won’t be quite as minty, but they’ll still taste fabulous.
Regarding the peppermint extract — and I repeat this caveat every time I post a mint recipe because it’s very important — make sure you measure it, don’t eyeball it, and don’t over-do it, or your brownies will taste like mouthwash. If you’ve never worked with peppermint extract, it’s far more intense and potent than vanilla extract.
For example, I like to use tablespoon(s) of vanilla in recipes, but 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract is the max. Peppermint extract (or mint or spearmint extract) is sold in the baking aisle near vanilla. Make sure you select peppermint extract, not peppermint oil.
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Fudgy Mint Chocolate Brookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons brewed coffee, any temperature, optional but recommended (leftover from the morning brew is fine)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract or mint extract, do not use peppermint oil
- ½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder, Dutch-process may be substituted
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 25 Mint Oreos, each quartered; divided use
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with PAM Cooking Spray; set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, coffee (does not make the bars taste like coffee and enhances the chocolate flavor), vanilla, peppermint extract (be very careful not to over-add or your bars will taste like mouthwash), and whisk until smooth.
- Whisk in the cocoa powder. It could take several minutes of vigorous whisking if your cocoa powder is lumpy.
- Add the flour and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
- Using a sharp knife, quarter 20 Oreos on a cutting board and stir them into the batter.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, trying your best to evenly disperse the Oreos within the batter. Smooth the top lightly with a spatula.
- Using a sharp knife, quarter remaining 5 Oreos and place them onto the top of the batter, dispersed evenly. Push them down with your fingertip just far enough into the batter so it touches them, but do not submerge; you want to see them for a visual pop.
- Bake for about 28 to 30 minutes, or until done. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. At 28 minutes (shown in photos), the bars are very soft and fudgy; if you like firmer and dryer bars, bake for a few minutes longer.
- Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Mint Chocolate Desserts:
Mint Magic Bars – These bars are a mint twist on the classic Seven Layer Bars many grew up with! Made with Ghirardelli Mint Chocolates, Andes Mints, and Mint Oreos on a chocolate chip cookie base.
Andes Mint Chip Soft Fudgy Chocolate Cookies — These quadruple chocolate Andes mint cookies are big, bakery-style cookies that are rich, not overly sweet, and loaded with chocolate and mint chips.
Creme de Menthe Bars — These bars are what the Christmas season means to me and conjure up wonderful childhood memories. They’re almost no-bake, and although they’re a three-layer bar, they’re easy.
Peppermint Patty Cookies — Very chocolaty, ultra FUDGY, and loaded with chocolate chips and peppermint patties!! If you love mint + chocolate, you’ll adore these easy, soft, and decadent chocolate bombs!!
Andes Mint Brownies — The brownies have a box of 28 Andes diced and stirred into the batter, and another box of 28 mints that are diced on top. If you like mint, you’re going love these.
I like to make things ahead of time like this Triple Chocolate Mocha Pudding for dessert: https://sallycooks.com/2013/11/18/triple-chocolate-mocha-pudding/ It keeps for up to 3 days and is delicious!
I usually bake ahead and freeze some goodies. It’s so much less overwhelming when it is spread out over a few weeks!
use the slow cooker for sides while you make everything that absolutely needs to go in the oven and make sure to preplan you cooking
My favorite holiday tip is to make things ahead of time instead of all on the holiday itself. So helpful! And these bars look great and do festive!
My tip – keep a running list of whom you received presents (and what the presents are!) or greetings from. This makes thank you card writing much easier, especially if you have little ones!
I keep detailed daily and weekly checklists in my planner. It helps me stay ahead and get things done!
I like to make a huge list and then I shop the really good sales that they have a week before the holiday! I also prep up two nights before!
My best holiday tip is to relax and actually enjoy the holidays! It’s so easy to get caught up in needing everything to be perfect (and the stresses of entertaining!) that often the real value f the holidays is lost – spending time with loved ones!
i plan out times to work out!
I finally bought into the start holiday baking early and then freeze aspect of things, cause my goodness, it certainly saves time and last minute running around!
My holiday tip is: do your shopping early! Don’t leave it until the last minute rush to buy your turkey or Christmas gifts- you’ll be stressed and won’t get as good of a selection.
I plan out my workouts for the week – I feel like if I can stay on track with fitness, I can have a treat or two without totally going overboard. I also try and look for lighter recipes of my favorite holiday dishes so I don’t feel too bad!
Prepping ahead and making a list/timeline for day-of cooking and baking.
going to a restaurant for the holiday meal!
I’m all about allowing for shortcuts – so instead of buying a whole butternut squash that I’ll need to peel, cut and dice, I’ll buy the pre-packaged butternut. It’s just as good and saves me a bit of the hassle and time.
I make overnight breakfast casseroles to save time Christmas morning