Mint Chocolate Chip Mousse Brownies are a gourmet take on traditional brownies! A dark, fudgy brownie is topped with light and fluffy mint chip mousse, then finished with chocolate glaze and green candies.
I am always on the hunt for ways to embiggen my brownies. You know, to turn the standard plain jane chocolate squares into something extraordinary. And with these Mint Chocolate Chip Mousse Brownies, I have created my favorite over-the-top brownie creation yet!
These babies start with a base of dense, chewy mint brownies. I used my favorite cocoa powder-based brownie recipe, but if you want to go the semi-homemade route, you could easily use your favorite brownie mix instead and just add a dash of mint extract…
….because the brownie isn’t actually the important part of these Mint Chocolate Chip Mousse Brownies. Nope, the brownie is the supporting player, and the mousse is the star. To put it in pop culture terms that are entirely relevant today, the brownie is Sonny and the mousse is Cher. Too dated? How about: the brownie is Ringo and the mousse is all the rest of the Beatles. (Sorry, Ringo, but you know it’s true.)
Back to the mousse! It’s my favorite part of this dessert–bright and refreshingly minty, light and fluffy and packed with shards of semi-sweet chocolate. It’s firm when refrigerated and a little more supple at room temperature, but it still holds its shape nicely so you don’t have to worry about it sliding all over the plate. The brownies are finished with a shiny chocolate glaze, and I added a row of mint M&Ms on top—I love how they come in different shades of green to provide a subtle ombre effect!
They store wonderfully well in the refrigerator, so we’ve been enjoying them as an after-dinner treat for almost a week now.
I loved these so much I’m already thinking of Christmas peppermint variations I can try—I think they would be so cute with a red and white-flecked mousse and some candy cane pieces on top. I’ll keep you posted on that one!
Hey, it was almost a year ago that I made this Mint Chocolate Chip Layer Cake. Obviously I have a thing for shamelessly tall mint chocolate chip desserts. (Can you blame me?!) Click the picture below for more mint chip shenanigans:
💚More Mint Desserts
Mint Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies
Chocolate Profiteroles with Fresh Mint Chip Ice Cream
Mint Chocolate Chip Mousse Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownie Layer:
- 10 oz unsalted butter, cubed
- 17.5 oz granulated sugar, (2 1/2 cups)
- 5.25 oz unsweetened cocoa powder, (1 3/4 cups)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp mint extract
- 4 large eggs
- 4.5 oz all-purpose flour, (1 cup)
For the Mint Chocolate Chip Mousse Layer:
- 12 oz white chocolate chips, or chopped white chocolate
- 2 cups heavy cream, divided use
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin, (1 packet)
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 3/4 tsp mint extract
- Green gel food coloring
- Yellow gel food coloring
- 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate, (1/2 cup), finely chopped
For the Chocolate Glaze:
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
To make the Brownie Layer:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil, so that foil extends up and over the sides, and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a large saucepan set over medium-low heat. Warm the mixture, stirring frequently, until the butter melts, the sugar and cocoa powder dissolve, and the mixture is fairly hot. It will be grainy. Take it off the heat and let it cool until it is warm but not hot to the touch.
- Add the vanilla extract and mint extract. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. As you add the eggs the mixture will go from being grainy and separated to a shiny, smooth, satiny texture. Finally, add the flour and fold it in gently until no streaks of flour remain.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake it at 350 F for 25-28 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the brownies cool completely on a wire rack. Brownies can be made several days ahead of time and kept, well-wrapped, at room temperature until ready to use.
To Make the Mint Chocolate Chip Mousse Layer:
- Combine the white chocolate chips, 3/4 cup of cream, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, whisking every 30 seconds, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour it into a large bowl, and let it cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
- While you wait for the white chocolate mixture to cool, prepare the gelatin. Whisk together the gelatin and the cold water in a small bowl, and set it aside to let the gelatin absorb the water. When the chocolate is at room temperature, microwave the bowl of gelatin for 15 seconds, until it is melted. Whisk the melted gelatin and chocolate together. Add the peppermint extract, and several drops of green food coloring and one of yellow. The color should be a little more intense than you want the final mousse color to be, because it will lighten as you add the whipped cream in the next step.
- Whip the remaining 1 1/4 cups heavy cream to firm peaks. Fold half of the whipped cream into the chocolate, and once it’s incorporated, gently fold in the remaining whipped cream. Add the finely chopped chocolate, and stir just until it’s mixed. Scrape the mousse out onto the cooled brownie, and spread it into an even layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before adding the chocolate glaze.
To Make the Chocolate Glaze:
- Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl, and put the cream into a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the cream to a simmer, and when it’s almost boiling, pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for a minute to soften the chocolate. Whisk gently until the chocolate melts and the glaze is shiny and smooth. Pour the glaze over the mousse layer and spread it into a thin, even layer.
- Refrigerate the tray of brownies to set the mousse and glaze completely, for at least 3 hours. Once set, remove the brownies from the pan using the foil as handles. Cut them into small squares or rectangles—they’re substantial, so a little goes a long way! Top them with green candies, if desired. Store Mint Chip Mousse Brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They can be served chilled or left to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
Nutrition
ST. PATRICK’S DAY DESSERTS 🍀
We’ve rounded up 23 of our FAVORITE rainbow dessert recipes & ideas that are sure to make you smile — click here to get all the recipes!
I love chocolate mint. these are cute and look yummy!
Thanks Dina–I know I probably say this about a lot of things, but chocolate-mint is my favorite flavor combination! (I really mean it this time!)
Oh my….goodness. I’ll volunteer to host an adult playdate group, if you bring these along. Deal?
Deal! Tell me there’s going to be bubbles there as well?
If there is anyone I would like to have a mommy date with it would be you, especially if you brought Ladybeyonceperry mousse 🙂
Haha, thanks Jackie! Totally going to call these Ladybeyonceperry brownies from now on. 🙂
I confess being a sucker for those little mint chocolates. This looks to be an upgrade.
Me too-I love Andes mints! No shame in that game.
In your brownie recipe is it really 10 ounces of butter or 10 Tbs of butter?
Hi Kristin, it’s 10 oz. It makes a 9×13 pan, which should get you at least 24 servings (like the bars that are pictured.)
Just noticed that you added the M&Ms after the chocolate top was cooled. I’m thinking once the chocolate is cooled you can’t stick those M&Ms on without them sliding around. Or….after 30 minutes chilling is the chocolate still somewhat soft so the M&Ms stick well? Thanks, trying to think how to turn this into a 4th of July dessert.
What a gorgeous picture of a delicious sounding dessert. My question is…if I wanted to cut the recipe in half would you suggest a 8×8 or 9×9 pan?
Thanks Lexy! It would work in either size, but I personally would probably lean toward a 9×9 pan. They’ll be a little shorter than the bars in the picture, but since they are quite tall I think it’s better to err on the side of shorter bars, rather than make something that’s really unwieldy to eat.
Thanks for the quick reply. I’ll go with the 9×9….I agee with your thought about being more “mouth” size 🙂
Hi Elizabeth,
Just noticed that I posted the last two questions 6 months ago…still waiting for an answer about putting the m&ms on cold chocolate????
I’m definitely planning these for our Easter Extravaganza….now my 3rd question (sorry to be so “beginery” (I know, it’s not a real word but it is a real description of me.) Anyway, can these be made a day ahead and still be “mousey”? In other words, would the mouse sink?
Still looks so fabulous. Thanks for your help.
Hi Lexy,
I’m sorry about that, for some reason I totally missed your earlier question! You can either do as you suggest, and chill the top partially then stick the M&Ms in, or let the brownies come to room temp a bit and then stick them on. The glaze isn’t totally hard at room temperature (you can see the texture in the pictures with a bite out–it’s a little bit soft) so after the brownies have been out of the fridge for awhile, it’d be easy to gently press the candies on top and get them to stick. They’re easiest to cut when they’re fresh from the fridge, though.
They can definitely be made a day ahead, and the mousse will be fine as long as you keep it in the refrigerator until shortly before serving! Even then, it doesn’t sink much, it just gets soft and squishy. 🙂 Let me know how it turns out!
Hi, I wanted to make these to bring to work. Could these be left out of the fridge and if so, how long? Thanks.
Hi Katy, at cool room temperature they can be left out for a few hours–I’d say 2-3? They don’t melt or anything, and the mousse does hold its shape, so you could leave them out longer…but in my opinion it’s best within about a 3-hour window of refrigeration.
I finally made these for a Mother’s Day afternoon tea today! Like pretty much all the recipes I’ve tried from your blog, they are “oh my golly gosh, SO good!” I’ve just consumed a shameful amount of, ahem, offcuts…feeling a little overdone now, ha ha! Thanks for your amazing ability to create something delicious and add even more delicious things on top. Happy Mother’s Day to you, too 🙂
Thank you so much, Kelly! I am pleased to tell you that brownie trimmings don’t count and the baker is allowed to eat as many as s/he wants! 🙂 So glad that you and the family loved them, and a very happy Mother’s Day to you as well! xo