These rich and fudgy Chocolate Mint Brownies are layered with mint frosting and a chocolate ganache. The ultimate layered vegan brownies with a fresh mint flavor!
If you believe that chocolate and mint are the perfect duo, then you are going to love these vegan Chocolate Mint Brownies!
It all starts with a layer of gooey, rich, and fudgy vegan brownies. From there, a mint green vegan buttercream is spread on top before they’re finished with a layer of chocolate ganache on top. Does that sound like the best vegan brownie or what?
Whether you make a batch of mint brownies for St. Patrick’s day, the holidays, or to make the chocolate mint lovers in your life happy, this rich and chocolatey dessert is guaranteed to be a hit!
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Vegan butter – Melted vegan butter adds a good amount of moisture to the brownie batter.
- Sugar – Granulated white or cane sugar is best.
- Vanilla extract
- Soy milk – Or you can use any non-dairy milk you already have at home, like oat milk or cashew milk.
- All purpose flour – This is my go-to flour in almost all of my brownie recipes, like these Eggless Brownies and Brownie Bites. A quality gluten free flour might work but I haven’t tried it.
- Cocoa powder – Use natural cocoa powder, not Dutch process.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Powdered sugar – This not only sweetens the mint frosting but also gives it a light and fluffy texture. I don’t recommend making substitutions here.
- Peppermint extract – For the refreshing mint flavor in the frosting.
- Green food coloring – I used liquid food coloring but gel food coloring also works well. If you use gel, just know that you’ll need to use a smaller amount because it’s much more concentrated.
- Vegan chocolate chips – Some of my favorite dairy free chocolate chips are the Trader Joe’s and Enjoy Life brands. Always check the ingredients list for milk fat or butter oil before you buy.
- Coconut milk – Full fat canned coconut milk adds richness to the chocolate ganache and helps it firm up and solidify as it cools.
How to make chocolate mint brownies
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Stir the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and milk together in a large bowl. Then sprinkle the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt over the wet mixture and gently stir to combine, being careful not to over-mix.
Transfer the thick brownie batter to the pan and smooth it out to the edges with a spatula or your hands, then bake. The brownies may look a little underdone or jiggly when they come out of the oven but they firm up nicely as they cool.
Make the mint frosting while you wait for the brownies to cool. Beat the powdered sugar, softened vegan butter, peppermint extract, soy milk, and a few drops of green food coloring together until smooth and fluffy. Thin it out with a few drops of milk as needed.
Spread the mint frosting over the cooled brownies, then place them in the fridge to firm up for 1 hour.
Lastly, make the chocolate ganache by placing the chocolate chips in a bowl and heating the coconut milk in the microwave. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a few minutes (do not stir). Afterward, stir the two together until you have a smooth and creamy chocolate sauce.
Pour the ganache over the mint-frosted brownies, then place them back in the fridge to set.
Once the chocolate is firm, slice the brownies into squares. Enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- Only stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they all just come together and no dry flour streaks remain. If you overmix the batter, the brownies will be dense and not as fudgy.
- Give the brownies plenty of time to chill in the fridge between adding the mint icing and ganache. This will prevent the layers from becoming a melted mess!
- For the cleanest brownie slices, run the blade of a knife under hot running water or wipe the blade after every slice.
Frequently asked questions
You can try making the brownies with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend, but I haven’t tested it. Or make my Gluten Free Vegan Brownies instead and top them with the mint frosting and chocolate glaze once they’re cool.
The frosted brownies will last for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge. Let them sit on the kitchen counter for 15 to 20 minutes before serving to help them soften a little.
Yes, you can freeze just the brownie layer or the layered mint brownies for up to 3 months. Wrap the individual bars or the entire batch in a layer of plastic and foil to prevent freezer burn.
Want more vegan brownie recipes?
Chocolate Mint Brownies
Ingredients
Brownie layer
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup soy milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Mint frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 2-4 tablespoons soy milk
- few drops green food coloring (1/4 teaspoon)
Chocolate glaze
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
Instructions
Make the brownies
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a 9×9 (or 8×8) inch pan with parchment paper and set aside. (TIP: put a little bit of vegan butter on the bottom so the parchment paper sticks to it and doesn't slide around.)
- In a large bowl, stir together the hot melted butter and sugar until well combined, then stir in the vanilla and milk.
- To the bowl with the wet ingredients, add the flour, cocoa (sift it in if chunky), baking powder and salt. Stir until just combined, but do not over mix. The mixture will be quite thick, but just keep going and it will come together.
- Dump the thick brownie batter into the pan and smooth it out with a spatula or your hands. Bake for 25-30 minutes. They will still appear undercooked in the middle and may be a little jiggly, but they firm up as they cool. If you over bake they will turn out very hard instead of fudgy.
- Allow the brownies to cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the mint frosting
- In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the powdered sugar, softened vegan butter, peppermint extract, 2 tablespoons soy milk and a few drops of green food coloring, if desired. Start on low speed and increase to high, adding milk as needed if it's too thick.
- Frost the cooled brownies and place in the refrigerator. Keep in the refrigerator for about an hour if possible.
Make the chocolate ganache
- Add the chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl. Place the coconut milk in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup and heat in the microwave for 1 minute.
- Pour the warm cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 3 minutes. Don't stir it yet.
- After 3 minutes, whisk together until smooth and creamy. Pour over the mint frosted brownies and return to the refrigerator to firm up.
- Cut into squares once the chocolate has firmed up a bit and enjoy! To make clean cuts, use a large sharp knife and wipe the knife off after each quick cut.
Notes
- May use another dairy free milk, such as oat, almond or coconut.
- Coconut oil may work in place of the vegan butter for the brownie layer, but I’m not sure it will work well for the mint frosting layer.
Super easy, decadent, and delicious. These turned out amazing.
We loved the taste of these, but I had an awful time getting them out of the pan. What was the purpose of the parchment paper? Could I have just greased the pan? And like others, I found that the ganache didn’t firm up as much as expected, so I imagined I was eating a fancy dessert with a fork rather than a brownie!
I’ve never had the brownies stick to the parchment before but spraying it with a bit of cooking spray will prevent them from sticking in the future. The excess parchment over the sides of the pan also acts as a handle, so you can easily lift the brownies (usually). It’s typically more effective than greasing a naked pan. Still, I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor!
OMG!!! Nora, you never fail!! I needed something wintery for a Hanukkah party (so not Christmasy) and thought I’d give these a go and holy moly, they are SO delicious, and SO perfect! I followed the recipe to a T, except I used 1 tsp of mint chocolate extract vs. 1.5 tsp mint extract. They look gorgeous and I am so impressed how easy these were to make! I baked brownies for 27 minutes. I put brownies + mint frosting in fridge for 1 hour. My chocolate ganache was a bit thin, so I put it in the fridge for 20 minutes in a metal bowl and it firmed up, allowing me to top the mint layer with a thick, gorgeous layer of chocolate. I couldn’t stop eating them after cutting them into delicious squares. I am so excited to bring them to the party tonight!
I made these twice because my first attempt was good but not spot on. I got a review that the mint was more like “toothpaste” so I reduced the peppermint extract to 1tsp and they were perfect the second time. My butter was too warm on my first attempt and the icing broke but my second go had a fluffy and firm frosting. These are still a 5 star brownie, you might just need a trial round 🙂
Oh yum! I made these for my running friends yesterday! I used red plant based food dye and added vegan mint-green and snowflake sprinkles! They were such a hit I came home and made another batch to take to a friend’s get-together! Festive, Flavorful, and Fun!
Your brownies sounds beautiful! I’m thrilled they were a hit! Thanks for sharing your beautiful ideas and feedback! Happy baking!
I made these for a school bake sale. I ran out of time for the mint layer and ganache. I decided to use your 5 minute fudge recipe with mint as the top layer. I used just enough to cover the 8×8 pan and made the rest into regular fudge. I only had 1/4 of the mint brownie but it was delicious. I was able to package up both fudge brownies and fudge for the sale and both sold out within minutes compared to the other goods. Thank so much for making vegan baking easy and delicious.
Hi Tim. Wow, your brownies sound incredible! I’m thrilled they were a hit at the bake sale! Thank you for sharing your stellar review and feedback!
I was really looking forward to these for my daughter’s birthday celebration, but the timing seems way off for the recipe. It states 1 hour. They took way longer to set up and honestly texture was better overnight. If the recipe had stated chill time (minimum 4 hours and better overnight, in my experience) it would have been helpful. Our texture just didn’t set up bar-like. They stayed too gooey. Additionally, our minty flavor tasted like toothpaste rather than like Andes mints. We love mint and chocolate, but this seemed off. I used pure mint extract from the baking isle… so not sure where I went wrong there.
Peppermint and mint extract have different flavour profiles however my first batch also got a review of “toothpaste” so I reduced the peppermint extract to 1tsp and they were perfect. If your butter is too warm, the icing will break and it will be runny. I suggest only leaving the butter at room temp for like 10-15 minutes max before using.
Can I make these with regular milk or even lactose free milk? I do not need to be vegan or dairy free. Thanks
Hi Lisa. I have never tried the recipe with dairy milk. however, it should work. Enjoy!
Hi Nora,
Making these for a party. Any guidelines for baking if the batch is doubled?
Thank you,
CJ
The only thing I would suggest is baking the brownies for slightly longer, around 30 to 45 minutes. Check them around 30-35 minutes just in case!
Hey Nora! Could this work with regular mint extract, or does it matter?
Yes, it will work just as well! 🙂
Hey, Nora! These brownies were SOOOOO ADDICTING!! Couldn’t stop eating them. The flavors are spot on, and I love that hard bottom brownie layer contrasted with the smooth mint. Only problem was that the ganache never set up – it kept a pudding texture even after fridge/freezer, so we had to eat them on a plate with a fork. Wondering if I should do coconut cream instead of milk next time? Or use the ganache portion from your truffle recipe?
I’m so glad you liked the brownies! The ganache should get more firm than pudding texture, but it does stay pretty soft which I personally like. You could try coconut cream, or yes make the ganache or chocolate coating for a more hardened chocolate layer. Hope that helps and thanks!
Made these for st patricks day. They taste even better after being in the fridge overnight-the texture softens to that of a truffle and are irresistible!
Yummm! I’m thrilled that you loved the brownies! Thanks for your amazing feedback!
Ahhhhhmazing! The brownies were so fudgy, and that mint layer was delicious! My ganache didn’t really set up, but that wasn’t a problem, lol! We just spooned it back on top of our brownies. Even my husband, who isn’t vegan and is suspicious of every vegan thing that I make, enjoyed them! Great recipe!
Hi Coby. How fabulous that you loved the brownies! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and review! I’m thrilled you loved the new recipe!
These were delicious! Gooey, chewy brownies and I love the addition of the frosting and ganache. I used vanilla extract since I didn’t have mint. Another amazing recipe. Thank you Nora!
You are welcome, Mary! Thanks for your fabulous feedback and review!
I love chewy brownies, and I love frosting, so this is a winning combo in my book! I made these for my cribbage league last night and they were a hit! I didn’t have time for the ganache layer so I skipped it and they were perfect as is – nobody knew anything was missing.
That’s great to hear, Kim! Thank you for your wonderful feedback and review!
Have you ever made thease and replaced the mint frosting with a coffee frosting ?
Or espresso frosting?
What’s your thought on that
I haven’t tried that but I think it sounds fantastic!