These mint chip brownies are inspired by my friend Erikka.
Erikka was integral to shaping my university experience. She was smart, articulate, fun, and faster with a witty one-liner than anyone I’ve ever met.
Erikka and I shared interests. At school, she was one of the few people my age who loved classic films. The deeper messages of any movie we watched together were not lost on Erikka. Our friendship grew strong as we discussed the meaning beneath surface dialogue and actions.
A Good Friend
Erikka introduced me to Hot in Cleveland, one of the few tv shows I love and still watch [aff. link]. With our regular movie nights, she also introduced me to the affordable wonder that is Little Caesar’s pizza.
I always looked forward to escaping campus life with Erikka on our adventures into the city. We went to fancy restaurants where Erikka took pictures of whatever gorgeous dish or dessert we ordered. This was years before—I won’t say how many—food photography took off on social media. We also posed with the countless metal people statues that inexplicably adorn the city. The humor we saw in this ritual was, also inexplicably, one of the quirks that made our friendship.
Mint Chip Brownies
For our movie nights at Erikka’s apartment, she and my friend Emily usually had a pan of mint chip brownies cooling on the stovetop by the time I arrived. Fancy Ghirardelli brownie mix was always the brownie base, and Erikka scattered mint chips throughout. It was a genius pairing.
I’ve made Ghirardelli brownies with mint chips countless times since graduating from university. Every time I do, I think of Erikka and the tremendous influence she’s been in my life.
In honor of Erikka, I decided to create my own recipe for mint chip brownies. The burst of mint from the chips perfectly complements the fudgy, chocolate brownie base. These brownies are rich, the flavor is deep and nuanced. There is no better namesake then my friend Erikka.
Make Mint Chip Brownies!
Make these mint chip brownies the next time you crave a sweet treat that’s not your average dessert.
And of course, they’re even better if enjoyed during a movie.
One Thing
Mint chips are hard to find in the grocery store these days. You can always get Andes bars and chop them up to small pieces, but the mint flavor won’t be as strong.
Here are my favorite mint chips on Amazon [aff. link]. These gorgeous mini mint chips bring the perfect amount of mint flavor to the brownies. If you prefer a standard-sized chip, try my other favorite, Guittard Green Mint Chips [aff. link]. You can find both of these mint chips in my Amazon store here.
Erikka’s Mint Chip Brownies
Ingredients
For the wet ingredients:
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
For the dry ingredients:
- ¾ cup flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup mint baking chips
Instructions
Melt the butter and chocolate
- Melt the butter and chocolate together in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk continuously with a whisk or a fork until both the butter and chocolate have melted and come together in a smooth mixture.
- Take the mixture off the heat and let cool for five minutes.
Add the vanilla extract, brown sugar, and eggs
- Now add the vanilla extract and brown sugar to the saucepan. Whisk until combined.
- Now add the eggs to the saucepan. Whisk until the eggs are completely combined. The mixture should be smooth, shiny, and thick. (Like chocolate pudding.)
Add the dry ingredients
- Next add the flour, salt and baking powder to the saucepan. Stir the dry ingredients in until the flour is almost completely incorporated.
- Now add in the mint chips, and stir until the the chips and the dry ingredients are just incorporated into the wet ingredients. Don’t overmix.
Bake the brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and oil an 8x8 inch glass baking dish.
- Spread the brownie batter evenly into the baking dish. Smooth the top with an offset spatula.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the brownies comes out mostly clean.
Serve and enjoy
- Let the brownies cool for 20 minutes before slicing. Serve and enjoy!
8 Responses
Rich chocolate dessert combined with refreshing mint chips makes a wonderful pairing! The brownies look great too, with that perfect fudgy texture. They are a right way to honor your friend.
Thanks Ben!
Well it certainly sounds like Erikka is an amazing friend – I love lifelong friends like her! 🙂 These brownies sound fantastic, and I certainly wouldn’t mind walking in and finding a pan of these cooling on the counter. Also, I didn’t realize Guittard made mint chips…how fun is that!?
Thanks David! Guittard mint chips are amazing, definitely give them a try!
What a nice combo. I don’t know if I knew that mint chips existed, but I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for them. I think this sounds wonderful.
Thanks Jeff! I’m sure you’ll love baking with mint chips, they bring such a great pop of flavor.
These were so delicious! The mint chips are such a great brownie addition. Can’t believe I never thought to do it before, thanks!
Thanks for making the brownies Janae! So happy to hear they were a hit!