Girl Scout Cookie season is upon us and I don’t know about you, but I love a good Thin Mint (especially straight from the freezer…which in my opinion is the best way to eat them straight from the box). These Thin Mint brownies, combine the fudgy decadence of a brownie, with the refreshing mint from the Thin Mint cookie. They are heavenly and pretty simple to make.
Why You’ll Love These Brownies
- Simple Ingredients: They taste very similar to boxed brownies (but you actually know what the ingredients are).
- Amazing texture: If you love fudgy, chewy brownies, this recipe is for you.
- Quick & Easy: Brownies made from scratch are actually fairly simple to make and you most likely have the majority of these ingredients in your pantry.
- Unique Flavor: These mint chocolate brownies combine the flavors of dark chocolate and peppermint. (Peppermint brownies? Sign me UP). Plus, you get the crunch of the cookie every once and a while. Your inner child will thank you as they taste like biting into a Thin Mint cookie.
Key Ingredients
Vegetable Oil: This is an oil-based recipe. I love fudgy, boxed brownies and I’ve been trying different recipes to try to match the texture and taste (particularly of the Ghirardelli boxed brownies). I’ve tried butter-based brownies and oil-based brownies (which this recipe is heavily influenced by), and while both are great, in order to get the true fudgy-ness I’m looking for, oil does the trick.
Better chocolate = better brownies. Honestly, you can use any chocolate you have on hand for these brownies, but I will say that higher-quality chocolate produces higher-quality brownies. I always keep Ghiradelli dark chocolate baking bars in my pantry in case of a brownie emergency.
Want another decadent brownie recipe? Check out these red wine brownies. They are SO good.
Sugar: Two types of sugar are used in this recipe—granulated sugar and powdered sugar. In most of my recipes, I reduce the sugar as much as I can while still keeping the flavor and textures. For brownies, I’ve shaved off a bit of the sugar, but sugar is a key ingredient in brownies that give it that signature shiny, crinkle top. Powdered sugar acts as a thickening agent in this recipe to help create the fudge-like texture.
Variations & Substitutions
Vegetable Oil: I used vegetable oil in this recipe, but you can use any type of oil (just be aware that you may taste some oils with bolder flavor (like olive oil)). If you swap out the oil for butter, know that it will be more cake texture than fudge. Simply swap it out 1 for 1 and be sure to melt the butter before adding to the batter.
Thin Mints: I know Thin Mints are the star of the show, but what if you’re craving these outside of the Girl Scout Cookie window? You can also use Peppermint Patties. Spread half the batter in the pan, line it with York Peppermint Patties or Andes Mints, and add another layer of batter on top. Bake for the same time / temperature.
Jump to RecipeThin Mint Brownies Overview
Be sure to use an 8×8 pan. For this recipe, you’ll want an 8×8 inch pan to get the right consistency. If you use a 9x9in pan, you’ll want to lower the time in the oven as these will be thinner—and you definitely do not want to over bake these.
Brownie batter will be thick. This is the right texture for these brownies. The powdered sugar acts as a thickening agent in this batter.
Cool brownies completely before eating. This is probably the hardest part about this recipe. Letting the brownies completely cool before cutting or eating them allows them to firm up while still keeping that fudgy center. Trust me, they will be worth the wait.
Happy baking! Let me know in the comments section below what you think!
Looking for more unique desserts?
Try these Toffee Nut Latte Cupcakes, RumChata Cookies, or Inside Out Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Thin Mint Brownies
Equipment
- 1 8×8 brownie pan
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup crushed Thin Mints
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 eggs (large)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease and line an 8×8 inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together: eggs, water, vegetable oil, vanilla.
- In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: sugar, flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, crushed Thin Mints, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Add the chocolate chunks (or chocolate chips) and stir until combined. Batter will be very thick.
- Pour batter into the prepared baking tin. Use a spatula to push the batter into the corners and smooth out the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out almost clean. It's better to take these out early than overbake them. The brownies will continue to firm up while cooling in the pan.
- Cool completely before slicing and eating (usually a couple of hours). Cut into 16 slices. Store in an air-tight container for 3-5 days (if they last that long). Enjoy!
Notes
Last Updated on December 31, 2022 by Kari Bakes
