Rich, fudgy chocolate brownies with a layer of mint Irish cream frosting and a chocolate ganache coating. These Mint Irish Cream Brownies are perfect for St. Patrick’s Day — or year-round! Not into mint or Irish cream? Leave out one or the other from boozy, non-minty brownies, or a minty family-friendly treat!
This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn a fee from qualifying purchases.
I know, I know. THREE Irish cream-related posts in a row? From someone who is a mere 1/8th Irish? It’s total overkill. I get it.
(In case you missed it: Homemade Irish Cream and Irish Cream Bundt Cake.)
But you have to strike while the iron is hot, right?
In this case, the iron is the rest of the batch of homemade Irish cream waiting in my refrigerator.
And I guess the fire heating the iron is the upcoming weekend cabin trip my husband is taking with the male half of our college friend group.
The obvious solution: mint Irish cream brownies.
Because when you’re spending the weekend with a bunch of guys in a log cabin existing on beer, scotch, and Doritos, what you really need are boozy brownies. Obviously.
Wilderness Survival 101, people. Essential.
Even better: these brownies are easy to double. As written, they make a 9×9 (or 8×8)-inch pan of brownies. Double everything and bake in a 9×13-inch pan.
Because when a group of guys is spending the weekend in the woods, you always double the batch of boozy brownies.
That’s Wilderness Survival 102.
These mint Irish cream brownies start with a thick and fudgy brownie layer, whisked by hand in one bowl. So easy.
Top them with a minty, Irish creamy buttercream frosting — tinted with a little green food coloring. (Because mint should always be green – I’m looking at you with a side eye, white mint chocolate chip ice cream.)
Then cover the whole thing with a layer of melted chocolate (with a little more Irish cream, of course!).
And yes, these brownies are green and contain Irish cream and are perfectly festive for St. Patrick’s Day. But they’re also delicious year-round because chocolate and mint go with all seasons.
Not into Bailey’s Irish cream? Leave it out — just sub in heavy cream instead. These are delicious as plain mint chocolate brownies.
Family and work-friendly — and totally appropriate any time of year.
Not into mint in your brownies and want the flavor of your Irish cream to really shine through? Skip the mint extract and use a splash of vanilla extract instead.
Like your frosting EXTRA minty? Double the mint extract. Want a really super duper thick layer of chocolate on top? Double it.
These brownies were made to be adapted to your personal tastes.
As written, these make perfect 9×9-inch brownies or slightly thicker 8×8-inch brownies.
But if you need more boozy brownies (and hi, who doesn’t need more boozy brownies?), double the recipe and bake in a 9×13-inch pan.
The ingredient ratio for brownies, frosting, and chocolate ganache is the same, just add a few extra minutes to the baking time for 9×13 or 8×8-inch pans.
Regardless of what size you use, I love using a springform pan to bake these brownies. It’s so easy to add the layer of buttercream frosting and spread on the chocolate ganache while it’s still in the pan. Then when you’re ready to serve, run a knife quickly along the outside and take the sides off.
You can, of course, use an aluminum foil overhang in a regular pan, but I find the springform pan is much easier than lifting out brownies when a layer of frosting and chocolate is involved.
Regardless of what sort of pan you use, if you want the fudgiest brownies, opt for a lighter-colored metal pan. Why does this matter? It’s time for my favorite subject… kitchen chemistry!
Kitchen Chemistry
For the fudgiest brownies, bake in a light-colored metal pan. Darker pans transfer more heat into the brownies and cook the edges more quickly than the center, which results in dry and cakey edges.
Rich, fudgy chocolate brownies with a layer of mint Irish cream frosting and a chocolate coating. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day – or year round!
Brownies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Brownie can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator before enjoying.
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.