Mint Julep Brownies flavored with bourbon and mint and covered in chocolate frosting are the perfect sweet treat for Derby Day.
The Mint Julep is one of my favorite cocktails. It’s such a simple cocktail with just 3 basic ingredients: mint, bourbon, and sugar. But the taste is anything but simple.
Since the Kentucky Derby is just weeks away, I decided to turn this beloved cocktail into a brownie.
The brownie batter is flavored with both bourbon and mint and it’s topped off by a smooth and creamy frosting. Just because given the choice between a frosted brownie and an unfrosted brownie, I’ll take the frosted one every time.
Mint is one of the herbs I use all summer, but rarely use other months of the year. It grows like a weed during the summer time and often times can’t even be killed by someone with 2 brown thumbs. My grandfather, who was from Louisville, grew a big patch of mint to use in his Mint Juleps. One Derby Day, he drank a little too much and my grandmother chopped all the mint down with a hoe so that he would no longer be able to make Mint Juleps. She was quite surprised and exasperated when it grew back even more bountiful than before.
I actually don’t drink that much, maybe 1 drink per week on average, but there’s one thing I always have in my liquor cabinet. Bourbon. Makers Mark to be specific. I probably cook with it more often than I drink it.
Bourbons woodsy, vanilla flavor is so southern and distinctive and works so well as a flavoring for foods.
So this coming Derby Day, if you don’t want to drink your Mint Juleps, you can eat them. Or you can do both. 🙂
Mint Julep Brownies
Mint Julep Brownies flavored with bourbon and mint and covered with a luscious chocolate frosting.
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- ▢1 cup butter
- ▢4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- ▢2 cups sugar
- ▢1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, I used about 8 leaves
- ▢4 large eggs
- ▢1 1/2 cups flour
- ▢1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢2 tablespoons bourbon
Frosting
- ▢4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- ▢1 stick butter, softened
- ▢3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- ▢3-4 tablespoons milk
- ▢1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place 1 cup (2 sticks) butter and chopped chocolate in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until both butter and chocolate are melted. Set aside and let cool for about 5 minutes.
- Combine sugar and mint in a food processor and pulse until mint is finely chopped and incorporated into the sugar.
- Place eggs and mint sugar in a large bowl and whisk together well.
- Gradually whisk in chocolate/ butter mixture.
- Whisk in flour, salt, and bourbon.
- Pour into a lightly greased 9X13-inch pan. Bake 25-28 minutes. Let cool before frosting.
- To make frosting, melt chocolate in a small, heavy bottomed saucepan over low heat. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together. Add 3 tablespoons milk and beat, stopping to scrape down the sides, until smooth.
- With mixer on low, slowly add chocolate and then beat on medium until mixed well.
- Mix in vanilla extract and salt and add an extra tablespoon of milk if frosting is too thick.
- Spread frosting on brownies.
Nutrition
Calories: 462kcal
Mint Julep Brownies are flavored with bourbon and mint. Perfect for Kentucky Derby.