Is there anything more nostalgic than the combination of cool mint and rich chocolate? If you’ve been missing out on this popular holiday duo because of dietary restrictions, this recipe is your answer. Meet the Dairy-Free Mint Chocolate Brownies that check every single box. These decadent sweets have a fudgy chocolate base, minty white chocolate middle (yes, dairy-free white chocolate!), and snappy chocolate topping. Best of all? They are completely vegan, allergy-friendly, and have a simple gluten-free option. Whether you’re baking for Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, a potluck gathering, or just a Tuesday night craving, these layered bars are guaranteed to steal the show.
This post is sponsored by Enjoy Life Foods, but we only share honest opinions and experiences. This is THE brand of dairy-free chocolate chips that I’ve been buying for 20 years! Photos by Hannah Kaminsky.
Why You’ll Love These Dairy-Free Mint Chocolate Brownies
- Layered Perfection: Each bite has a rich brownie base, fluffy mint filling, and is finished with the best dairy-free chocolate.
- Blissfully Rich: We use a specific fat-to-sugar ratio to ensure these vegan brownies stay fudgy, not cakey.
- No Weird Ingredients: You won’t need any hard-to-find gums or replacers. This recipe can be made with normal pantry staples.
- All-Occasion Treat: Go green for St. Patrick’s Day, peppermint for Christmas, call them Grasshopper Bars for summer picnics, or keep them simple (sans food coloring) to impress at parties any time of year.
- Allergy-Friendly: We use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips to keep this dessert free from dairy, eggs, nuts, and soy. And yes, we have a gluten-free option that couldn’t be simpler!
Quick Recipe Step-by-Step
Prep: First, gather your ingredients! To keep dessert recipes allergy-friendly, we use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips. Their White Baking Chips make an amazing mint cream filling, and we like the contrast of their Dark Chocolate Morsels in the other layers.
Brownie Batter: It will come out very thick and dotted with chocolate chips.
No need to strive for perfection. Just make sure you spread the batter all the way to the edges.
Mint Layer: It should be fluffy and creamy. If adding color, start with a few drops and then blend in more to get your desired hue. Avoid adding too much dye, as this could affect the flavor.
Your brownies must be completely cool, or the mint layer will melt into them. It should stay thick when spread.
Chocolate Topping: In this recipe, the microwave method is suitable for quickly melting the chocolate. But it’s very easy to burn chocolate in the microwave. With both the white chocolate and dark chocolate, it shouldn’t be fully melted when you are done heating. It should look like this:
When you stir, the rest of the solid chocolate gradually melts. If it looks grainy or dull at all (not shiny, wet and smooth like below), it’s scorched. So again, be careful when heating! If you’re nervous, see my How to Melt Chocolate guide for other options.
This is the fun part! You can keep it orderly or go abstract, do thin lines or thick squiggles – it’s your choice. If you prefer traditional layers, we have a chocolate top layer option in the recipe notes!
Set Up: Place the pan in the refrigerator to set the chocolate topping. You can slice and serve once the chocolate is set, or cover and enjoy them later. This is a great make-ahead dessert!
Key Ingredient Notes & Options
- Enjoy Life White Baking Chips and Dark Morsels: These delicious chocolate chips are specifically designed to be free from 14 common allergens, including dairy, nuts, and soy. We triple down, using them in the brownies, filling, and topping!
- Sugar: Brown sugar adds more moisture and richness, but coconut sugar still adds complexity to the flavor. In a pinch, you can use regular white sugar.
- Flour: Regular all-purpose flour is the gold standard, but you can take liberties. Wheat flour will work, but it produces a slightly heartier brownie. Oat flour also adds a touch of earthiness, but it still melds nicely. If you are gluten-free, you can alternatively use a gluten-free all-purpose baking flour blend. Just do not use coconut flour or another grain-free flour, like almond flour. They do not work in a 1:1 ratio.
- Cocoa Powder: We specifically use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which has been alkalized. It’s deeper, darker, and less bitter than “natural” or “unsweetened” cocoa powder. The latter will technically work, but the flavor won’t be as seamless.
- Oil: Olive oil melds very well with chocolate, but you can use another type of oil, if preferred. Avocado oil, grapeseed oil, canola oil, etc., will all work well. You can even use coconut oil.
- Butter Alternative: We like to use dairy-free buttery sticks or shortening, as both whip up better than spread.
Recipe FAQs
Where Can I Find Dairy-Free White Chocolate Chips?
They are sold both online and in major natural food stores, like Whole Foods, Natural Grocers, Sprouts, and other regional stores. See the white baking chips Store Locator or get them on Instacart.
Can I Use Semi-Sweet Chocolate Instead of Dark Chocolate?
Definitely! We likes the contrast of dark chocolate and white chocolate, but you go mellower and sweeter with Dairy-Free Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.
Why is Coffee Added to the Brownies?
Coffee adds depth of flavor to chocolate and brownies. They are natural companions since cacao beans and coffee beans have a similar origin story. But if you don’t like the influence of coffee on chocolate, you can simply use water.
Can I Freeze these Dairy-Free Mint Chocolate Brownies?
Yes, you have two options for freezing. You can tightly wrap the entire uncut pan and freeze them, or cut and individually wrap the squares, freezing them separately. Either way, you can let them defrost slowly in the refrigerator or more quickly on the counter. They are actually quite tasty straight from the freezer, but it’s best to let them defrost for at least 10 minutes before eating.
Special Diet Notes: Chocolate Mint Brownies
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
Dairy-Free Mint Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a 13x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil, overhanging the edges. Lightly grease.
- Place half of the chocolate chips in a large bowl and pour the hot, freshly brewed coffee (or hot water) on top. Let it sit for a minute to begin melting the chocolate, then stir vigorously until smooth.
- Add the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the oil until combined and emulsified.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until no lumps remain.
- Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture. Add the remaining chocolate chips and the vanilla, and mix until no pockets of flour or cocoa remain.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and even it out.
- Bake the brownies for 24 to 26 minutes, until the top is crackled and glossy, and the interior is still just slightly moist when a toothpick is inserted into the center. Let the brownies cool completely.
- Melt the white baking chips over a double-boiler, on a counter-top boiler, or in the microwave. If using the microwave, place the white baking chips in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat on high for just 20 seconds. Whisk vigorously, and heat just 10 seconds more if not fully melted. They melt much more quickly than dark chocolate, so be vigilant. Do not overheat them.
- Let the melted dairy-free white chocolate cool to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter alternative or shortening with a hand mixer or stand mixer, using the whisk attachment. Start on low and speed up as the sugar is incorporated to keep the powdered sugar in the bowl.
- Add the melted white chocolate, mint, and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- With the mixer running, add a few drops of coloring, if desired, and slowly drizzle in the milk alternative, starting with just 1 tablespoon.
- Beat the dairy-free white chocolate frosting on high speed, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl with your spatula, until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add another tablespoon of milk alternative, as needed, to achieve a soft but pipeable consistency. And add more coloring, if desired to achieve a richer green hue.
- Spread the frosting onto your cooled brownies, smoothing it into an even layer that completely covers the base.
- Refrigerate the brownies while you prepare the topping.
- Put the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds on full power, stirring very well. Microwave for an additional 15 to 30 seconds at a time, whisking between each interval, just until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is completely smooth.
- Drizzle the chocolate all over the surface of the mint layer, as neatly or as much like Jackson Pollock as you’d like.
- Top with crushed candy canes and/or sprinkles, if desired.
- Refrigerate the brownies for at least 20 minutes to set the chocolate. You can store the brownies in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
