Grasshopper Brownies Recipe (2024)

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by Michelle
March 17, 2014 (updated Jan 21, 2019)

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4.34 (6 ratings)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I have one last recipe to share with you before all of the festivities are over, so if you’re in need of a St. Patty’s-themed dessert for today, you’re in luck! Last year, I made a grasshopper pie and it was seriously phenomenal. As in, months later I was still thinking about it. Last week, I was craving brownies like nobody’s business, so I decided to put a grasshopper spin on one of my favorite brownie recipes. Both recipes are based on the grasshopper co*cktail, which is a mint-flavored drink consisting of creme de menthe, creme de cacao and heavy cream. It’s delicious, but I would so much rather eat my sweet, minty calories than drink them, so brownies it is!

I used my chewy brownies as the base for these; I’ve found that they’re great for layered brownie desserts since they’re not too thick, and not overwhelmingly sweet. They were perfect for the buckeye brownies, and they turned out fabulous for these grasshopper brownies, as well. I topped the brownies with a creme de menthe buttercream, and then finished them off with a creme de cacao chocolate ganache. All the flavors of the popular co*cktail, wrapped up in decadent brownies.

All of the green color and mint flavor come from the creme de menthe; both are noticeable, but subtle. If you prefer a really amped-up mint flavor or a deeper green color, you can augment the creme de menthe with mint extract and green food coloring.

If you want a festive dessert to enjoy tonight (or even this afternoon), you still have plenty of time to whip these up. If you’re out celebrating, enjoy and be careful!

Two years ago: Irish Beer and Cheese Bread
Three years ago: Corned Beef Hash and Homemade Shamrock Shake
Five years ago: Irish Soda Bread
Seven years ago: Super Sugar Cookies

Grasshopper Brownies

Yield: 24 brownies

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

chilling time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Chocolate brownies topped with a creme de menthe filling and a creme de cacao ganache, fashioned after the popular grasshopper co*cktail.

4.34 (6 ratings)

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Ingredients

For the Brownies:

⅓ cup (28.67 g) Dutch-processed cocoa
1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) instant espresso, optional
½ cup (125 ml) plus 2 Tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces (56.7 g) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (109 ml) + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2½ cups (500 g) sugar
1¾ cups (218.75 g) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) salt
6 ounces (170.1 g) bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½-inch pieces

For the Creme de Menthe Filling:

½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 ounces (85.05 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons green creme de menthe
2½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
Pinch of salt

For the Creme de Cacao Ganache:

14 ounces (396.89 g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup (119 ml) heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon creme de cacao

Instructions

Make the Brownies: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving about a one-inch overhang on all sides. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk cocoa, espresso powder, and boiling water together in large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in melted butter and oil. (Mixture may look curdled.) Add eggs, yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and hom*ogeneous. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix with rubber spatula until combined. Fold in bittersweet chocolate pieces.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Creme de Menthe Filling: Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the creme de menthe and pinch of salt, blending until totally combined. Keeping the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar. Once it has all been incorporated, increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth and fluffy. Spread the mixture over the cooled brownies into an even layer. Transfer to refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Make the Creme de Cacao Ganache: Place the chocolate, heavy cream and butter in a medium bowl set above a small saucepan of barely simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and stir in the creme de cacao. Set aside to cool to room temperature (the mixture will thicken as it cools), then use an offset spatula to spread in an even layer over the creme de menthe filling. Return to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Using foil overhang, carefully lift brownies from pan. Cut into squares and serve. Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

Nutritional values are based on one serving

Calories: 464kcal, Carbohydrates: 54g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 59mg, Sodium: 99mg, Potassium: 223mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 40g, Vitamin A: 380IU, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 3.5mg

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!

Author: Michelle

42 Comments on “Grasshopper Brownies”

Dan — March 16, 2024 @ 10:17 pm Reply
Unfortunately these missed the mark for me. Followed ingredient measurements and used 9×13 pan. All of the layers were too thick and even when sliced into small pieces, it was extremely sweet. The ratios need modifying, I think—I would halve the amounts of everything and decrease the powdered sugar in the buttercream if possible.
Terri — March 19, 2023 @ 12:32 pm Reply
I made these brownies yesterday. My husband and I both agree that these are the BEST mint brownies that we have ever made or eaten. The ratio of filling to ganache to chewy brownie was perfect!! Our guests also gave these delicious brownies rave reviews.
The only thing that I changed was to omit the use of creme de menthe in the mint filling. I used a teaspoon of mint extract and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream to substitute for the liquid (the recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of the creme de menthe).
Thank you Michelle for another delectable recipe. We will definitely be making these again!
Marissa B. — December 27, 2018 @ 7:47 pm Reply
Are these tricky to cut? I have a similar recipe except the chocolate topping just calls for chocolate and butter and they are such a pain to slice without the chocolate top cracking! Wondering if the heavy cream might make them more pliable/easy to cut!
CAROLYN WALDEN — February 28, 2018 @ 2:39 pm Reply
Hi there! Did you use bittersweet for the dark chocolate ganache layer? Thoughts on using chips for the bittersweet in the brownie layer?
- Michelle — March 3, 2018 @ 9:05 pm Reply
  Hi Carolyn, I sort of use dark and bittersweet interchangeably, but the chocolate was 60% cacao if that helps. And yes you could definitely do chips in the brownie layer!
Noreen — March 16, 2016 @ 8:30 pm Reply
Hi Michelle, question, I have these in the oven now and I am curious as to why you bake on the lowest rack. I hope they turn out as beautiful as yours. Thank you!
- Michelle — March 20, 2016 @ 9:28 pm Reply
  Hi Noreen, I hope you enjoy them! The low rack ensures the brownies are baked with a lower, more indirect heat.
Joanna — August 28, 2015 @ 4:51 pm Reply
I just made these last weekend, and they are DIVINE. The chocolate ganache layer was perfect -great consistency! My brownies did take a full hour to cool though, so I had to wait to frost with the creme de menthe. They are very rich -definitely good for large groups since most people can’t eat more than half a brownie. Thanks for the great recipe!
Cristina — October 1, 2014 @ 1:30 pm Reply
Hello. I want to make these for my boyfriend, because he looves mint and dark chocolate. I was wondering if there is any way to make my own creme de methe and creme de cacao, because I cannot find them in my country. Thankies!
- Michelle — October 5, 2014 @ 9:29 am Reply
  Hi Cristina, I’ve never made it, but there are a TON of liquors that you can make at home. If you do some searching around, I’d bet you could find a recipe. Good luck!
Lisa from Wrap with Love — September 29, 2014 @ 9:32 pm Reply
Mmmmmmm! I made these this weekend and they were as tasty as they were beautiful! I served them with some Creme de Menthe flavored whipped cream and it added a wonderful touch. I enjoyed them most when they were out of the frig and still cool.
Valda — March 31, 2014 @ 9:01 pm Reply
I do have a question for you. These look amazing. I had my heart set on making these for a get-together in a couple of weeks, but now I just realized that 2 of the guests are gluten free. We are talking an extreme allergy to gluten. Do you have any idea of how I can still make these, but have them be gluten free? My family is not gluten free, so I have no idea how to do that, and still have them turn out good. Any advice?
- Michelle — April 1, 2014 @ 5:33 pm Reply
  See Also
  Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe | The Vanilla Bean Blog
  Hi Valda, Unfortunately, I am not familiar with gluten-free baking :(
- jan — March 16, 2022 @ 2:18 pm Reply
  There are box gluten brownies. The topping is all gluten free. I make them for my granddaughter all the time. Gluten brownies have a different texture then regular brownie.
Renee @ Awesome on $20 — March 30, 2014 @ 3:15 am Reply
I made something different to this on my blog for St Patrick’s Day, too. They were so awesome. I can’t wait to try this version!
Meg — March 27, 2014 @ 11:08 am Reply
Question – is there any way to whip the Creme de Menthe Filling into a frosting? (ie: I’m looking for a rich mint frosting for a chocoalte cake).
- Michelle — March 29, 2014 @ 1:12 pm Reply
  Hi Meg, Yes! It actually is a bit of a stiff frosting already. If you’d like it to be a little bit more of a spreadable consistency, you could add some heavy cream, a tablespoon at a time, until you get the consistency you want.
wendyworldly — March 21, 2014 @ 7:47 pm Reply
They look yummy (I love fudge-type brownies, chocolate and mint) but was concerned about the amount of oil in these. I’ve made lots of brownie recipes and never seen one with oil. I’d prefer to use butter…could this be substituted?
- Michelle — March 23, 2014 @ 10:11 pm Reply
  Hi Wendy, This particular recipe is meant to emulate a box brownie mix, both in flavor and texture. The oil is key in the development. My other favorite brownie – the Baked brownies (https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/10/08/the-baked-brownie/) – are delicious as well and use butter, but I do feel as though they are too thick and rich for this particular recipe.
Shikha @ Shikha la mode — March 19, 2014 @ 1:02 am Reply
It’s a perfect piece of chocolate and green!
kathy — March 18, 2014 @ 7:30 am Reply
Wow! Look at that thick layer of ganache! I love mint desserts and these look so delicious!
leslie — March 17, 2014 @ 10:09 pm Reply
How can I have survived 38 years and never had a “grasshopper” anything??? I totally am making these brownies!
Lily (A Rhubarb Rhapsody) — March 17, 2014 @ 9:55 pm Reply
That thick layer of ganache has my mouth watering! These look oh so rich and dense. Beautiful!
Tracy | Pale Yellow — March 17, 2014 @ 6:42 pm Reply
Love that creme de cacao is in the ganache, a true grasshopper bar!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) — March 17, 2014 @ 4:36 pm Reply
Gorgeous brownies, your layers are perfect!
Angelyn @ Everyday Desserts — March 17, 2014 @ 4:34 pm Reply
There is pretty much no brownie that I won’t eat and this recipe is no exception – looks delicious!!
Sue Gamble — March 17, 2014 @ 3:18 pm Reply
These bars look great! How did you get them sliced so clean, even and the same size?
- Michelle — March 17, 2014 @ 7:31 pm Reply
  Hi Sue, I slice my brownies and bars with an extra-large pizza cutter (an OXO one). Perfect, clean slices!
  - Sue Gamble — March 18, 2014 @ 11:09 am
    Thank you. Certainly look into getting one.
2 Sisters Recipes — March 17, 2014 @ 3:00 pm Reply
YUM! these bars looks amazing! I bet they taste as good as they look!
Ilona @ Ilona's Passion — March 17, 2014 @ 2:40 pm Reply
Delicious brownies:)
michael — March 17, 2014 @ 1:55 pm Reply
…MMM I love these!! They looks delicious, I could eat two or three of these right now!! :-)
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar — March 17, 2014 @ 11:09 am Reply
Yes pleaaaaase!! These look perfect!!
marcie — March 17, 2014 @ 11:04 am Reply
These look amazing! I love those layers, and they’re perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!
Heather @ Sugar Dish Me — March 17, 2014 @ 9:00 am Reply
Most perfect brownies ever. REALLY! They look so dense and fudgey! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Jenna — March 17, 2014 @ 7:47 am Reply
It looks so good, but anything with cream cheese isn’t for me
once I made brownies with cream cheese filling and couldn’t even swallow the first bite! :)
Chloe @ foodlikecake — March 17, 2014 @ 7:17 am Reply
These look amazing! The brownie base you used looks fudgey and perfect. I need to make these brownies!
Lisa @ Simple Pairings — March 17, 2014 @ 7:01 am Reply
Ah! I bet these are incredible. I love mint + chocolate (who doesn’t, right?) But I love the thick layer of chocolate you added on top of the brownie and mint layer, too! Refreshing and indulgent – what a combination. Just lovely :)
Marie @ Little Kitchie — March 17, 2014 @ 7:01 am Reply
These look fabulous! So dense and decadent!
Ellen Clifford — March 17, 2014 @ 4:58 am Reply
These grasshoppers are my heaven. Seriously. Well done, grasshopper. Wax on!
Averie @ Averie Cooks — March 17, 2014 @ 3:16 am Reply
I love how dense, rich, fudgy and fabulous these look! And that you have a go-to brownie base that fits the bill, i.e. thin, not too sweet, etc. It looks like the perfect base for these! And mint + chocolate = fab! Pinned
Karen @ The Food Charlatan — March 17, 2014 @ 1:42 am Reply
These look so good Michelle! I love that the chocolate layer has cream so that it makes it softer to bite into. Yum.

FAQs

What happens if you use milk instead of water in brownie mix? ›

One change is to use milk or heavy cream instead of water. This change will make brownies more moist and gooey since milk is more fatty and flavorful than water. A second change is to use butter instead of oil. For similar reasons to using milk, butter adds a rich and more decadent quality to the batter.

What are the three types of brownies? ›

Brownie textures fall into three general camps… Cakey, fudgy and chewy. Cakey brownies, like the name implies, are light, moist and airy, with a slightly fluffy, cake-like interior. Fudgy brownies are moist, dense and gooey, with almost the texture of fudge, but not quite as compact.

Get More Info ›

Why do my brownies taste more like cake? ›

Achieving a fudgy brownie is all to do with the ratio of fat to flour. A fudgy brownie recipe will use more fat than flour. Generally this is achieved by adding more butter or real chocolate to your brownie recipe. A cakey brownie recipe on the other hand will call for more flour in the ratio of fat to flour.

How many calories are in 1 grasshopper? ›

Grasshopper

Nutrition Facts
Calories	86
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 1.1g	1 %
Saturated Fat 0.7g	4 %

29 more rows

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What happens if you use milk instead of water in baking? ›

Yes, you may make cakes with milk instead of water. Because fat provides richness and solidity to the cake, milk can increase the cake's moisture content and flavor. 1) Use the same quantity of milk as water called for in the recipe.

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What happens if you substitute milk for water in a cake mix? ›

Baking tip #2: adding milk to your box cake mix in place of water adds a dense texture to your dessert leaving it moist and flavorful like a homemade cake. Or, if you prefer, you can add buttermilk, giving your cake a tangy flavor to balance out the sweetness.

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Upload complete! A: Sure! Milk will make it moister/denser due to the fat content.

How to make brownie mix more chewy? ›

The path to brownies with a fudgy, chewy center — so dense their crumb becomes fine enough to almost (but not quite) disappear — is the combination of melted butter and sugar. Cookbook author Jesse Szewczyk details the science behind using melted (rather than solid) butter in cookies in the secret to fudgier cookies.

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