Delicious and festive Mint Brownie Cookies -- like a mint brownie but in cookie form! The chocolate cookie base is made with a brownie mix for an authentic brownie-tasting cookie. These fudgy and rich cookies are topped with peppermint frosting and a chocolate mint ganache.
PREP: Line a large sheet pan with a silicone liner and set aside. Bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature by either leaving out for 1 hour or by microwaving the (unwrapped) cream cheese in increments of 5-10 seconds until soft. Separately microwave the butter for 5 seconds, flipping to the other side, and microwaving for another 5 seconds. Be careful not to melt or overly soften either ingredient.
CREAM BUTTER: In a large bowl fitted to a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer,) cream together the cream cheese and butter until completely smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy.
DRY INGREDIENTS: Add in the dry pudding mix and brownie mix. (See Note 1). Beat to combine. (The dough will be extremely thick and takes a while to form into dough. This is intended. Just keep mixing and it will all come together even though it seems like it won't.)
ADD-INS: Stir in the mint baking chips and milk chocolate chips. (See Note 2.) Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
FORM DOUGH BALLS: Measure each cookie dough ball to be a full, packed 2 tablespoons of dough (40 grams). Knead the dough ball to get the chocolate chips to stick into the dough and then roll it into a ball. Shape dough balls into wide, thick discs about 2 inches wide and 1/2-inch thick. You should get about 28-30 cookies from this batter. Place 6-8 cookies on the prepared cookie sheet, giving cookies ample room to spread.
BAKE: Bake each batch for 10-14 minutes. Slightly underbaking these cookies gives them a chewy taste and texture like ultra fudge-y brownies, so err on the side of slightly under-baking. Remove from the oven. (See Note 3.)
FROSTING: While the cookies are cooling, prepare the frosting. Beat together softened to room temperature cream cheese and butter until completely smooth. Add in the peppermint extract and optional green food coloring. Add in the powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and combined (it may seem like it's not coming together but resist the urge to add any liquid; it is intended to be a thick frosting). Frost each cooled cookie. If needed, gently press the frosting down to adhere to the cookie.
GANACHE: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the mint chips, chocolate chips, and heavy cream. Microwave in bursts of 15 seconds stirring in between each burst until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Transfer to a plastic bag and then cut off the tip. Generously drizzle the ganache over each cookie. Alternatively, you can dip the cookie into the ganache, but this does get a bit messy and can end up fairly thick. (You may need to place the ganache back in the microwave for 10 seconds during the process.) Allow ganache to set at room temperature, about 1-2 hours. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Note 1: It is very important you get the right-sized brownie mix (18 ounces). Otherwise, these cookies won't turn out right! We tested many brownie mixes and the one called for in the recipe was by far our favorite.Note 2: Unwrap and coarsely chop Andes Mints if you aren't able to find mint baking chips.Note 3: Sometimes the edges of freshly baked cookies have a tendency to leak out. Use the back of a spoon or metal spatula to press the edges in towards the center of the cookie right out of the oven.