Want a recipe for a gluten free brownie that is a cross between a brownie and a piece of fudge? You’ve come to the right place. This gluten free brownie recipe was a happy accident. My intention was to create regular ol’ cakey gluten free brownies. I can’t tell you where the recipe veered off into fudge land. But it did. And I’m glad it did. Now, if I would only stop sneaking up into the kitchen and shaving off little pieces, I could finish this post:).
I realize it’s the day before Christmas. And most of you already have all of your  goodies baked or at least planned. But just in case you want to sneak in one more yummy dessert, my guess is that you have everything you need to make this recipe, except for maybe the Andes mints. Quick, run to the store. Lickety split, these come together in a ho-ho-ho Merry Christmas kind of flash. And you’ll make Santa very happy when he/she comes down the chimney hauling that satchel.
The Andes mints are definitely optional, but they really push the brownies over the top. I wouldn’t leave them out unless you’re dairy free. And if you are dairy free but want that taste of minty freshness, throw some peppermint extract into the batter. If you want icing on your dairy free brownies, you’ll have to top them with a different type of gluten free icing that doesn’t include the Andes mints. Please forgive me – I would come up with an dairy free icing alternative for you, but I have presents to wrap and suitcases to pack!
Gluten Free Fudge Mint Brownies
adapted from William-Sonoma Kitchen Library Chocolate Cookbook
1/4 c. almond flour
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c. Earth balance butter, room temperature
2 oz. chocolate, about 1/3 cup (I used Trader Joe’s chocolate chips)
1 tbsp light corn syrup
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 package Andes mints (4.67 oz)
Preheat oven to 350Ëš. Grease and use gluten free flour to coat an 8 inch square baking pan.
Sift almond flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and baking powder into a bowl. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine sugars, butter, chocolate, and corn syrup. Continually stir until smooth. Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Allow to cool until barely warm.
Add eggs and vanilla to cooled chocolate mixture. Then add dry mixture, stirring until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 35 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately place Andes mints on surface, slightly pressing them into brownies. After about 30 seconds or when you can see mints beginning to melt, begin smoothing with a spatula or an icing knife, covering the entire surface of the brownies. Transfer pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares. Initially, icing will appear wet. But as the brownies cool, the icing will harden.
Gluten Free Fudge Mint Brownies Before Icing Hardens
Gluten Free Fudge Mint Brownies
To all of my readers and visitors, thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful, safe, and Merry Christmas and know that there is one Gluten Free Diva who is sending her very best wishes to all of you!
Other gluten free recipes that use Andes Mints:
{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
These look amazing! What a great accident! Thanks for sharing
Hi Stephanie – yup. Amazing indeed. I can't stop eating them. I had to really restrain myself from having one for breakfast this morning:)
Hi Ellen,
It's Cinde from the Gluten Free Taste of Home blog; thanks for the comment you left me! I appreciate you linking to my Andes Mint Cheesecake recipe.
Happy Holidays!
You're welcome Cinde. So good to make your acquaintance. And thanks for posting your VERY decadent and delicious looking Andes Mint Cheesecake!
These look to-die-for. And my favorite kind of brownie is the fudgy kind anyway–so I'm glad these didn't turn out cakey! Hope you and yours are having a wonderful holiday together!
Thanks Ricki. Yeah – fudgy brownies rule. Add some dairy free ice cream, and I'm in brownie sundae heaven! Happy Holidays!
Great looking brownies. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
You're most welcome Peter. Glad you stopped by!
I'm all about happy accidents and fudgy brownies!
Yum, Ellen! 
Merry Christmas, dear!
Shirley
Knowing that good things can occur from something you hadn't intended in the first place helps me approach things with a very open attitude! Thanks for stopping by Shirley. And congrats on the new puppy – I can't wait to see pix! Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Gorgeous brownies Ellen and I just love your new site!!
Merry Christmas!
Thanks Heidi. I had lots of fun taking the pictures of these brownies. Since attending blogher '10 in San Fran this past October, I've been doing a lot of experimenting with different picture-taking techniques. And then I had the good fortune of being given a macro lens for my camera. How exciting is that??!!!!
Decadent! Very very decadent.
mmmmm.
Yes indeed. I would agree. Thanks for stopping by Nancy!
Wow, these look incredible, Ellen! Thanks for sharing this recipe! It’s listed on my blog as one of the gluten-free treats that I’ve drooled over this Christmas season. http://www.glutenfreecat.com/?p=2403 I’ll be baking them soon! Hope your Christmas was merry!
They are definitely drool-worthy. They seem to improve with age. Two days after I made them, they're still delicious, which is not always the case for gluten free goodies. They're still fudgy and sticky and chocolatey and delicious!
Sound SO good!
These sound amazing! Minty brownies are seriously my favorite! And the fact that they use almond flour make me even more excited!! And your photos look wonderful! Loving the look of the new site, my friend!
xo
kim
Thanks Kim! I'm very happy with my new wordpress site. Still learning my way around, but having fun with it. And yes, I'm using almond flour more and more, thanks to Elana at http://www.elanaspantry.com. She really has led the way with using almond flour for gluten free baking!
Mint and chocolate! hooray! these brownies look amazing, I look forward to giving them a try. xoox
Prepare to eat the entire pan within, oh, maybe two days of making them. Not kidding:).
Ellen. These. Look. DIVINE.
You are making my potential break from sweets more and more unlikely!
hi,perhaps you can tell me how to make gluten free oat bread without to much sweetner? if you can email me soon,the sooner the better,thanks,serel maness
Hi Serel – I think you can easily decrease the sweetener or use something like stevia (I haven't baked much with it so I can't speak to it, but if you visit Diet, Dessert & Dogs, you'll find lots of examples of baking with stevia. Let me know how you make out once you try it.
Serel, you can also use xylitol in place of sugar. Be forewarned though that large amounts of xylitol can cause some 'intestinal cleansing' in certain people. It's never happened to me or anyone in my house, but I've read at least a few accounts where it did have a cleansing effect on some people, so experiment in small amounts first. Also, it's not advised that you use ALL xylitol in something like a cake that needs to rise. The xylitol is pretty wet and heavy, and it can have a 'different' taste when used in large amounts. But if you do something like half honey and half xylitol, you'll have a great flavor and plenty of sweetness. In the case of something like a bread, I don't see why you can't just use all xylitol. But you will need some 'real' sugar to react with the yeast if you are using it. Just a bit of honey would work well. HTH
Chocolate and mint — a combo fit for a Diva! Mazel tov on your new blog, Ellen! It looks lovely. Wishing you a Healthy Happy GF New Year! xox Karina
Thank you Karina! And yes, chocolate and mint are an absolute amazing combination fit for a diva. I wear it well. Though after eating the entire pan, my waistline is not too happy:).
Hello:
Thanks for the great recipe, but can I substitute something for the earth balance? It has soy oil in it if I remember correctly. Soy is actually worse for me than gluten.
Hi Kathryn – I think you could use dairy butter and I'm betting you could use coconut oil or even liquid vegetable oil. I can't say for absolutely sure, as I've always used either Earth Balance or coconut oil for my gluten free brownies, but that would be my guess. In the ol' days, before I was gluten free, when I would make the boxed brownie mixes (like Dunkin Hines or Betty Crocker), if my memory serves me right, they always called for oil, so that's what I'm basing my advice on. Good luck!
Earth Balance also has a Soy-free variety of spreadable margarine. Otherwise you could use oil (grapeseed, olive, canola, coconut) or perhaps spectrum shortening although it is lacking in flavor.
-Sea
Kathryn, Earth Balance actually makes a soy-free version as well. My Wal-Mart and other local grocers actually carry it. I can't do soy either (it triggered my low thyroid and auto-immune three years ago), and it can get frustrating when trying to find a butter substitute in solid form. I can't have coconut butter either (I am blood type AB, and although coconut and butter are super healthy fats, I don't tolerate the saturated fats, gives me heart palpitations), so it gets even more frustrating for me. But I discovered the soy-free version a few months back, so try looking around for it anywhere that carries Earth Balance.
Earth Balance makes a spread (butter substitute) that is gluten, dairy and soy free. I find it at WalMart or Whole Foods.
Ellen — These look so perfect and yummy! Wow! I would love one right now, actually.
Those look terrific, Ellen. I love mint and chocolate together.
These look amazing!!!
Oh my…you just made my evening. I'm going to try these soon…can't wait.
That rich, chocolate glaze on top makes these look especially good! Plus, the combo of mint and chocolate just can't be beat.
my daughter saw your brownie picture and said, "OH MAMA!! LOOOOOOK". I think we have a winner.
This looks AMAZING. I love that the ingredients are so simple. Half the battle with GF food is that all the recipes contain a million different flours. Thanks for posting.
I love your site–I too have a GF/Food Decorating blog. Feel free to check it out: http://mainlyglutenfreeinnyc.blogspot.com
Thanks again!
Wow! These look SO amazing
Right up our alley for what we like when it comes to brownies. The rich and chewy fudgy kind. I cant wait to try this! 
I love brownies and these look so YUMMY!
These look HEAVENLY!
These look absolutely divine!! I can't wait to try this recipe out! Chocolate + Mint = Absolute Heaven!
oh my goodness! Man am I glad I stopped by this one!!! Yum!
Oh wow! These look amazing!
Now that is a supreme combination! Mixing fudge and mint…so much for my diet this week!
Have you tried the Chia seed flour? It's like the flour of wheat but not gluten and taste completely normal. You can substitute the regular flour in recipes like cake, muffing, or cookies. I have used it and my kids love chocolate chip cookies and brownies too. It is an excellent product and offers Nuchia Foods. http://www.nuchiafoods.com
I've tried chia seed meal, but not flour. I'll keep my eyes open for it. Thanks for the tip.