Brownie Bites
These irresistible Brownie Bites deliver intense chocolate flavor in perfect two-bite portions. With a crackly top and fudgy center, they combine the best textures of classic brownies with the convenience and charm of bite-sized treats.
Ingredients
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped (or high-quality chocolate chips)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon espresso powder optional, enhances chocolate flavor
- ½ cup chocolate chips or chunks semi-sweet, milk, or dark according to preference
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and generously grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray or butter. Don’t skip this step—properly greased cups ensure your brownie bites release cleanly.
- Melt the butter and chocolate together in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each until completely smooth. Be careful not to overheat—stop microwaving when a few small chocolate pieces remain and stir until they melt from the residual heat.
- Whisk the sugar into the chocolate mixture until well combined, then let it cool for about 5 minutes. The mixture should be warm but not hot to prevent cooking the eggs in the next step.
- Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition until fully incorporated. Then stir in the vanilla extract until the mixture becomes shiny and smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder (if using) to remove any lumps.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula, mixing just until no flour streaks remain. Overmixing will lead to dense, tough brownies.
- Fold in the chocolate chips or chunks, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.
- Fill each mini muffin cup about ¾ full with batter. An ice cream scoop or small cookie scoop works perfectly for this task, ensuring even-sized bites.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). The secret to fudgy brownies is slight underbaking—they’ll continue cooking from residual heat.
- Allow the brownie bites to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully run a butter knife around the edges and gently lift them out to cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- For extra-fudgy brownie bites, you can refrigerate them for an hour after they’ve cooled completely.
- If you don’t have a mini muffin tin, you can use a regular muffin tin and increase the baking time to 18-20 minutes.
- These freeze beautifully! Layer them between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- For a more intense chocolate flavor, use high-quality chocolate with at least 60% cocoa content.
- The espresso powder doesn’t make them taste like coffee—it merely enhances the chocolate flavor.