Easy 30-Minute Brownie Bites
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I could eat 100 of these homemade brownie bites! With just a handful of pantry staple ingredients, they’re ridiculously chewy, chocolatey, simple to make, and the batter comes together in minutes. And I cannot stress this enough, everyone loves them. It’s truly the easiest party dessert ever!
It’s not that we really needed to do anything to brownies. We already have chocolate and chewiness and fudginess. But, if I could be a little selfish here? Sometimes, I’m not in the mood for slicing a bunch of bars and making them look pretty. Sometimes, I just want to scoop, bake, and throw everything on a platter.
And that’s what we get with these little bite-sized treats. Brownies have been my go-to party dessert since, idk, high school? I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a brownie. But these are even better because all you have to do is sprinkle them with flaky salt and let the people party.
This dessert is based on the triple chocolate brownies I’ve been making since I was in pastry school. They are uber chocolatey, the chewiest, and have a pretty shiny top. Better than store-bought every time.
If you want even more bite-size party desserts, make sure to check out these brown buttery mini chocolate chip cookies, my ridiculously chocolatey mini chocolate cupcakes, or these crowd-pleasing mini Oreo cheesecakes. They’re some of my favorites!
Butter vs. oil
You can use oil or butter in brownies, but I typically use butter. It honestly just tastes better. And butter is key for a shiny top and soft brownies!
So needless to say, you will need 10 Tablespoons of unsalted butter for this recipe. You’ll also want to pick up bittersweet chocolate, sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, espresso powder, Morton’s Kosher salt, and flaky salt.
The espresso powder and flaky salt are optional but definitely recommended. The espresso powder helps the brownies taste more chocolatey and the flaky salt sprinkle offsets the sweetness. So good!
Grease the pan
First thing’s first, you have to spray the mini muffin tin really, really well. I swear, it’s key for making sure the brownies come out nice and pretty (and not smushed). I tried a few different methods when I was testing this recipe: brushing the muffin tins with avocado oil, using regular cooking spray, and using baking spray.
The avocado oil and cooking spray worked ok but some of the brownies still stuck to the pan. But the baking spray worked perfectly! Baking spray has flour mixed in with the oil and it’s so helpful for getting those brownies out.
You can find baking spray in the baking aisle of the grocery store or online. Just make sure it has flour in it!
Mix the batter
Be careful not to overheat the butter-chocolate mixture or the chocolate will seize and have a grainy texture. You want it to be very warm but not crazy hot.
Scoop & bake
It can be hard to tell when brownies are done, so use this little pastry school trick! Insert a toothpick in-between the center and the edges of the bites. If there’s a few moist crumbs, they’re ready to go. If the batter is still wet, keep baking.
Getting the brownies out of the pan
Before you try to get miniature brownies out of the pan, make sure they’re completely set and cool. If the brownies are too hot, they will totally crumble apart.
Then, you’ll want to use something long and thin like a butter knife to carefully release the edges of the brownies from the muffin cups. At that point, they should just pop out of the cups. If not, give the edges another quick once-over!
Freezing & storing brownies
Place leftover brownies in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Shiny top
If you love a brownie with a shiny top (who doesn’t?) there are a few easy ways to get the look! First of all, you want to mix the sugar into the hot butter-chocolate mixture until it’s mostly dissolved. Then, after you add the eggs, mix the chocolate mixture for another 3-4 minutes. This creates sort of a ‘meringue’ which gives the brownies that shiny, crackly top.
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Chewy Brownie Bites From Scratch
Ingredients
- 142 grams unsalted butter (10 Tablespoons)
- 60 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped (2 ounces)
- 200 grams sugar (1 cup)
- 48 grams cocoa powder, sifted (1/2 cup)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 60 grams all-purpose flour (1/2 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
Equipment
- Mini muffin pan
- Baking spray
- Mixing bowls
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease the cups of a mini muffin pan with a generous amount of baking spray. Set aside.
- Add the butter and bittersweet chocolate to a large microwave-safe mixing bowl. Melt the butter and chocolate together in 30-second increments, stirring in-between rounds, until it's melted, smooth, and very warm.
- While the chocolate-butter mixture is still hot, add the sugar. Using a hand mixer, beat the sugar into the butter-chocolate mixture until the sugar is mostly dissolved, about 2-3 minutes. Then, add the cocoa powder and stir until the batter is smooth.
- Then, add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract. Turn the mixer to high and beat the chocolate mixture until it's slightly lightened in color and texture, about 3-4 minutes.
- Fold the flour, instant espresso powder, and salt into the chocolate mixture just until the batter is fully combined.
- Using a #60 cookie scoop, divide the batter between the mini muffin cups, until they're about 3/4 full. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until an inserted toothpick has just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the brownies cool in the mini muffin pan until they're cooled and completely set, about 15-30 minutes. Use a small butter knife to gently release the brownies from the muffin cups. Sprinkle with flaky salt and enjoy!
Notes
Originally published on August 7, 2024.
