Why do I sometimes prefer brownie bites to mini cupcakes?
Well...let me tell you! I was setting out desserts on a dessert table tray once, and hit a problem when I got to some light mini cupcakes.
What happened? Part of the problem was the not-100%-level table...but I had a big issue with the mini cupcakes tipping over!
I’ve seen mini cupcakes be a HUGE hit so many times! They'll sometimes disappear completely at get-togethers ranging from family dinners to summer picnics to baby showers to weddings. They're light, cute, and delicious!
But they can often be so light at the base - and top-heavy from the frosting - that they tend to fall over! Inconvenient for one. Irritating since that tends to get frosting everywhere. And even more annoying when they fall over into each other and make an even bigger mess.
Conundrums. Because those minis *are* so fun, so cute, and so popular! They're also simple to make, and super easy to decorate. So what to do?
Easy fix?
Instead of light cupcake batter - make mini brownie bites! They can easily be made from scratch OR doctored-up mixes, and they’re easy to decorate, festive, delicious, and can serve a large crowd! Recipe below!
Like most brownie recipes, you have tons of options here! If you’d rather doctor up brownie mixes, use your favorite boxed mix (I usually go with Ghiradelli), substitute butter for the oil, replace the water with milk, and add an extra egg!
One quick FYI before we get to the recipe -
Okay, so I've made a few rounds of these brownie bites at this point. And a couple times I started to doubt my own advice about using the mini cupcake liners. A few batches *stuck* to the cupcake liners and were real buggers to get out of the liners!
Over time I've realized I have trouble with the liners sticking when I'm not paying attention and over-bake the brownie bites. If the brownies aren't hard/crunchy on the edges, then the cupcake liners usually release fine.
If hard and crunchy brownie edges are you jam, then I'd really recommend baker's floured spray over the mini cupcake liners. That should help keep them from sticking to the pan, but also prevent the aggravation of trying to peel off stuck-on cupcake liners from your dessert.
Okay - I think that covers everything! Scroll on down for the recipe! 🙂 Enjoy!
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Easy Brownie Bites
Equipment
- Mini cupcake pans (48 cups total)
- 48 Mini cupcake liners (optional)
- piping bag, disposable (optional, but makes transferring batter to pans much easier)
- small piping bag + tip (I used a small resusable bag and a Wilton 1M)
Ingredients
Brownies bites
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, melted)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- 6 ounces cream cheese (¾ package; softened)
- ¾ cup butter (1 ½sticks, softened)
- 4 ½ - 5 cups powdered sugar
- ½ - 1 Tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
Decorations
- Sprinkle mix of your choice (Optional; I used ‘Thank You Next’ Sprinkle Mix by FancySprinkles – I can’t find it online anymore, but their ‘Cotton Candy Kiss’ mix is very similar!)
Instructions
Brownies bites
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 24-cup mini cupcake pans with mini liners or grease with non-stick or baker’s floured cooking spray. (Though for ease of cleanup and serving I recommend the liners!)
- Mix together melted butter and granulated and brown sugars. Whisk in eggs until well combined. Whisk in cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and gradually stir in all-purpose flour until combined. Stir in vanilla and chocolate chips, and pour into a large piping bag. You can transfer the batter to the cupcake pans with a spoon, but it tends to be a painful process and make a huge mess – I highly recommend the piping bag!
- Bake for 18-20 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean) – don’t overbake these; the paper liners will become difficult to remove if the edges of the brownies are too caramelized and dry.
- Cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired. (The waiting time while the brownies cool is a great time to make your frosting!)
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt if needed and beat until well combined.
Decorating
- Now you’re ready to decorate! I used the large open star from my large tip set when I piped the frosting onto the brownies – frost to your liking!
- Add sprinkles to your liking – I started with larger ones centered where I thought they looked best and then added smaller ones on around them. (You could also skip the ‘placement’ and just sprinkle them over the top – either works! Placing the sprinkles sometimes makes for a more polished look - but the second one’s more fun!)
- Annnd you’re done! High-five yourself –and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Mentioned in post - Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
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