4th July firecracker brownie bites (Printable Version)

Fudgy, bite-sized brownies with creamy frosting and patriotic sprinkles for your festive gatherings.

# Components:

→ Brownie Bites

01 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
06 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

→ Frosting

09 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
11 - 1 cup powdered sugar
12 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - 1-2 tablespoons milk

→ Decoration

14 - Red, white, and blue sprinkles
15 - Mini sparkler toppers or festive toothpicks (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan or line with mini paper liners.
02 - In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter. Stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
03 - Add cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir just until combined.
04 - Spoon batter evenly into prepared mini muffin cups, filling each approximately 3/4 full.
05 - Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
06 - Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
07 - Beat softened cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, then beat until fluffy. Add milk as needed to achieve spreadable consistency.
08 - Once brownies are completely cooled, pipe or spread a dollop of frosting on each.
09 - Top with red, white, and blue sprinkles. Add mini sparklers or festive picks if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They're small enough that you can eat three without feeling guilty, yet rich enough that two will satisfy any chocolate craving.
  • The cream cheese frosting takes them from ordinary to something people ask about all night long.
  • They come together in under an hour, which means you can make them the morning of your celebration without stress.
02 -
  • Testing for doneness is everything with these tiny brownies, since a minute too long transforms fudgy into cakey.
  • Frosting warm brownies is a guarantee for melted mess, so patience to let them cool completely will save you frustration.
  • If your frosting seems too soft, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes before piping to make it easier to work with.
03 -
  • Use a small ice cream scoop to portion the batter evenly so all your brownies bake at the same rate and finish simultaneously.
  • If you don't have a mini muffin pan, you can make these in a standard muffin pan and reduce baking time by a few minutes, though you'll get fewer, larger bites.
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