• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Always Eat Dessert
  • Recipes
  • Baking Tips
  • About
    • Contact
  • Work with Me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Baking Tips
  • About
  • Work with Me
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Baking Tips
    • About
    • Work with Me
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home

    Brownie Bites with Whipped Chocolate Ganache

    Published: Dec 4, 2019 by Allison Ferraro · Modified: Jul 24, 2020 · 12 Comments

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    Homemade brownie bites topped with whipped chocolate ganache are a crowd-pleasing dessert for any party! These elevated mini brownies are baked from scratch and taste 10,000 times better than store bought brownie bites. Sprinkle them with extra toppings - like crushed peppermint candy canes or chopped pecans - for an easy and customizable chocolate dessert.

    side view of brownie bites with chocolate ganache on a white background this Recipe

    Since a picture is worth 1,000 words, I don't think that these brownie bites need much of an introduction. I mean, do you see those decadent, fudgy brownies? Are you drooling over the swirls of chocolate ganache?

    side view of brownie bites with chocolate ganache on a white background

    To make this easy chocolate dessert, I simply repurposed my recipe for fudgy chocolate brownies (because why mess with perfection?) and used a circular cutter to cut the tray of brownies into small circles. Atop each brownie bite I piped rich and creamy whipped chocolate ganache. And, if you really want to go the extra mile, you can even sprinkle fun toppings - like crushed candy canes, chopped pecans, mini chocolate chips, or sprinkles - over the ganache.

    side view of brownie bites with chocolate ganache on a white background
    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

    Brownie Bites with Whipped Chocolate Ganache


    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 reviews

    • Author: Allison Ferraro
    • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes (does not include cooling time for brownies)
    • Yield: 16 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    Homemade brownie bites topped with whipped chocolate ganache are an easy, customizable, and crowd-pleasing dessert for any party!


    Ingredients

    Scale

    for the brownies:

    • ½ cup unsalted butter
    • 1 ½ oz. semi-sweet chocolate baking bar, coarsely chopped
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ cup plus 1 ½ T brown sugar
    • 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
    • 2 large eggs, room temperature
    • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
    • ⅔ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
    • 2 tsp. espresso powder
    • ¾ teaspoon salt

    for the ganache topping:

    • 3 oz semisweet chocolate baking bar*, chopped
    • 3 oz heavy cream
    • optional: toppings for sprinkling over the ganache (such as crushed candy canes, chopped pecans, mini chocolate chips, or sprinkles)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8"x8" metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang so that you can easily pull the baked brownies out of the pan using the parchment paper. Set the pan aside.
    2. Make the brownies. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments. Whisk until smooth. Add both sugars and whisk until combined. Add vanilla and eggs and whisk until combined.
    3. Add flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt and fold into the sugar mixture. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
    4. Bake for 30-35 minutes. The tops should appear shiny and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before removing them by lifting up on the edges of the parchment paper.
    5. Make the chocolate ganache. Once the brownies are completely cool, place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside.
    6. Add the heavy cream to a small saucepan and heat just until simmering. Pour the simmering cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes. Then whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny.
    7. Let the ganache cool for 3 to 5 minutes**. During this time, use a 1.5-1.75 inch round cutter to cut the brownies into 16 circles. (You will have scraps leftover for snacking!)
    8. Use a handheld electric mixer to whip the ganache on medium-high speed for about one minute, until it becomes light and fluffy and lighter in color.
    9. Immediately add the whipped ganache to a piping bag (or plastic bag with the corner snipped off) fitted with the piping tip of your choice and pipe the ganache onto the brownie bites**. Add any extra toppings (if using).

    Notes

    Brownie bites are best served the same day they're made. However, you can bake the brownies in advance and freeze them, then defrost, slice, and top the brownies with ganache on the day you plan to serve them.

    *Be sure to use a nice quality chocolate baking bar, not chocolate chips (which will not yield the proper consistency for the ganache).

    **Do not let the ganache sit for too long before whipping or before piping onto the brownies. If it sits too long before whipping it will become thick and gloppy when whipped, and if the whipped ganache sits too long before piping it will become too firm to pipe.

    • Prep Time: 35 minutes
    • Cook Time: 35 minutes
    • Category: Dessert, Brownies

    Keywords: brownie bites, chocolate ganache, mini chocolate dessert

    More

    • Easy Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
    • How to Freeze Pies & Pie Crust Dough
    • Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
    • Perfect Homemade Pie Crust

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Valerie Gordon

      April 26, 2022 at 9:15 am

      I wanted to scale the recipe up to 3x, but I noticed the pan size didn't change.

      Reply
      • Allison Ferraro

        April 26, 2022 at 10:31 pm

        Hi Valerie! You're correct... scaling the recipe re-calculates the ingredients but not the instructions. The recipe can be easily doubled and baked in a 9x13 (note that they may need an extra minute or two of baking time, since a double recipe will yield slightly thicker brownies in a 9x13 pan compared to a single recipe in an 8x8 pan). I'm afraid there's not a standard size pan that accommodates a triple recipe, so I would recommend dividing the batter among a 9x13 pan and an 8x8 pan (with 2/3 of the batter going in the 9x13 pan and 1/3 in the 8x8 pan).
        - Allison

        Reply
    2. Chelsea

      September 01, 2021 at 2:19 am

      How many days in advance can you make this recipe?

      Reply
      • Allison Ferraro

        September 01, 2021 at 6:06 am

        Brownies are best served the day they're made, but if you must make them in advance I'd advise making the brownies just one day ahead and adding the topping the day you plan to serve. You could also bake them, wrap them tightly with plastic once completely cooled, and freeze for up to a month before defrosting and serving. If freezing, freeze without the ganache topping and add it the day you plan to serve. The brownies will keep for several days, but their texture will be optimal the day they're made.
        - Allison

        Reply
    3. Joann

      April 07, 2021 at 5:29 pm

      Can you tell me how tall these brownies were?

      Reply
      • Allison Ferraro

        April 10, 2021 at 9:26 pm

        Hi Joann! I'm afraid I can't say with certainty since I haven't measured them, but I would guess they are between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick. Their thickness is in line with other fudgy brownie recipes I've tried. If you prefer a taller/thicker brownie, definitely check out my recipe for chewy fudgy homemade brownies!
        - Allison

        Reply
    4. Debbie

      June 19, 2020 at 3:37 pm

      Do you think mini muffin tins could be used in this recipe rather than the baking pan? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Allison

        June 19, 2020 at 3:53 pm

        Hi Debbie! I have not tested this recipe using a mini muffin pan; however, I do think it would work! Just be sure to keep an eye on the brownies as they bake (by peeking through the door with the oven light on, rather than opening the oven door) to be sure that they don't over bake. Slicing the baked brownies as shown in the recipe ensures soft edges, and there's a risk of crispy brownie edges if they're baked in a muffin pan, which is why I suggest keeping a close eye on them. If you do give this method a try I'd love to hear how it turns out.
        Happy Baking!
        -Allison

        Reply
    5. Sarah

      December 30, 2019 at 10:59 am

      Hello, how many grams of chocolate do I have to use for brownies?

      Reply
      • Allison

        December 30, 2019 at 2:33 pm

        Hi Sarah! The brownies call for 2 types of chocolate: semi-sweet baking chocolate and unsweetened natural cocoa powder. For the semi-sweet chocolate, the brownies call for 1.5 ounces, which translates to about 42.5 grams. I did not weigh my ingredients for this recipe, so I cannot give you a 100% accurate conversion for the cocoa powder. However, I did a quick search online and, according to Joy of Baking, there are 85 grams in 1 cup of unsweetened natural cocoa powder. Since this recipe calls for 2/3 cup cocoa powder, that would translate to about 54.5 grams. Again, I did not weigh my ingredients and so I can’t confirm this cup-to-grams conversion, but that would be my best guess.
        I hope this helps, and happy baking!
        xx Allison

        Reply
    6. Brenda Barrett

      December 07, 2019 at 9:32 am

      I made these for my book club Christmas party and they were a big hit. I cut them in tiny squares so I got 30 instead of 16 but, they’re not quite as pretty. This will be my new go-to brownie recipe. Even without the ganache they’re the best brownies I’ve ever eaten.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Allison

        December 07, 2019 at 4:05 pm

        I'm so glad you loved this recipe and that they were a big hit at your party! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂

        xx Allison

        Reply

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆
    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Allison Ferraro headshot

    Hi there!

    I'm Allison, the cookie-obsessed baker, recipe creator, and food photographer behind Always Eat Dessert.

    Here you’ll find made-from-scratch recipes designed for busy people who love to bake. From cookies to cakes, you'll discover detailed, easy-to-follow dessert recipes for everyday life along with practical baking tips to help you whip up indulgent treats from scratch with confidence. Baking from scratch doesn't have to be an all day affair, and I'm here to prove it!

    Get to know Allison →

    Summer Dessert Recipes

    • Mini Summer Fruit Tarts
    • S'mores Peanut Butter Cups
    • Blueberry Lemon Snack Cake
    • Grilled Strawberry Shortcake

    Reader Favorites

    • Homemade Pizza Buns
    • Homemade Bronuts (Brownie Donuts)
    • Strawberry Meringue Roses
    • Chewy Fudgy Homemade Brownies

    Top Tips

    • How to Melt Chocolate in a Double Boiler
    • How to Line Pans with Parchment Paper
    • Mixing Methods in Baking: How to Fold, Beat & Stir
    • How to Grate Carrots for Carrot Cake
    logos of media outlets featuring Always Eat Dessert recipes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Portfolio
    • Work with Me

    Policies

    • Privacy Policy

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Subscribe

    COPYRIGHT © 2022 ALWAYS EAT DESSERT, LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED