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.
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?
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.
Brownie Bites with Whipped Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
Brownie Batter
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ ounces semi-sweet chocolate baking bar, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 ½ Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Ganache Topping
- 3 ounces semisweet chocolate baking bar* chopped
- 3 ounces heavy cream
- Toppings for sprinkling over the ganache (such as crushed candy canes, chopped pecans, mini chocolate chips, or sprinkles), optional
Instructions
- 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.
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.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt and fold into the sugar mixture.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- 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.
Make the chocolate ganache.
- Once the brownies are completely cool, place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside.
- 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.
Cut and top the brownies.
- Let the ganache cool for 3 to 5 minutes**. During this time, use a 1.5-1.75 inch round cutter to cut 16 circles from the brownie. (You will have scraps leftover for snacking!)
- Use an electric hand mixer to whip the ganache on medium-high speed for about one minute, until it becomes light and fluffy and lighter in color.
- 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
Nutrition
Nicole
I made these and I didn’t have anything to cut them into circles with so I baked them in a mini cupcake pan and they came out so good! I only baked them for about 15 minutes
Valerie Gordon
I wanted to scale the recipe up to 3x, but I noticed the pan size didn't change.
Allison Ferraro
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
Chelsea
How many days in advance can you make this recipe?
Allison Ferraro
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
Joann
Can you tell me how tall these brownies were?
Allison Ferraro
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
Debbie
Do you think mini muffin tins could be used in this recipe rather than the baking pan? Thanks.
Allison
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
Sarah
Hello, how many grams of chocolate do I have to use for brownies?
Allison
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
Brenda Barrett
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.
Allison
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