Black Bottom Brownie Bites are a mini version of the cupcakes I first made in high school. This bite-sized treat is terrific! A perfect antidote for your chocolate cravings.

These Chocolate Mini Cupcakes are a terrific size for snacking or when you just need a little something sweet! This delicious combination of flavors has stood the test of time!

Mini chocolate cupcakes in a white bowl.

Why You Must Make

  • Mini Desserts are perfect when your family or guests just need a little something sweet!
  • These bite-sized desserts are a cross between chocolate cupcakes, mini brownies, and cheesecake. It’s like 3 desserts in every bite.
  • These Brownie Bites are so versatile, whether you use them for afterschool snacks, game day, or a dessert buffet, they’ll be well-loved.
  • My recipe inspiration was from Fine Cooking, an excellent magazine for cooks.

Ingredient Notes

  • Kitchen Staples – Butter, Salt, Sugar, All-Purpose Flour
  • Unsweetened Chocolate – I use a Ghirardelli bar
  • Eggs – Bring to room temperature for easy incorporation into the batter.
  • Mini Chocolate Chips – I use Ghirardelli brand chips, but Nestles works well, too.
  • Real Vanilla Extract – Make sure it’s real vanilla, the word artificial should not appear on the label.
  • Cream Cheese – Bring to room temperature for easy mixing.
2 Brownie Bites in small round dishes.

Expert Tips

  • Line your mini muffin tin with paper wrappers. The mini cupcake liners will prevent the brownie bites from sticking to the pan.
  • To serve, place each mini cupcake into a second paper baking cup for the best presentation. Use festive holiday versions for special gatherings.
  • Don’t overfill the tin with chocolate batter. Aim for about 2/3 full. You’ll be adding cream cheese filling and that will need space plus there is some leavening in the brownie recipe so they’ll rise a bit as they bake.
  • You can make half a batch if you don’t want a full batch. Since you’ll need to split a yolk for the cream cheese filling, it’s easiest to whisk a whole egg yolk, then measure out 1/2 tablespoon which is 1 1/2 teaspoons. This amount is equivalent to half a yolk.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Fill Mini Cupcakes?

These mini cupcakes/brownie bites are filled just by spooning or piping the filling into the middle of the brownie batter.
The filling batter is denser than the chocolate batter, so it will sink down into the cupcake as it bakes.

How Long Do You Bake Brownie Bites?

The baking time will vary depending on your oven, but these mini cupcakes will take about 20 minutes. Make sure to test them with a toothpick for any batter which indicates they need a little more time in the oven.

How Do You Get Brownie Bites Out of the Pan?

Use paper baking cups to line the mini cupcake/muffin tin. This will ensure that the brownies will not stick.

Otherwise, make sure you grease the tin well. Use an oil and flour spray like Baker’s Joy to make it easy. Let the brownie bites cool for just 5 minutes as otherwise, they might be difficult to remove if they cool completely in the pan.

How Do You Store Brownie Bites?

These are safe to store at room temperature for 2-3 days. After that, freeze them in an airtight container, separating the layers with wax or parchment paper, for up to 3 months. Just defrost overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

How Do You Make Brownies Better?

The easy answer is to add a filling! Cream cheese filling is an excellent option, but you can also insert or mix in small chocolate-covered candies like Rolos or peanut butter cups. And my family loves creamy chocolate buttercream frosting on their brownies.

You May Also Like

Mini desserts are perfect for cocktail parties, dinner parties, dessert buffets, and more. Here is some more inspiration:

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Two mini chocoate cupcakes on a square white plate

Black Bottom Brownie Bites

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Yield 5 dozen

Cream cheese and chocolate chip filled brownies adapted from Fine Cooking

Ingredients

Brownies:

  • ½ cup butter, cut into pieces
  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 4 eggs, at room temperature
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 ¼ cups flour

For the Topping:

  • 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
  • ½ cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for garnishing

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350º. Line mini-muffin tins with paper liners (will make approximately 5 dozen). Set aside.
  2. Melt butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, stopping and stirring at 30-second increments, till melted and smooth. Set aside.
  3. Beat eggs and salt till foamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar while continuing to beat till thick and a pale lemon color, about 3 minutes.
  4. Fold in the chocolate and vanilla until it's just incorporated.
  5. Fold in flour till just incorporated.
  6. Put batter in a gallon zip-lock bag, remove air, and seal. Set aside to make the topping.
  7. With a wooden spoon, mix cream cheese and sugar till smooth and creamy. Mix in the egg yolk, then chocolate chips. Put filling into a quart-sized zip-lock bag, remove air, and seal.
  8. Snip off a ½-inch corner of each bag. Pipe the brownie batter into muffin cups, filling ⅔ full.
  9. Next, pipe approximately 1 teaspoon of topping onto the center of each brownie. Sprinkle with a few mini-chocolate chips if desired.
  10. Bake for about 20 minutes or till a toothpick inserted into the brownie comes out clean.
  11. Cool for 5 minutes before removing bites to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
  12. If reusing muffin tins, make sure they are cool before filling them with batter.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

30

Serving Size:

2 cupcakes

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 172Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 62mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 3g

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