4th of July Firecracker Brownie Bites (Printable Version)

Fudgy brownie bites topped with creamy frosting and red, white, and blue sprinkles.

# What You Need:

→ 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 to 2 tablespoons whole milk

→ Decoration

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

# How-To:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're small enough to pop in your mouth but rich enough to feel like a real dessert, not just a snack.
  • The cream cheese frosting cuts through the chocolate in a way that keeps you reaching for more instead of feeling overwhelmed.
  • Decorating them is genuinely fun—this is one of those recipes where the messy part is the best part.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling them completely before frosting, or the frosting will melt and slide off into a sad puddle.
  • The difference between a fudgy brownie and a dry one is literally two minutes of baking time, so set a timer and check early.
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients mix together more smoothly, so pull your eggs and cream cheese out about 30 minutes before you start cooking.
  • Store them in the fridge in an airtight container because the cream cheese frosting softens quickly at room temperature, and they'll taste better when they're a little chilled anyway.
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