4th of July Firecracker Brownie Bites (Printable Version)

Fudgy brownie bites topped with creamy frosting and patriotic sprinkles for a festive treat.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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 ounces 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 milk

→ Decoration

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

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan or line each cup with mini paper liners.
02 - In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the 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 the batter evenly into the 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 softened 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 the brownies are completely cool, pipe or spread a dollop of frosting on top of each bite.
09 - Top each frosted brownie bite with red, white, and blue sprinkles. Add mini sparklers or festive toothpicks if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're fudgy and rich without being heavy, which means you can eat more than one without feeling guilty about it.
  • The cream cheese frosting adds a tangy balance that makes them taste way more sophisticated than tiny chocolate cakes have any right to taste.
  • They come together in under an hour and look like you spent actual effort, which is the best kind of recipe when people are coming over.
02 -
  • Don't pull them out of the oven the second the toothpick comes out clean, or they'll be dry—those few moist crumbs are what keeps them fudgy even after they cool.
  • The frosting needs to be thick enough to hold its shape on top of such a small brownie, so resist the urge to add too much milk even if it seems stiff at first.
03 -
  • Room-temperature ingredients blend together more easily and create a smoother, more uniform batter with fewer lumps.
  • A mini ice cream scoop or melon baller makes filling the muffin cups so much faster and more even, and somehow the brownies rise more uniformly when you do it this way.
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