4th July Firecracker Brownie Bites (Print Version)

Fudgy brownie bites with creamy frosting and red, white, and blue sprinkles for festive occasions.

# What You'll 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 milk

→ Decoration

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

# Directions:

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 butter. Stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
03 - Add cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir just until combined.
04 - Spoon batter evenly into prepared mini muffin cups, filling each about 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, then beat until fluffy. Add milk as needed for a spreadable consistency.
08 - Once brownies are cool, pipe or spread a dollop of frosting on each.
09 - Decorate with red, white, and blue sprinkles. Top with mini sparklers or festive picks if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They bake in 15 minutes, so you can make them the morning of your gathering without stress.
  • The frosting-to-brownie ratio is absolutely perfect when you keep them bite-sized like this.
  • Red, white, and blue sprinkles do half the decorating work for you, making them look fancy with minimal effort.
02 -
  • Overbaking by even two minutes turns these from fudgy to cakey, so set a timer and check early rather than late.
  • Room temperature cream cheese and butter are non-negotiable for smooth frosting, so pull them out of the fridge 30 minutes before mixing.
03 -
  • Use a piping bag with a small round tip for frosting that looks intentionally decorated rather than hastily spread.
  • Keep everything cool during frosting assembly, including your piping bag, so the cream cheese frosting doesn't get soft and slippery.
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