chocolate covered brownie bites

these brownie bites balance fudgy dark chocolate middles with glossy milk chocolate shells. each two-bite square has that perfect crackly top, nestled quietly beneath its chocolate coating. enough to satisfy a craving, with a richness that makes you pause and savour the moment.

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these bite-sized brownie treats begin with a pan of perfectly fudgy homemade brownies. each tiny square is dipped in silky melted chocolate, creating a delicate shell that gives way to the softest, richest brownie centre. keep these in a little jar on your counter, ready for afternoon tea or quiet evening cravings when only chocolate will do.

why you will love these fudgy brownie bites

• easy recipe with simple ingredients – these easy chocolate covered brownie bites use a small amount of ingredients that you probably already have at home, making it easy for bakers of all levels. this recipe takes a simple, classic brownie and just makes it a little bit more exciting!

• perfect ratio of coating to brownie – because these fudgy brownies are small and bitesized, each bite is packed with smooth chocolate shell and that fudgy brownie middle. so great as a little snack!

• great for gifting – portion these out into little bags or jars for the cutest homemade gifts. so easy to make but looks like you’ve put a lot of effort in!

learn how to make these delicious brownie bites from scratch

these brownie bites dipped in chocolate can be made with just a few simple ingredients! we’re going to start off by melting dark chocolate and butter together. then we’ll add oil until the mixture becomes slightly loose, and then set this aside. in another bowl, we‘ll whisk together eggs, sugar and vanilla until the mixture increase in volume. add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg and sugar mixture until incorporated, and then add a mix of flour and cocoa powder to form a thick, brownie batter. bake brownie until fudgy on the inside with a crackly top, let cool completely, then slice up into bite sized pieces. top brownie bites with melted milk chocolate until coated, let the chocolate set, and we’re done!

brownie bites ingredients:

• butter – i use salted butter for these brown brownie bites (my fave salted butter). you are also welcome to use unsalted butter in this brownie bites recipe, but i would recommend adding around 1/4 tsp of salt to the dry ingredients to balance out the sweetness.

• dark chocolate – i like to melt down dark chocolate with butter for the base of these brownies. the dark chocolate provides the perfect balance to the sweetness of these brownies, especially since we’ll be coating each individual brownie bite with milk chocolate later. you can also make this brownie recipe using chocolate chips instead of melting down a bar of chocolate.

• oil – i like to make this brownie recipe using oil and butter, as i find that the combination of both makes these brownie bites extra fudgy. just use any neutral-tasting oil.

• eggs – this brownie bites recipe uses 2 large eggs.

• granulated sugar – this brownie bites recipe uses granulated sugar. we’ll be whisking together the eggs and sugars until the sugar dissolves so that we can get that beautiful crackly top! (although we’ll be coating these in chocolate so the top of the brownie will be hidden anyway).

• vanilla extract – optional, but will add a nice, subtle vanilla flavour.

• flour – we’ll be using plain flour/all purpose flour for this brownie recipe.

• cocoa powder – i make this brownie recipe using cocoa powder – just any unsweetened cocoa powder will work for this brownie bites recipe.

• milk chocolate – this is optional but i like to dip the brownie bites in melted milk chocolate to make them extra chocolatey! i make this brownie bites recipe without chocolate chips, but feel free to also add chocolate chunks or chocolate chips to the brownie batter if you want these brownie bites to be packed with chocolate.

tools:

• small mixing bowls – we’ll need a small mixing bowl for the butter and dark chocolate mixture. we’ll also need another bowl for the melted chocolate so that we can dip our brownie bites in the chocolate. and another bowl for the dry ingredients.

• large mixing bowl – we’ll be adding everything to one bowl later on in the recipe so you’ll need a large bowl to fit all of the ingredients in so that it’s easier to mix your brownie batter.

• whisk or hand mixer – we’re going to mix the sugar and eggs together using a whisk or hand mixer until the sugar dissolves. i decided to use a whisk for this recipe. it might take a little longer using a whisk, with a little bit more work and strength, but it will do the job just fine! in fact, using a hand mixer to whip your eggs and sugar actually incorporates more air into the batter, so using a whisk might make your brownies even more fudgy.

• parchment paper or baking paper – lining your baking tray with parchment paper will make it easier to lift the brownies out once they’re done.

• 8×8 inch baking dish – i like to use an 8×8 inch tray for these brownie bites.

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: preheat your oven and and grease and line a baking dish for your brownie bites.

step two: break apart some dark chocolate into pieces and add it to a small bowl.

step three: add butter to the same bowl. microwave the mixture in 30 second intervals, stirring every 30 seconds, until mostly melted. then remove the bowl from the microwave and keep mixing the chocolate and butter together until completely combined and melted.

step four: add oil to the melted butter and chocolate mixture and mix it in until completely incorporated. the chocolate mixture should be a bit thinner at this stage.

step five: in a large bowl, add 2 large eggs. then, add brown sugar and granulated sugar.

step six: using a whisk or hand mixer, mix together the eggs and sugars until they are combined, and the sugar dissolves.the mixture will look pale and frothy. this will usually take a good few minutes. you’ll know the sugar has dissolved once you feel a little bit of the mixture between your fingers and you can no longer feel the sugar granules. if you find that you can still feel them, go ahead and mix for a little bit longer.

step seven: add vanilla to the egg and sugar mixture and mix it in.

step eight: add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. whisk it until combined and the brownie batter looks smooth and chocolatey.

step nine: in another bowl, add flour and cocoa powder, and mix them together. add this to the brownie batter. using a silicone spoon or spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients in. do not mix too much at this stage as you don’t want to over mix. mix the dry ingredients in until just combined, and the flour is no longer visible.

step ten: add the brownie batter to your lined baking tray, then place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes (baking times will vary depending on your oven and the size of your tray).

step eleven: once you remove the brownies from the oven, let them cool completely at room temperature before slicing them up or trying to remove them from the pan. they will be too soft and gooey to pick up straight out of the oven, and will continue to cook as they cool in the tray.

step twelve: once the brownies have cooled completely, lift them out of the tray, and slice them up into bitesized pieces.

step thirteen: in an another bowl, break apart some milk chocolate. place this in the microwave and again, melt in 30 second intervals, stirring every 30 seconds. continue to do this until the chocolate is mostly melted, then remove from the microwave and keep mixing until the chocolate has melted completely.

step fourteen: using a fork, gently dip each brownie bite into the melted chocolate until all sides of it are coated. lift the brownie bite out of the chocolate, and let any excess drip down the sides.

step fifteen: place the chocolate coated brownie bites on a sheet or parchment paper or baking paper in a single layer. place all of your chocolate covered brownie bites in the fridge so that the chocolate can firm up and set.

step sixteen: once the chocolate has set, remove from the fridge, and let’s eat!

tips and notes

• if using unsalted butter, add around 1/4 tsp salt (or more, if you like) to the dry ingredients before adding them to the rest of the batter. the salt will help balance out the sweetness.

• try to use high quality chocolate if you can. high quality dark chocolate or semi sweet chocolate (and high quality milk chocolate for the coating) will give these brownie bites the best, rich and chocolatey flavour. higher quality chocolate will also be easier to melt and combine with the rest of the ingredients.

• be careful not to over mix the batter. once you add the dry ingredients, make sure to gently fold them in using a spoon or silicone spatula, and don’t mix for longer than necessary. over mixing can lead to tough brownies. we want these to be soft and fudgy.

• make sure to use room temperature eggs, as they will combine with the rest of the ingredients easily and give you a smoother batter. i’d recommend leaving your eggs out at room temperature about 30 minutes before baking

• make sure you preheat the oven so that it’s already hot by the time you place your brownies in the oven. this will ensure that the brownies bake evenly and that they won’t take longer to bake.

• adjust baking time as needed. every oven is different, so i recommend keeping an eye on your brownies as they bake. don’t just bang them in the oven and leave until the designated time is up. it might be a good idea to check the brownies for doneness a few minutes before the recommended baking time. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs attached – the toothpick shouldn’t be completely dry or have wet batter on it. i like to take the brownies out of the oven when they’re very slightly underdone as they will continue to cook as they cool once they’re out of the oven. over baking will result in dry and cakey brownies, which is not what we want.

• once your brownies are out of the oven, they should be too soft to pick up or slice. let them cool at room temperature before trying to slice them or pick them up. you can even plACE THEM IN THE FRIDGE FOR A WHILE IF YOU WANT TO SPEED UP THE COOLING PROCESS.

• YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR BROWNIES ARE COMPLETELY COOL BEFORE COATING THEM IN CHOCOLATE, OTHERWISE THE CHOCOLATE COATING PROCESS WILL BE VERY MESSY. IF YOU’RE UNSURE WHETHER THE BROWNIES ARE COOL ENOUGH, JUST PLACE THEM IN THE FRIDGE FOR 30 MINUTES TO AN HOUR BEFORE SLICING UP AND COATING. THEY SHOULD BE FIRM BUT FUDGY, AND NOT SOFT.

• IF YOU WANT TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR BROWNIE TREATS, BE SURE TO ADD ANY EXTRA TOPPINGS AFTER THE BROWNIES HAVE BEEN COATED WITH THE CHOCOLATE BUT THE CHOCOLATE HASN’T SET YET.

• IF YOU FIND THAT THE MELTED CHOCOLATE IS TOO THICK FOR COATING, FEEL FREE TO ADD A TEASPOON OF OIL TO THE MIXTURE TO THIN IT OUT A LITTLE. IF THE CHOCOLATE THICKENS UP WHILE YOU’RE WORKING WITH IT, YOU MIGHT JUST NEED TO WARM IT UP IN THE MICROWAVE AGAIN.

• use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. while i add both metric and cup measurements for this recipe, i always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your ingredients for most accurate results.

• ONCE THE BROWNIE BITES HAVE BEEN COATED IN CHOCOLATE, KEEP THEM IN THE FRIDGE SO THAT THE CHOCOLATE STAYS SET AND FIRM.

• store any leftover CHOCOLATE COVERED brownie BITES in an airtight container in the fridge.

frequently asked questions

1. can i use unsalted butter in this brownie bites recipe ?

   – yes, you can use unsalted butter. if you use unsalted butter for your brownies instead of salted, i would recommend adding about 1/4 tsp of salt to the dry ingredients to balance out the sweetness.

2. do i have to use vanilla extract to make these brownie bites ?

   – the vanilla in this brownie bites recipe is optional. i like the subtle vanilla flavour it gives to the brownies, but if you would prefer not to use it or don’t have it, that’s also completely fine.

3. can i make these brownie bites without the chocolate coating ?

   – you can absolutely make these as normal brownie bites without the chocolate coating! i wanted my brownie bites to be extra rich and chocolatey, but if you would prefer not to add the chocolate coating, and want to keep this brownie recipe quick, feel free to just skip it or swap it for some other kind of topping on your brownie bites. for example, making these brownie bites with powdered sugar on top instead of the chocolate coating would be a great, fuss-free and easy topping.

4. why did my brownie bites turn into a cake instead of fudgy ?

   – there are a number of reasons why your brownie bites came out cakey. one reason is baking times. you should take your brownies out of the oven while they are slightly underbaked as they will continue to cook and firm up as they cool. even if you followed the exact timings in the recipe, every oven will bake things differently so timings will vary depending on your oven and the size of your baking dish. i highly recommend checking on your brownies every once in a while, especially towards the end of the written times to make sure they don’t over bake.

   – another reason could be due to over mixing the batter or having too much flour in your brownie batter. to make these brownie bites as accurately as possible, be sure to weigh out the flour using a kitchen scale. i also add cup measurements to my recipes, which use a higher than typical conversion for the flour since it goes by scooping the flour (as this is what most people do). gently fold the flour into the brownie batter until no streaks of flour remain in order to avoid over mixing.

5. can i use a different type of chocolate, like milk chocolate, instead of dark chocolate in this recipe, or a dark chocolate coating instead of the milk chocolate coating ?

   – while you can use different types of chocolate for this brownie bites recipe, i would recommend using dark or semi sweet chocolate in the actual brownie batter to balance out the sweetness and give these brownies a richer flavour. using something like milk chocolate in the batter might make the brownies too sweet. as for the coating, you can definitely use dark chocolate for it if you find that the milk chocolate is too sweet for you.

6. do i have to use brown sugar to make these brownie bites ?

   – brown sugar is recommended for these brownie bites, as it helps gives the brownies a richer flavour and makes them extra chewy. however, if you don’t have brown sugar, you can substitute it with granulated sugar. using all granulated sugar for this brownie recipe might change the taste and texture of these brownies slightly, but they will still be delicious! for best results, use a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar as stated.

7. how do i know that my brownies are done baking ?

   – Insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies a few minutes before the end of the stated baking times. if the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, the brownies are done. Be careful not to over bake, as this can lead to dry, cakey brownies. the toothpick shouldn’t be completely dry, and it shouldn’t have wet batter on it either. if your toothpick comes out with wet batter on it, it’ll need to bake for slightly longer. i’d also recommend inserting a toothpick into the edges of the brownies as well, as we want to make sure that they’re not overdone.

8. can i bake these as regular brownies instead of brownie bites ?

   – yes, you can! just follow the recipe as stated, and slice into regular-sized brownie pieces once the brownies cool instead of bite-sized pieces. skip the chocolate coating and just eat as they are.

9. my chocolate coating is too thick – what do i do ?

   – if your chocolate coating is warm, but still feels too thick, feel free to add a teaspoon of any neutral oil to the melted chocolate and stir it through until combined. this should loosen the melted chocolate a little. if it’s still too thick, just add a bit more oil until it reaches the consistency you’re looking for.

10. why did my chocolate seize/become grainy ?

    – this usually happens if water gets into the chocolate. make sure all of your utensils are dry. i’d also recommend just melting the chocolate in 30 second intervals rather than all at once – this just helps the chocolate melt a bit more evenly.

11. why are my brownies crumbling as i dip them into the melted chocolate ?

    – this could be due to the brownie bites being too warm or fresh. you want to make sure that they are completely cool and quite firm before dipping them in chocolate. feel free to freeze them for about 15 minutes before dipping, or just place the brownies in the fridge for about an hour before coating them.

12. can i make these brownie bites with box mix ?

    – absolutely! i wanted to keep these brownie bites homemade, so i made them fresh, but if you’re looking to keep these brownie bites easy, you can definitely make the brownie bites using brownie mix for the perfect quick snack. just follow the usual box mix instructions, let the brownies cool once out of the oven, slice into bite-sized pieces and then coat in chocolate.

13. can i make these brownie bite with chocolate ganache instead of a chocolate coating ?

    – you can, if you like – just bear in mind that you won’t be able to coat them in the same way. ganache won’t set firm like a chocolate coating, so coating the brownies completely with ganache will be quite messy. a better idea would just be to add a layer of chocolate ganache to the brownies before slicing them up.

recipe