4th of July Firecracker Brownies (Printable View)

Fudgy brownie bites with creamy frosting and festive red, white, and blue sprinkles for a summer treat.

# 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, as needed

→ Decoration

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

# How To Make It:

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 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 spreadable consistency.
08 - Once brownies are cool, pipe or spread a dollop of frosting on each bite.
09 - Decorate with red, white, and blue sprinkles. Top with mini sparklers or festive picks if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get that fudgy, melt-in-your-mouth brownie texture without standing in front of an oven for thirty minutes waiting for a full pan.
  • The cream cheese frosting is tangier than buttercream, which cuts through the richness and keeps people reaching for more instead of feeling stuffed after two bites.
  • They look fancy enough to impress but are honestly foolproof to make, even if you've never piped frosting before.
  • Perfect for serving at parties because everyone can eat one standing up while holding a drink or a glow stick.
02 -
  • Don't let the batter sit once you've mixed it, because the baking powder starts working immediately and your brownies will be dense and cakey instead of fudgy.
  • The frosting needs cream cheese to work, not just butter, because the tanginess balances the chocolate and the cream cheese has less water content so it won't make the frosting runny.
  • Cool the brownies all the way before frosting or your frosting will melt and slide off, turning your pretty bites into a chocolate frosting puddle.
03 -
  • If your frosting is too thick to pipe, warm the piping bag under hot water for a few seconds to soften the frosting slightly without melting it completely.
  • For uniform brownie bites, use a small cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to portion the batter, which guarantees they'll all bake in exactly the same amount of time.
  • Double the recipe if you're feeding a crowd, because people will eat two or three of these without realizing it and they disappear faster than any other dessert you bring.
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