Grab your mini cupcake tin because these Fudgy Brownie Bites are one of the easiest bite-sized treats to make! They're rich, chewy chocolate brownie bites with a light, creamy chocolate mascarpone whipped cream that is absolute heaven!
Generously spray each cavity of a 24-count mini cupcake tin with a flour-based baking spray. Set aside.
Adjust the oven rack to the 2nd level position (just above center), preheat oven to 325ºF.
Place the dark chocolate into a small, microwaveable glass bowl. Heat the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute on high, stirring each time, until it's fully melted. Set aside and allow to cool slightly. For reference, I had to heat my chocolate twice each for 1 minute on full power.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and unsweetened cocoa powder. Set aside.
1 cup All-Purpose Flour, 1/2 tsp Salt, 1/2 tsp Baking Powder, 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar together on medium speed until light in color and fluffy in texture.
1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil, 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
Add in the slightly whisked eggs, vanilla extract, and melted dark chocolate, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3 Large Eggs, 2 tsp Vanilla Extract, 4 oz Dark Chocolate
Switching the mixer speed to low, add in your dry ingredients, mixing until it's blended with the wet mixture. Be careful not to over-mix though.
Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon-size cookie scoop, place one scoop of the brownie batter into each cupcake/muffin cavity. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 325ºF. Your brownies might look puffy when you bring them out of the oven, but they will deflate and get their crackly tops as they cool.Baking Tip: Insert a toothpick to ensure your brownie bites are done. Remove them from the oven if they still have crumbs on the toothpick. Your brownies will continue to bake even as they cool. If they still have brownie batter on the toothpick, keep them in, but monitor them every minute.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly for 10-15 minutes. Remove them from the mini cupcake tin and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely before piping on the chocolate mascarpone whipped cream.
Fudgy brownie bites are best kept in a sealed food container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Chocolate Mascarpone Whipped Cream
Optional Step - chill the mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before using them to make the chocolate mascarpone whipped cream.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and vanilla extract together on low speed at first so the powdered sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder don't go flying everywhere. Once the mixture is partially mixed, switch the speed to medium-high, whisking until soft peaks form (approx. 2-3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
1 1/2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream, 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar, 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Add the mascarpone cheese and continue to whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (approx. 1-2 minutes).
8 oz Mascarpone Cheese
Fill a large piping bag that's been fitted with a decorating tip of your choice (I used the Wilton 8B) with the chocolate mascarpone whipped cream. Pipe onto the tops of each brownie bite, then top with the chocolate curls (optional). Tip: If piping isn't your thing, you can use an angled spatula and apply the whipped cream this way.
Video
Notes
Brownie Bites
These fudgy brownie bites will continue to bake a little after you take them out of the oven, so it's best to take them out when an inserted toothpick comes out with some brownie bits and crumbs still on it. They'll be a little puffy, too, which is normal. They'll deflate as they cool and form their crackly tops.
After baking the brownie bites, let them cool in the mini cupcake tin for 10-15 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
For the chocolate mascarpone whipped cream, both the heavy whipping cream and the mascarpone cheese are best left in the refrigerator until ready to use.
I like to chill a mixing bowl and a whisk in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before making the whipped cream. This is especially good for making whipped cream on a hot day!
Once you add the mascarpone cheese to the rest of the whipped cream mixture, it doesn't take long—maybe 1-2 minutes—for it to form stiff peaks.
Decorating
The Wilton 8B decorating tip I used for all 24 brownie bites left me with just a little amount of leftover chocolate mascarpone whipped cream. If you choose to use a smaller decorating tip or an angled spatula instead, you will have a fair amount of whipped cream left.