Why haven’t we paired juicy summer berries with decadent brownies before? It’s genius! Individual brownie bites topped with whipped cream and berries is a winning combination. (This is one 4th of July dessert that we’ll be making all year long.)
summer berry brownie bites
The best fudgy brownies baked up in a muffin pan with a crackly top and a moist chocolatey interior. They puff up as they bake, and sink down as they cool to form the perfect little spot for ripe summer berries. Whipped cream seals the deal as the best 4th of July dessert ever.
You’d be hard pressed to find a summer berry that doesn’t fit the red white and blue theme, so go with what’s available. Raspberries and blackberries, currants, they’ll all work.
what you’ll need
Like most brownie recipes, the bites are simple to make with pantry staples. But these bites are unlike any I’ve ever had, they’re super chocolatey and melt in your mouth. They’re wonderful and I can see doing different variations with them throughout the year.
- dark chocolate ~ I use dark chocolate chips, but you can also use bar chocolate if you prefer.
- butter
- flour
- cocoa powder ~ be sure to get unsweetened cocoa powder. Better quality brands will payoff in great flavor.
- eggs
- semi sweet mini chocolate chips ~ folding these into the batter at the end gives the brownies micro bursts of melted chocolate in every bite.
- salt
- vanilla extract
- whipped cream
- blueberries and strawberries
how to make 4th of July brownie bites
- Bake up your favorite brownie recipe in a muffin pan fitted with paper liners.
- Slice strawberries and toss with a little sugar to encourage their juices to start to flow.
- Top each brownie with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.
- Finish with sliced strawberries and a few blueberries.
- You’ve got a sweet portion controlled patriotic treat.
how to macerate strawberries
Macerating is a fancy word for encouraging the berries to release their juices. It makes them even more flavorful and creates a sweet sauce, too.
- Trim and slice your strawberries.
- Put them in a bowl and sprinkle with sugar. The amount is up to you, but I usually add about a teaspoon per cup of fruit. You can use granulated, confectioner’s or brown sugar.
- Give the fruit a gentle toss to combine.
- Let the bowl sit either at room temperature or in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The strawberries will release juices to make a sweet sauce.
- Can you macerate without sugar? Yes, you can use a little wine, or lemon juice to accomplish the same thing.
make these brownie bites ahead
I get it, nobody wants to be stuck making dessert while there’s a party going on. Here’s how to get a jump on this recipe:
- make the brownies and store loosely covered at room temperature up to 24 hours ahead.
- Whip the cream and macerate the strawberries in the morning, then refrigerate.
- Assemble the brownie bites shortly before serving, just dollop, decorate, and eat.
more fun single serve summer desserts
- Individual Raspberry Pavlovas
- Mint Chocolate Pudding Pots
- Easy Tiramisu
- Strawberries and Cream Pots (no bake)
- Healthy White Peach Popsicles
4th of July Brownie Bites
Equipment
- muffin pan and paper liners
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 12 ounces dark chocolate chips (also use semi sweet or bittersweet)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (plus 1 teaspoon for the strawberries)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup sweetened whipped cream
- 8 strawberries, trimmed and sliced
- blueberries
- mint leaves, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F and line a muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a microwave safe bowl microwave the butter and dark chocolate chips for 60 seconds. Stir and heat again for 30 seconds. Stir until melted and set aside. Note: if not completely melted, heat in 15 second bursts, stirring in between, until melted.
- In a stand mixer, or a bowl with hand mixer or a whisk, beat the sugars, eggs, and vanilla together until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in the melted chocolate, mixing until well combined.
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder and then fold into the batter. Mix until well combined but don't over mix.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick.
- Scoop the batter into muffin cups, filling quite full. You'll get 12-15 brownie bites.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, just until the brownies are dry and glossy on top. For me they took about 17-18 minutes, but I like them fudgy inside.
- Let the bites cool in the pan for about 10 minutes to firm up, then gently remove them to a rack to cool completely.
- While the brownies are cooling, toss the sliced berries with a teaspoon of sugar and stir to combine. The sugar will draw out the juices from the strawberries.
- Shortly before serving, top each bite with a dollop of whipped cream, strawberry slices, and blueberries.
Notes
- Top with raspberries or blackberriesÂ
- Flavor the whipped cream with a tablespoon of your favorite liqueur, I love Amaretto or Kahlua.
- Omit the fruit ~ these bites can stand on their own.
- Top the whipped cream with a drizzle of chocolate or caramel.
- Substitute finely chopped walnuts for the mini chocolate chips.
Nutrition
I made these for a picnic this weekend and they were a hit. My mini muffin liners were too big for my mini muffin pan. I discovered that since they were foil, I did not need a muffin pan at all, I set them out on a sheet tray, filled them and baked for about 18 minutes.
Mini muffin tins or regular size muffin (cupcake)??
I used a regular muffin pan, but you could do minis if you want to.