Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites

The rich dark chocolate flavor of Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownies pairs with peanut butter cups to make these delicious, adorable, bite-sized treats.

How do you turn classic brownies into delicious, adorable treats? Bake them up in mini muffin pans. Then add miniature peanut butter cups and sprinkles!

I first made these Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites for Christmas. They disappeared off my cookie tray before anything else.

I quickly realized that brownie bites are the perfect treat for lots of occasions, because (1) everyone loves bite-sized treats, (2) the combination of rich chocolate brownies and peanut butter cups is irresistible, (3) they look fancy, but are really easy to make, (4) they’re easily customized for different events and holidays, and (5) they’re sturdy enough to hold up during travel and shipping.

I try to bring treats to school a couple times a year to show teachers and staff a little appreciation for the work they do. Teachers and school staff have the important job of trying to make each student's education a good experience. The teachers and staff in our school do an incredible job of promoting a culture of kindness and respect. Delivering homemade treats to the teachers’ lounge is my way of saying thank you.

A couple weeks ago, I dropped off a box of back-to-school brownie bites. With Daphne starting pre-school this year, all three of my kids are now in school (at least part-time). Dan started fourth grade and Monika started second grade.

I sent a box of brownie bites along for our bus driver, too. Bus drivers play a role in helping students have a good experience at school, as well.

The kids helped me make the brownie bites for their teachers and bus driver. They mixed the batter and unwrapped the peanut butter cups. (Be sure to have extra peanut butter cups on hand if your kids help unwrap them – several will inevitably disappear.) It’s important for kids to know that teachers, school staff, and bus drivers are all appreciated.

Making Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites start with my signature Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownies. These saucepan brownies are simple to make and you probably have all of the ingredients in your refrigerator and pantry.

The brownie batter is baked in miniature muffin pans to make these adorable bite-sized brownies.

A one-tablespoon cookie scoop makes uniform-sized brownie bites.

You could eat them just like this...

But adding miniature peanut butter cups takes these treats to a whole new level.

Last, top the brownie bites with nonpareil sprinkles to make them look festive and pretty. Sprinkles make everything seem a little more special.

Hold off on gobbling them up right way. They should cool for a few minutes in the pan before you remove them.

An offset plastic palette knife (the kind artists use for painting) is great for removing the brownie bites without damaging the treats or scratching the pan's nonstick coating.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 10 minutes per pan
Makes: 40 brownie bites

Ingredients

½ cup Land O Lakes®Butter (1 stick)
⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

40 miniature peanut butter cup candies (12 ounces), any flavor, unwrapped

Nonpareil sprinkles, for decorating

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spray a nonstick mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray, wiping excess from top of pan OR if using an aluminum pan, line pan with mini paper baking cups.

In a medium (3-quart) stainless steel saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add ⅔ cup chocolate chips to melted butter, whisking until butter and chips are well combined. Whisk in, one at a time, until completely incorporated, the sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, milk, cocoa powder, and flour. After flour is mixed in, whisk vigorously for an extra 30 seconds. Then, using a spoon or sturdy spatula, stir in 1 cup miniature chocolate chips.

Using a 1-tablespoon (#60) scoop, drop leveled scoopfuls of brownie batter into muffin pans. Bake for 10 minutes (dark, nonstick pan) or until brownie bites have risen slightly and tops appear shiny and crackly. (If using a shiny aluminum pan with paper baking cups, bake for 11 minutes.)

Remove brownie bites from oven and immediately press one unwrapped peanut butter cup into the center of each brownie bite. When the chocolate on the tops of the peanut butter cups has melted, sprinkle each brownie bite with nonpareils.

Let brownie bites cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before removing. Finish cooling on baking rack. Once cool, store at room temperature in covered container or freeze for later.

Helpful Hints

• Making the batter in a stainless steel saucepan allows you to level the cookie scoop against the side of the pan without worrying about scratching a non-stick coating.

• Letting the brownie batter sit at room temperature for 15 – 30 minutes after mixing will make scooping the batter easier.

• Check the capacity of your cookie scoops with a standard measuring spoon. (I scoop sugar to measure.) I have one scoop labeled #60 that holds 2 teaspoons; my other #60 scoop holds 1 tablespoon.

• An offset plastic palette knife (like the ones used by artists) is extremely handy for removing the finished brownie bites from the pan.

• Avoid over-sprinkling the nonpareils by placing a sticker or piece of tape over all but one of the openings in the sprinkle jar lid. Then tap the jar lightly to sprinkle the nonpareils.

Decorating Tips
Mix different colored nonpareils to match your event, party, or occasion. Adding white or light colored nonpareils to the mix helps the other colors really pop.

If using a single color nonpareil or a blend without white nonpareils, using white chocolate miniature peanut butter cups will help the colors stand out more.

Color Schemes
Back-to-School (your school colors)
Halloween (black, orange, and white)
Christmas (red, green, and white)
Valentine’s Day (red, pink, and white)
St. Patrick's Day (green and white)
Easter (pastel colors)
Earth Day (blue, green, and white)
4th of July (red, white, and blue)
Boy Baby Shower or Party (blues and greens)
Girl Baby Shower or Party (pinks and purples)
Any Time! (rainbow mix)

What occasion will you make Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites for?


I am a Land O'Lakes Cooperative farmer-owner. I received compensation from Land O'Lakes for this post. All opinions are my own. Land O Lakes and the Indian Maiden brandmark are registered trademarks of Land O’Lakes, Inc.