Fudgy Christmas Brownie Bites

I can’t wait to show you how to make these Fudgy Christmas Brownie Bites because today we’re sharing our best recipes for quick appetizers and treats at the ready with the fabulous ladies of the Back to Basics Series.

If you’ve missed any of our previous posts you can learn How to Style a Coffee Table here, Tips for Organizing here, Easy Tablescape Ideas here, Fall Picnic and Tailgating Ideas here and most recently, How to Create a Simple Flower Arrangement here.

Truth be told, the idea for this group post was really supposed to be strictly about appetizers but you guys, I’m TERRIBLE in the kitchen. No playing, Vicki and I have been friends since we first started blogging and I have called her more times than I can count to seek out the most basic kitchen advice over the years.

Here are a few of our conversations…ok, so I need to boil an egg…do I boil the water first or do I drop the egg in the water then boil the water….i think I might make a quesadilla today, can you help me….I then proceed to describe how my skillet is blazing hot and I can barely see the tortilla because I’ve already covered it in black beans….what do you mean the beans are only supposed to be on one side of the tortilla…hang on, something is burning I think…it’s either the tortilla or the black beans….umm this is not working out at all….three quesadilla attempts later my kitchen is smoky, the fire alarms are ringing and there is a mix of beans and cheese covering the stove because “the quesadilla flip” was a total fail….you might wonder why all these conversations sound one sided and that’s because Vicki is laughing hysterically!

In her defense, she does try her very best to help me salvage all my kitchen fails and cheers me on before we hang up…”there’s always next time,” she says…”you’ll get it,” and my favorite…”remember you are really smart and have so many other gifts, there’s no shame in burning ________________” fill in the black with grilled cheese, chicken stock, quesadillas, spaghetti, chili….water…

Just thinking about all of our kitchen adventures throws me in fits of giggles. For real, you guys, there’s nothing like good friends, am I right?

The good news is that I’m a whiz at baking (I know. I don’t get it either) and that’s the reason I have something to share with you today.

Well, this time of year can be bananas busy (can I get an amen?) and there always seems to be a holiday party invite or a cookie exchange to attend or a classroom that needs cupcakes. Obviously, we like to make things that are festive like the North Pole Pops we made last year or something classic like our Pecan Pound Cake.

And sometimes, we need a little extra time saver in the kitchen and that’s where today’s recipe comes in because it all starts with this mix from Duncan Hines – Triple Chocolate Decadent – it’s THE only brownie mix I’ll buy.

I use the directions on the back of the box to make the fudgy brownies which is the brownie mix, one egg, oil and water.

I use an 8×8 glass pan and spray it with Bake Easy non-stick spray by Wilton.

After baking at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, then I allow the brownies to cool on a wire cooling rack.

Next, you’ll want to cut bite size pieces of brownie

and form them into a ball.

Make sure you form all of the brownie bites into balls prior to completing the next few steps because they go pretty fast.

In order to make the candy shell around each brownie bite, you’ll need to use quick candy melts. These are also by Wilton and you can normally find them at most craft supply stores and I’ve even seen them in Walmart.

Make sure to follow the directions on the back of the bag. These only needed about a minute in the microwave. Keep in mind the candy melts once microwaved will be hot so be sure to use caution and care. Place the brownie bite directly into the candy melts

and use a spoon to fully cover the sides.

Then place the chocolate covered brownie bite into prepared crushed candy bits.

We used all different kinds of candy but you can use whatever you like including caramels or nuts.

The key is to make sure you’ve crushed the candy up in advance because you don’t want the candy melt to set before you get the brownie bite covered.

This project can get really messy so you might want to have lots of spoons on hand to help!

Once you have the brownie bite covered with the candy melt and crushed candy bits, place on a wire cooling rack on top of a large cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. This will help make clean up a bit easier too. Allow to set until a shell has formed over each brownie bite.

Now, as you guys know, it’s all in the details so make sure to dress these up in pretty package if you decide to give them away.

These containers are also super easy to make and can honestly be used all year. You can see how we made them here.

You can make these Fudgy Christmas Brownie Bites in advance for your holiday party or you can give them away as gifts to neighbors, teachers, family, coworkers or friends – they are that easy!

Be sure to check out what these creative ladies are sharing too…

Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo