Tired of plain Jane brownies? Me too. So I took a cue from my cookie cups obsession, pulled out my heavily used mini muffin pan, and picked up some popsicle sticks and a few of my favorite things.
With Super Bowl Sunday just a few days away, I felt inspired to bake something fit for a party.
And then these brownie pops happened. So did the biggest mess I think I’ve ever made in my kitchen. But it was worth it!
For maximum ease, I recommend baking the brownies ahead of your party (they stay fresh in an air-tight container at room temperature for about 4 days, or in the freezer for up to a couple months!) and wait until the day of to make the coating. As for the toppings? The possibilities are endless, guys. Pick and choose what you and your guests will most enjoy and have at it!
Personally, I find that salty toppings balance out the sweetness of the brownies, but sweet toppings work great, too.
Here are a few more topping ideas (not listed in the recipe below): sprinkles, marshmallow fluff, crushed cereal (Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms marshmallows, Cap’n Crunch), peanut brittle, toffee, saltine crackers, peanuts, and almonds.
This one’s for you, party animals.
*Don’t have a mini muffin pan? Order one by Wilton on Amazon! | $10 ; Alternatively, you can forgo the mini muffin pan and the popsicle sticks, bake brownies in a regular-sized muffin pan (you’ll need to bake them a bit longer), coat them in the ganache coating, and finish with desired toppings– they’ll be “dipped brownies” instead of “brownie pops!”
Epic Brownie Pops
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted sweet cream butter
- 8 ounces coarsely chopped good quality semi-sweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup salted sweet cream butter
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)
- 3 Tablespoon whole milk
- 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
- Potato chips
- Pretzels
- Bacon
- Shredded sweetened coconut
- Butterfinger
- Pistachios
- Andes Creme de Menth baking chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray a mini muffin pan with non-stick baking spray
- Melt butter and chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until fully melted, about 5 minutes
- Remove from the heat, pour into a large mixing bowl, and allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes
- Use a whisk to mix both sugars and vanilla extract into the melted chocolate
- Add eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition
- Use a wooden spoon to fold in flour, cocoa powder, and salt
- Once batter is uniform, fold in milk chocolate chips
- Spoon batter into wells of prepared mini muffin pan
- Bake for 9-11 minutes; brownies may be slightly under-baked-- this is okay!
- While brownies are baking, label popsicle sticks with desired toppings (I used "bacon," "mint," "coconut," "pistachio," "chips," etc.)
- Let brownies cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack
- While brownies are still warm, slide popsicle sticks 3/4 of the way through each brownie (this is important! If brownies are completely cool, it's harder to get the popsicle sticks in without the brownies cracking)
- Prepare all desired toppings (crush, if necessary) and place each topping in a small bowl
- To make coating, heat butter, cocoa powder, and milk in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until fully melted
- Add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth and fully incorporated
- Dip brownie pops in coating, let excess drip off, and drag through topping that matches the popsicle stick label
*Recipe inspired by Betty Crocker
June Burns says
Those are epic indeed! I would definitely try crusting these with pretzels 🙂
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thanks, June! The pretzel-encrusted pops are my favorite– they just hit that perfect balance of sweet and savory!
Cookin Canuck says
These look absolutely amazing! What a fun idea for both kids and grown-ups to enjoy.
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thank you!!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
These are so creative! Love all the topping ideas and I’m obsessed with potato chips on these 🙂
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thanks so much!! I took a little bit of a leap of faith with the potato chips– I’m so happy with how well they ended up working on these!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
What an awesome idea to make brownie pops.. and I just love the cute presentation of them!
Cece Leskova says
This is a great idea!!
Alex Caspero MA,RD (@delishknowledge) says
Sounds incredible! Bet these would be great for an upcoming shower I am hosting this summer!