Name: Sea Salt Brownie Bites: The Best Picnic Dessert for a Crowd
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 47 min
Yield: 24 brownie bites
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick, cut into pieces); 4 oz bittersweet chocolate (roughly chopped, 60 to 70 percent cacao); 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs (room temperature); 1 tsp pure vanilla extract; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder; 1/4 tsp fine kosher salt; 1 tsp flaky sea salt (such as Maldon, for topping)

Jump to Recipe

I started making these for the neighborhood Fourth of July potluck when I realized a full pan of brownies was impossible to serve on a picnic blanket without a spatula and a prayer.

They bake in a mini muffin tin, pop out clean, and travel in a zip bag or tin without crumbling or sticking together.

Sea Salt Brownie Bites: The Best Picnic Dessert for a Crowd

Fudgy, two-bite brownies finished with flaky sea salt, sturdy enough to pack and pretty enough to share.

4.9 (71 reviews)

Vegetarian

Prep15 min

Cook22 min

Cool in pan10 min

Total47 min

Serves24 brownie bites

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter , 1 stick, cut into pieces
4 oz bittersweet chocolate , roughly chopped, 60 to 70 percent cacao
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs , room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp fine kosher salt
1 tsp flaky sea salt , such as Maldon, for topping

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin generously with nonstick cooking spray, getting into the edges of each cup.

Combine the butter and chopped chocolate in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly with a rubber spatula until both are fully melted and the mixture is glossy and smells like a warm chocolate shop, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pull the pan off the heat the moment it looks smooth.

Whisk the sugar into the warm chocolate mixture until fully incorporated. The batter will look grainy at first, then come together into a thick, dark paste after about 30 seconds of whisking.

Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Then whisk in the vanilla. The batter should turn from dull to shiny and pull away slightly from the sides of the pan as you stir.

Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, and fine salt with a spatula until just combined. Stop when you no longer see dry streaks. Overmixing makes them cakey instead of fudgy.

Spoon the batter into the prepared mini muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. A small cookie scoop makes this fast and even. Pinch a few flakes of sea salt over the top of each one before they go into the oven.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops look set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. The edges will pull slightly from the tin and smell deeply chocolatey.

Let the brownies cool in the tin for 10 minutes. They will feel soft when you touch the top lightly, and that is exactly right. Run a thin knife around any that seem stuck, then pop them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Tips & Notes

Room temperature eggs blend into warm chocolate without seizing it. Cold eggs can cause the melted chocolate to clump.
Do not skip greasing the tin even if it is nonstick. The sugar in the batter makes these want to stick.
For clean edges on every bite, use a small offset spatula or butter knife to loosen each cup before popping them out.
These are actually better the next day once the center firms up and the sea salt has time to sink in slightly.

Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Layer between sheets of parchment if stacking. For picnics, pack them in a single layer in a tin or rigid container so the sea salt topping stays intact.

Nutrition per serving · estimated

118 Cal

7g Fat

14g Carbs

2g Protein

1g Fiber

10g Sugar

95mg Sodium

Why Mini Muffin Tins Beat a Baking Pan for Picnics

A standard brownie pan means cutting, serving, and hoping no one gets the dry edge piece. A mini muffin tin solves all of that. Every brownie bite is self-contained, portion-controlled, and has its own caramelized crust on the bottom and sides.

The ratio of crust to fudgy center is also just better in a small cup. More surface area touching the hot pan means more of that slightly chewy, almost candy-like edge in every single bite.

Getting the Sea Salt Topping Right

The flaky salt goes on right before baking, not after. It partially dissolves into the top crust as the brownies bake, which gives you bursts of salt rather than a uniform salty coating.

Maldon is worth buying for this. The flat, pyramid-shaped flakes sit on the surface differently than kosher or table salt, and you can see and taste each one clearly. A small box lasts a long time and works on everything from brownies to roasted vegetables.

Sea Salt Brownie Bites: The Best Picnic Dessert for a Crowd