These fudgy espresso brownie bites are reminiscent of the Costco version but made with extra rich cocoa powders and espresso powder to create a deep mocha flavor. Enjoy these mini brownies warm from the oven in two to three bites!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a mini muffin pan with softened butter.
In a small bowl, add the chocolate and oil. Place over a small saucepan of simmering water, and stir often until fully melted. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add the sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat on high speed for about 5-6 minutes until the mixture has doubled in size.
While mixing on low speed, slowly pour in the chocolate oil mixture.
Once it is fully combined, add the flour, cocoa powders, espresso powder, and salt, and mix until mostly combined.
Lastly, fold in the chopped chocolate until evenly dispersed.
Add the brownie batter to the prepared mini muffin pan, filling each cup about ¾ full.
Bake the brownie bites for about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Allow them to cool for a few minutes in the pan before removing. Repeat with the remaining brownie batter.
Notes
Use a high-quality bittersweet chocolate. I recommend Valrhona or Guittard.
Use a neutral oil or full- bodied extra virgin olive oil. Depending on whether you'd like an olive oil flavor to come through or not, you could use anything from a light-tasting evoo, vegetable oil, or canola oil to a full-bodied evoo.
Beat the sugars & eggs for a full 5-6 minutes! This is what will give the brownies that gorgeous shiny top.
Substitute for black cocoa powder. If you do not have black cocoa powder on hand, you can use a total of 84g (1 cup) dutch process cocoa powder instead.