Easy Candy Brownie Bites

Name: Easy Candy Brownie Bites Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 18.3 ounce boxed brownie mix (and whatever ingredients they call for (usually eggs, water and vegetable oil)); 6 ounces mini peanut butter cups (sliced in half)

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No one will ever know you didn't make these candy brownie bites — they're so good that everyone will be fighting for seconds! Made from boxed brownie mix in just 30 minutes.

A brownie bite on a white plate with the mini muffin warapper pulled down exposing the sides and other brownie bites in the background.

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Why You'll Love Mini Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
Ingredient Information And Substitutions
How To Make Mini Brownie Bites
Frequently Asked Questions
Tips For Making This Brownie Bites Recipe
What To Serve With Miniature Brownie Bites
Other Jazzed Up Boxed Mix Recipes To Try
Easy Candy Brownie Bites Recipe

Why You'll Love Mini Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Sometimes, it's important to have a dish in your arsenal that is extremely easy to make but still manages to be the crowd-pleaser to end all crowd-pleasers. This is also a great way to use leftover halloween candy (which is not my strong suit!).

I'm a person who loves a good doctored-up-baking-mix-recipe. And really, who doesn't like to be the person who brings the crowd-pleasing dish to the party? I whipped these particular ones up with peanut butter cups because peanut butter and chocolate are irresistible to football-watching husbands like mine (or, you know, human beings in general) or really anyone at a gathering. Not to mention my girls adore them! These mini muffin brownies are also:

Made from brownie mix
Perfect for the holidays, game day, birthday parties, bake sales, you name it
Full of chocolate and peanut butter flavor
Kid-friendly
Baked in just 15 minutes
SO easy... seriously!

A close up image of brownie bites with candy in them in a mini muffin tin.

Ingredient Information And Substitutions

Brownie Mix- That's right, we're taking a major shortcut here! You can use your preferred boxed brownies. You'll also need whatever ingredients the box calls for, such as eggs, water, and oil.
Mini Peanut Butter Cups- I usually use Reese's for stuffed brownie cups, but feel free to mix it up. Any miniature chocolate candy cut to a small size will work.

An overhead image of labeled recipe ingredients.

How To Make Mini Brownie Bites

Step 1- Recipe prep.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F and line a mini muffin tin with mini muffin liners. Grease with cooking spray. Follow the package instructions to make the brownie batter.

Brownie mix ingredients in a blue bowl with a handle.

Brownie ingredients mixed together in a blue bowl with a handle.

Step 2- Bake.

Fill each muffin cup with the batter ¾ of the way full, then bake for 15 minutes.

Mini muffin tin with liners and each cup filled ¾ of the way up.

Brownie batter filled mini muffin tin in the oven.

Step 3- Add the peanut butter cups.

Remove from the oven and place one of the halved peanut butter cups in the brownies while they're still setting. Let them cool and enjoy!

Baked brownie bites with the peanut butter cup halves pressed into the middle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the peanut butter cups make the brownies sink?

Nope! I'm using mini peanut butter cups that I cut in half for this recipe so it doesn't overwhelm the brownie and cause it to sink. If sinking is a real concern, let the brownies cool ever so slightly before adding the candy- but don't wait too long!

Can I use full-size peanut butter cups instead?

Yes, but make sure you cut them into quarters, not halves.

How do you keep brownies from sticking to muffin pans?

The key is to add the liners into the muffin tin and then apply a nonstick cooking spray directly to the liners. It's like double protection against sticking!

A close up image of a brownie biter with peanut butter cup that's been cut in half removing the perfectly baked inside of the brownie.

Tips For Making This Brownie Bites Recipe

Make sure you use mini muffin liners. When I made them without liners, they stuck to the bottom of the pan since they're so small. While still delicious, they were a bit of a nightmare to remove!
When filling the muffin cups, use a cookie scoop for even amounts. Or put the batter into a Ziploc bag with the tip of a corner cut off to make things easier.
Timing is key, and all ovens are different! Baking times can vary depending on your oven. Keep a close eye on your mini muffin brownies, especially toward the end of baking.
I have also made these with peppermint patties. They were pretty awesome too! You really can take these in any direction with whatever candy you like, but make sure they're cut small enough that they fit into the middle of each brownie bite.
Ingredients to prep ahead- Make sure you have everything you need for the boxed mix, and slice the mini peanut butter cups in half.
Leftovers and storage- Store any leftover peanut butter brownie bites in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.

A plate of peanut butter brownie bites with the pan behind them.

What To Serve With Miniature Brownie Bites

I love the idea of pairing these peanut butter cup brownies with a few other miniature, handheld, bite-sized desserts for a fun spread for the holidays! It would also work for barbecues, birthday parties, and everything in between. Here are a few ideas:

Other Jazzed Up Boxed Mix Recipes To Try

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!