Mini Brownie Cups with Rolo Centers

Bite size brownies with chewy Rolo candy centers and covered with milk chocolate frosting.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I go to a party that has a buffet, I like to try out more than one dessert. So, I look for the ones that are individual treats or bite size, not the piece of cake or pie. Then I can have a few on my plate. That’s when I came up with my Mini Brownie Cups with Rolo Centers. It has two things that can stand on their own as a sweet…brownies and Rolo candies…but together, well, that’s a marriage made in heaven. 

I recently made these for a potluck event. There were tons of dessert platters, so I figured I’d be taking home the leftovers home for my family. Well, when I went to the buffet for my dessert, not a single brownie cup was left. Of course, that was a great compliment. What was even nicer was hearing some people in the crowd asking, “Who made these chewy brownie things?” 

Before you start, here’s a great tip. I top off the brownie cups with a milk chocolate frosting from a can because it’s easy and quick, especially when you’re getting ready for a party. But I WHIP THE FROSTING. If you don’t know that trick, it makes the canned frosting lighter and fluffier because all that whipping increases the volume, so you get more frosting! It will easily frost 40 brownie cups. If you want a richer flavor you can use dark chocolate or fudge frosting too.

Makes 40

• 1 box Fudge Brownie Mix 13 X 9 Family Size (I’ve used Betty Crocker and Pillsbury)  
• 1 bag of Rolo candies – you’ll need 40 pieces
• 1 can milk chocolate frosting
• ¼ cup finely chopped pecans
• 2 mini cupcake pans
• mini paper baking cups

Mix the brownies according to package directions. Put a Rolo candy in each baking cup and fill with batter. 

If you’re using Betty Crocker, bake at 350 degrees for 13 to 17 minutes. If using Pillsbury, bake at 325 degrees for 16 to 18 minutes. You can test for doneness by sticking a toothpick into the side of the brownie. Cool completely before icing.

Whip the frosting until light and fluffy. You’ll notice the volume increase. Put into a pastry bag and pipe onto the brownie cups. I used a Wilton #20 tip in the picture.