Engagement announcements, marriage announcements, and pregnancy announcements are taking over my facebook newsfeed. Every time I blink, another of my friends gets married. This past Saturday I attended my third bridal shower in the past eight months, which is nothing compared to one of my friends who has gone to two bridal showers and five weddings since January! She says she’s beginning to feel like the main character in 27 Dresses.
For Saturday’s shower, I wanted to make something simple yet elegant, which is how these bite-sized coffee cream brownie cups came into existence:
Alternate filling ideas: chocolate mousse, frosting shots, cashew cream, my ice cream recipe or my banana pudding recipe (or any ice cream or pudding recipe).
Coffee Cream Brownie Bites
Mousse:
- 1 cup raw cashews or macadamia nuts(120g)
- 1.5 cups (360g) over-ripe banana (Banana-Free Version: Omit banana. Add milk of choice until a mousse-like texture is achieved. Add extra sweetener to taste.)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp instant coffee granules (regular or decaf – I used Mt. Hagen)
- pinch pure stevia extract, or 3 tbsp sugar of choice (dry or liquid)
- 1 1/2 tbsp water or milk of choice (omit if using liquid sweetener)
Brownie Cups:
- 1 cup raw almonds (120g)
- 1 cup pitted dates (115g – about 15 small dates)
- 1/3 cup raw walnuts (30g)
- 1/3 cup cocoa or cacao powder (28g)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp water
For the mousse: Put the nuts in a cereal bowl with enough water to cover them. Let soak 4-6 hours. Drain completely and pat dry. Mash the banana (if using), and measure out the 1.5 cups after mashing, then combine all ingredients in a high-quality food processor or Vita-Mix, and blend on high, scraping down the sides occasionally, until a completely-smooth consistency is reached. (It can take up to 10 minutes in a food processor; much less in a Vita.)
Make the brownie cups: Combine the almonds, walnuts, dates, cocoa, and salt in a high-quality food processor. (Using a blender or vita-mix will yield sticky results and will have trouble processing.) Process until mixture turns to small crumbles. Add no more than 2 tbsp water to achieve a slightly-sticky dough, then process again until it sticks together in one big ball. Break off pieces with your hands and mold along the edges of mini muffin cups, pressing down in the middle so that a cup shape is formed. Freeze 20 minutes, then fill with the mousse. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Top each mini tart with Vegan Cool Whip if desired. Makes around 20-21 brownie tarts, and you’ll only use about half the filling but it’s best to make a bigger serving for smoother blending. With the extra filling you can either eat it as mousse or make another batch of the brownie tart shells.
Link of the Day:
Carley @ Optimistic Health says
Coffee and brownies, enough said. Hopefully my food processor can handle it!
As for best time to get married it depends the location, we got married in Arizona in February and it was perfect weather!
Ali @ Peaches and Football says
I’m getting married in May – mostly to avoid the June rush but have decent (hopefully) weather. I don’t like the extreme hot months or cold months. Timing didn’t work out for a Fall wedding but that would have been my first choice. I LOVE fall colors!! I think I’ll do my engagement pictures then instead. 🙂
Those brownie bites look fabulous and I was even more excited when I saw they don’t have any tofu in them. Hurray!!
OilLadyLaura says
Congratulations!!!! I like May the best too, hope your wedding is beautiful.
Alicyn says
These sound so yummy! A question for you. I have an almond allergy, what could I sub for the almonds? More walnuts?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I think that would be fine. Or cashews or macadamia nuts :).
Kavli says
Oh my these sound YUM! Can’t wait to try them! The brownie cup is like your German chocolate bites, which is my absolute favorite from your site!
Your instructions say to combine ‘oats’ – you did mean the soaked almonds, right?
Carla says
I too was a little put off by the word “oats” and was going to ask the same question!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Sorry, that was a typo. No oats.
Britt says
Hey Katie! These look amazing, especially with the coffee bean garnish. Too cute! On an unrelated note, I recently picked up a jar of Artisana on a trip to the US after seeing your posts about it. It’s life changing – I don’t know what I’m going to do when I run out! Thank you for introducing me to it!!
OilLadyLaura says
These look so delish, I to am happy they are tofu free!
Question: ingredients list says almonds, but directions say oats. Which one is right?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Sorry, oats was a typo. Fixed now.
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says
These are so amazing looking!! Coffee and chocolate together….just perfect. Here in NY the best months to get married are July or August…the only 2 warm months we have 😉
Alexandra @ Lean Green Healthy Machine says
I love that these brownie cups are customizable with the filling! I can see them being a lovely addition to any gathering. Thanks!
Jackie says
Hi Katie!
I’d love to have these! But one thing stands in my way.
I’m allergic to cashews and walnuts. Joy.
Is there any replacements I could make?
Thanks!
Lisa says
I feel like a ton of people I went to school with are either getting married, pregnant, or engaged. It’s crazy to me how fast it seems to happen after school!
These look like the perfect little brownie bites. Especially since there’s coffee added. My favorite ingredient;)
Heather Williams says
AH! KATIE! I LOVE LOVE LOVE these!!:) You’re incredible as always:):) I bet macadamia nuts would be great in the crust too!:) These look fabulous!!!
Melissa says
Oh, yum, those look so tasty! I love coffee and anything associated with it! Let’s see, I think the ideal month to get married is probably around October/early November, because I absolutely LOVE all of the fall foliage and colors!
Catherine says
How pretty! I love creamy desserts, so these look to be right up my alley–I’m going to have to try them soon!
Debbie P says
I know this sounds lazy, but are there any shortcuts for this recipe? Why do you soak the nuts?
Thanks
Catherine says
I’m not sure what Katie would say, but in my experience soaking the nuts is usually pretty key to getting a “creamy” consistency in these kinds of recipes. If you skip the soaking you will probably wind up with something more like flavored cashew butter (which would be tasty too, but have a totally different consistency!)
Debbie says
These look so delicious, I’m drooling on my computer.
Sara @ LovingOnTheRun says
I’d have to say the best month to get married is June – just because that’s my wedding month 🙂 In fact it is the wedding month for my parents, my husband’s parents, and my brother.
Tiffany Humfeld says
These look so yummy. I’ve yet to try one your recipes, but my tastebuds are always rooting for it.
I say, get married during your favorite season.
Emily @ Life on Food says
I am so thankful my friend’s life events have been spread out. These looks so good. Different but simple and delicious!
Vanessa says
Katie- these look delish! Love the cute little cups. I know what you mean about weddings….this year alone I will have attended 12 weddings, 8 wedding showers, thrown 3 baby showers, and have a few more in the works before 2013 concludes. LOL! Pure craziness. I’m sure you’re a wonderful and amazing friend!
kate says
omg I got palpitations just reading that lol. insane!
Vanessa says
I know right?!! It has been absolutely insane. #storyofmylife LOL!
Abbie @ Needs Salt says
These look so good! I love the combo of chocolate and coffee. <3
So creative! Pinning this. 🙂
Tarang says
Hi Katie. Another beautiful recipe! Thank you.
Was just wondering if you’ve ever tried using dried figs along with the dates in recipes like this one? Do you think it might work – part dates and part figs?
Tarang says
Hi Katie. Another beautiful recipe. Thank you!
Was wondering if you’ve ever tried using dried figs along with dates in the recipes like this one? Do you think it could work – part dates and part figs?
Kaylie @ Skinny Muffin says
You never cease to amaze me. These look SO delicious and need to be in my belly now. Can’t wait for your cookbook!
Kele says
I’m getting married this October! It’s my favorite month by far.
And these look delicious, but the fact that I don’t eat nuts puts them off my plate. I’m sure that they’re awesome!
Lisa @botesforbabies says
You had me at coffee! These look amazing!!! I love the combo of coffee and chocolate..I always add some ground espresso to sweet recipes (with chocolate) to heighten the flavour!
Pipsa says
Oh these look perfect!! I have a couple of friends visiting next weekend and seeing my new-ish place for the first time, so this is such a lovely elegant yet healthy and simple dessert to make. I love coffee and cacao together, so I’m sure these will hit the spot for me at the very least. Yum yum cannot wait to make these! Maybe I have to make a practise batch just for me… or maybe not. I would end up eating them all in a couple of minutes, I’m sure of that 😉
kellie@foodtoglow says
What adorable bites! These look perfect for not only showers but also lunchboxes, travelling, after-dinner petit fours – anytime really.
Lauren Michelle says
I have to make these this week. If all goes well I may make these for my own bridal shower. They look absolutely delicious.
I’m getting married on September 1st, so I obviously think that’s a great time to get married. Where I’m getting married it should be between 70 and 75 degrees.
Alice says
Hello there!
These look SO awesome! Too bad my mom is not a friend of experimental healthy foods (that’s what she calls your recipes… although she usually likes them after she tried some) (though she likes usual healthy food like vegetables. It sounded like she detested healthy foods which she doesn’t!) (sorry about all the sentences in brackets! You get an edgy closing bracket as a compensation: ] (oh look, it’s a smiley!)
Where was I..?
Oh, right: So she doesn’t want to “waste” (no, she didn’t say it like this) such a huge amount of nuts and dates on something only I would end up eating 🙁
Maybe you’ll create a single serving version of this recipe 😉 ‘Till then, I’ll stick to the single serving desserts 🙂
I also have a question: What are your thoughts about people who eat animal products like eggs and meat but pay attention to the origin of them?
Like, we try to get only organic meat where the cow grew naturally and had lots of fresh green grass and fresh air all day (and sometimes I KNEW the cow because its meadow was besides my school way) and the eggs we eat are from a friend who has hens living in his backyard and even though it would still be better than getting all this from the supermarket and to support cruel industries. For now I think it’s the best option I have since we don’t have access to many vegan products and my parents would freak out if I just ate plants. (You won’t get enough protein, a little chicken won’t hurt you, and so on)
Yeah, so, I am very interested in your opinion about this. If you understood any of it. I still word on my english skills and my use of brackets ^^
Harsha says
I am sure Katie will have some very good thoughts on your question, and I honestly don’t mean to butt in. But I must tell you one thing – I am an Indian by birth, and a vegan by choice as well as religion. There are millions of people like me back home in India who are vegans. We manage to get our proteins perfectly fine. I have never had any major health problem in all my life, touchwood. In fact, all my vegan friends and relatives are extremely healthy. I can quote many studies that tell you that being a vegetarian or a vegan is actually good for your health. I am not trying to argue or change your mind here, please do not take this the wrong way, but I get frustrated when people think vegans are putting their health at risk. We are not. There are plenty of vegan sources of protein. Sometimes it may take a bit more effort in US or Canada to find good vegan products, but since I really, really love animals, I don’t mind doing it.
Pipsa says
I think you totally missed her point. She is saying that HER PARENTS think that being a vegan automatically means lacking protein, and between the lines one can read that she herself disagrees. If I understood correctly, she would like to be/could be a vegan if it weren’t for her parents, and that she knows – in contrast to her parents – that a vegan diet can have enough protein and other nutrients in it. And I don’t even think she lives in US/Canada, given her reference to her English skills…? Somewhere else, in e.g. some parts of Europe, having access to vegan products is still extremely hard, because the vegan population there is so minimal.
Just some thoughts, as I felt bad for Alice as I think she was misjudged here 🙂
Harsha says
I wasn’t attacking her. My point was simply that it is not true. It does not matter whether she thinks or her parents think or others think so, the fact is that it is not true. I have managed in Egypt for 2 years being a vegan, and believe people do not even understand the meaning of “vegan” there. My point is that it is possible to be vegan even if products are hard to come by, without compromising on one’s health. I am not trying to force anybody to be vegan here, that is purely their own decision. I am merely pointing out that it is possible.
Harsha says
And the question of mis-judging does not come into picture here, simply because I am not judging anybody. I am pointing out facts, in case she ever wants to try convincing her parents.
Pipsa says
Fair enough, I’m sorry if I came across snarky (cause I don’t ever write that kind of comments on Internet, since I don’t want to hide my critic behind anonymity). However, given my own earlier experience, convincing parents can be so hard if they don’t want to see the facts you lay before their eyes… I’m so glad I’m all grown-up now and allowed to make my own decisions. And good for you for managing being a vegan in Egypt, that surely does sound like a hard thing to do.
Ashley Bee (Quarter Life Crisis Cuisine) says
I think it’d be even more fun to use some Bailey’s or Irish Cream to make these a bit boozy! But, as is, it’s making my mouth water. So either way.
Tammela says
These sound delicious! I guess wedding month would/should be partially determined by what kind of wedding one wants to have. If you want it outside, have it in a warm month. If you want a silly Valentine’s theme, have it in February.
Sarah says
Having gotten married in July, I am partial to summer weddings, but there is something SO cozy and romantic (and sparkly!) about a winter wedding. If I could do it all again…. 🙂
Annie @ Natural Sweet Recipes says
I love that these cups are so versatile! I want to try them with chocolate mousse! I got married in January and it turned out to be perfect. The weather was cold but I was running around all day, I liked it! Plus, everyone looked great! We weren’t having to deal with looking super hot and sweaty with frizzy hair from humidity. My pictures turned out perfect because of it! But ultimately I think it comes down to when the right time is for the couple. When you know it’s right, why wait longer than you want to just to marry in your ideal month?
Bulut says
I’ve been reading your blog and making your recipes for a while, but this is my first comment I think. Your recipes are great, a success each time. I just have a question, though. I never seem to be able to get cashews creamy smooth. I have a decent 100w blender and I let it go at it for 20+ minutes, I have tried soaking them about 8 hours but still no luck. Do you have any tips for me? I wish I could get a Vitamix but unfortunately we don’t get have brand over here. Thanks!
Bulut says
I meant 1000w, not 100w 😉
Vienna says
This is straight from Miyoko Schinner’s FB page: “Who’s having trouble getting their cashews to get really creamy? Skip the soaking and burning out your blender trying to get them creamy – use raw cashew butter instead! About 4.5 ounces equals a cup of raw cashews, and you don’t need to soak.”
Bulut says
Thanks!! I just saw this comment yesterday and tried a recipe with homemade cashew butter this morning, and it worked VERY well.
Vienna says
Success! Happy to hear this worked for you! Thanks for sharing.
Alex @ Cookie Dough Katzen says
Hm I think spring is the best time to get married too, or fall. I live in the mountains and a lot of people choose the fall for outdoor vineyard-type weddings. Not so sure about those winter weddings though! Your cups are so chic! Almost too pretty to eat 🙂
KonaGirl says
Recently started reading your blog and have since been trying out your recipes and enjoying catching up on prior posts. I’ve made the protein fries 3x, the blondies 4x (once w/ butterscotch chips and once w fesh cherries which were yummy but added a lot of moisture) and the deep dish choc chip pie 2x. Loving everything!
My hubby and I were married in October. Fall is our favorite season and we wanted to share everything we love about fall w our guests. We invited everyone to join us for a 5k the morning of our wedding, an apple festival over the weekend, and held a gorgeous outdoor celebration surrounded by changing leaves. Finding a fall themed cake was hard. We looked for decorating ideas and there were lots of spring flower themed cakes but few fall. We finally found a photo of a cake covered in edible berries and leaves that a local baker recreated.
We’ve had a number of friends schedule weddings around events (Disney marathon, etc…). Some of the most memorable weddings I’ve attended have been those where guests were invited to participate in numerous activities throughout the weekend. So, I suppose the timing of the wedding was more about an event that represented the couple’s interest.
Thomas Nwafor says
Absolutely Delicious..one again
Heidi says
i really appreciate how consistent you are with posting frequently with quality pictures and simple recipes! keep up the awesomeness!
Madeleine says
These bites look too addicting! I love the combination of coffee and chocolate!
As for best wedding month, I would think sometime when there aren’t a lot of other holidays going on. Maybe late spring or early summer.
saxondaze says
WOW these look amazing i’m gonna have to try them. How do you come up with such great ideas?
Farah @ Fabulously Farah says
Kale brownies?! AWESOME! Definitely going to try this. Thanks for sharing.
Farah @ Fabulously Farah says
Oops.. I meant to leave my last comment under the Kale Brownies post, obviously. The creamy coffee bites sound amazing too 🙂
Carolyn says
These look amazing…two of my favorite things, too…brownies and coffee! How do you think they would do if made a day or two ahead?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
You can definitely do the shells ahead of time. I would probably not fill them until the last minute, though.
MissCruciferous says
I’m so excited to try making these. I’m going to add some fresh mint to the coffee cream and the brownie dough, since I can’t seem to get enough mint these days. Must have something to do with the need for a bit of refreshment this time of year.
Barbara Gabbe-Harris says
Katie – I just found your website … so in love with your Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Mini-Muffins that I just had to check out some more of your desserts … everything looks scrumptious ….. Thanks for your creative, innovative, healthy, delicious recipes ! You are an inspirtation! barbara
Gabriella says
I made the banana-free version and used it as a stand-alone ‘tiramisu pudding’. It was really good! Thanks for another great recipe, Katie! 🙂
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Thank you so much for making it!
Johanne says
Hi. I just discovered your blog, and I just want you to know that I love it! Great recipes – I have to try at least a few in the near future. 🙂
Cassie says
Why didn’t I discover these sooner? :O
Mary says
I made these & they are yummy! I didn’t have all the ingredients for the mouse on hand so I made a cashew cream for filling. One big problem-I could not get the brownie cups out of the muffin tin. I basically had to scoop out & re-shape by hand. I did freeze for 30 min but that didn’t seem to help. Suggestions?
Jason Sanford says
Line the bottoms of the muffin ti with parchment? Or grease well with oil spray?