Halloween Brownie Bites with Cookie Bat Wings

Halloween Brownie Bites

Round, fudgy brownie bites become bats with a mound of chocolate frosting, dark cookie wings, and two white candy eyes. The frosting forms each bat’s body and holds its wings in place, so it needs to be thick enough to keep its shape. Purchased brownie bites make this a no-bake assembly recipe; a short chill firms the decorations before the bats are moved or served.

Ingredients for 12 Brownie Bats

• 12 purchased round chocolate brownie bites (about 12 oz or 340g total)
• 1 cup thick chocolate frosting (about 8 oz or 225g)
• 6 thin chocolate sandwich cookies (about 70g)
• 24 large edible candy eyes

Each cookie makes four wings: separate it into two wafers, then cut each wafer in half. Thin cookies are easier to fit onto small brownie bites without overwhelming them.

How to Make Halloween Brownie Bites

1. Prepare the wings: Line a tray or platter with parchment. Carefully separate each sandwich cookie into two wafers, then cut each wafer into two semicircles to make 24 wings. Set out the candy eyes so they are ready to attach while the frosting is tacky.
2. Arrange the brownies: Place the brownie bites upright on the tray, leaving room for wings on both sides. If the bites are very soft, refrigerate them for 10 minutes before decorating.
3. Add the frosting: Pipe or spoon about 1 tablespoon of frosting onto each bite, making a generous, low mound with enough frosting at the sides to anchor the wings. It should hold its shape rather than spread. A piping bag or zip-top bag with a corner snipped gives you control, but a spoon works too.
4. Make the bats: Gently press one cookie half into each side of the frosting, angling the wings slightly upward with the embossed sides facing out. Keep the inner edges close without overlapping. Press two candy eyes onto the front of each mound, above the brownie rim.
5. Firm the decorations: Refrigerate the bats uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the wings stay upright and the eyes remain in place when you gently move the tray. Lift each bat by its brownie base, not its wings.

How to Keep the Cookie Wings in Place

Use thick frosting rather than a thin glaze, and embed the inner edge of each wing firmly but gently so the cookie does not crack. If the frosting slumps or the eyes begin to slide, chill the assembled bats briefly before moving them again.

Using Baked Brownie Bites Instead

For a baked base, prepare brownie batter according to your mix package and bake it in a lightly greased mini-muffin pan, following the package’s baking guidance. Let the bites cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, loosen them gently, and cool them completely before decorating. Warm brownies will soften the frosting and cause the wings to shift.

Serving and Storing Brownie Bats

Arrange the bats on a platter with room around their wings so they are easy to pick up. For a Halloween sweets tray, serve them alongside easy purple witch hat cookies or witch finger pretzel rods.

Decorate the bats up to 1 day ahead. Once the frosting has firmed, store them in an airtight container in a cool room for up to 2 days for the best cookie-wing texture. Keep them in a single layer if possible; if you must stack them, separate the layers with parchment and leave space to protect the wings.

Refrigerate if the room is warm, then let the bites stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving for a softer brownie texture. Do not freeze assembled bats; plain brownie bites can be frozen, then thawed completely before decorating.

Nutrition

Approximate per brownie bat: 235 calories, 2g protein, 10g fat, and 34g carbohydrates. Approximate per 100g: 430 calories, 4g protein, 18g fat, and 62g carbohydrates. Values vary by brand of brownie bites, frosting, cookies, and candy eyes.